We gather and pray for everyone.. 79th District - Lindsay Parkhurst (R) 81st District - David Olsen (R) 82nd District - Jim Durkin (R) 84th District - Stephanie Kifowit (D) 86th District - no endorsement. In 2008 and again in 2012, we endorsed Anita Alvarez for Cook County state's attorney. But the top job of state's attorney involves many other skills: judgment about law enforcement priorities and conduct; frank and comfortable communication with the public; administration of a big and vital office that, like all of county government, will have to get smaller as pension costs crush budgets.. At the same time, we have to acknowledge that she did not have the evidence to sustain the heavy charges she brought against the officers in the Gray case; her assertion that she would do nothing differently if given the chance is simply bizarre given the trials outcomes. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Before Fardon, Patrick Fitzgerald, who also earned a reputation as a nonpartisan corruption fighter, served for nearly 12 years as U.S. attorney in Chicago under Democratic and Republican presidents. McDonald, a 17-year-old Chicagoan, was shot and killed by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke in October of 2014. (Chicago Tribune). (Steve Sadin / Lake County News-Sun). Alvarez should have been agitating to fix the things that we all now know desperately need fixing. They are my family, and Im their family as well, Cuellar said. The Chicago Tribune editorial board made their long-awaited endorsement in the upcoming mayoral election on Friday, backing former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas for the city's top job. Incumbent Democrat Michael Frerichs has had this job since 2015. The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police threw its support Thursday behind Patrick O'Brien, the Republican candidate running to unseat embattled Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. He can shoot it., Justin Steele and 6 Chicago Cubs relievers combine for the 1st spring training no-hitter in franchise history, Leah Palmer experiences grand time as Geneva grinds out victory in Class 4A third-place game. Both final mayoral candidates touched on the death of Vasquez-Lasso on the first full day of campaigning ahead of the April 4 matchup, with Paul Vallas, who ran on a tough-on-crime platform, criticizing Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx for dismissing misdemeanor charges against the suspect, Montano, in November. Rod Blagojevich was convicted by a jury 12 years ago. Here are the Chicago Tribune Editorial Boards 2022 endorsements for the Nov. 8 elections. ], [[Dont miss] See how candidates for governor answered our questions plus who the Tribune Editorial Board endorsed], [[Dont miss] Editorial: 175 years of editorials and counting]. In that context, its entirely believable that the increase in dropped felony cases during her term is to a great extent the product of forces outside her control. Courthouse in Chicago after verdicts were reached in the trial of singer R. Kelly . is the right one, indeed the only one, in this election. But as violent crime rates rise, citizens, too, will have to do more especially to help police and prosecutors find perpetrators and put them away. Our second concern has been whether Foxx wants to be a crime-buster or public defender (actually an appointed post). His depth of experience does qualify him to charge and prosecute outlaws, to put the guilty behind bars. A similar move in Portland, Oregon, had led to widespread denouncement after unidentified federal agents wearing camouflage uniforms were recorded making arrests. But not his teammates. Foxx talks eagerly and easily about police misconduct cases and whether too many people are in prison. Sept. 13, 2016. This is yet another example of why we need to make sure that we are dealing with the immediate challenge of violence in the city of Chicago, which my plan speaks to that, while also getting at the root causes. We endorse him. He didnt. The public has demanded urgency and new approaches from everyone involved in trying to stop the killings. Shiva Mohsenzadeh was leading her opponent Jill Brickman by about 90 votes Friday morning. Thursdays statement from Foxxs office said prosecutors offered community service as an alternative to traditional prosecution due to the facts of the case. We agree that her announcement of charges against the six officers involved in Freddie Grays death staved off violence. The office also represents the County in civil proceedings. And it's fair for her to ride waves of public animus toward law enforcement in some communities. Lausch was sworn in as U.S. attorney on Nov. 22, 2017, two weeks after being confirmed by unanimous voice vote in the Senate. Beyond a polite hello in the elevator, prosecutors should be fiercely independent of politicians, especially those who sign off on their budget. When Chicago police Superintendent David Brown fired Robert Boik, CPDs executive director of constitutional policing and reform, we told Chicagoans that Browns decision marked a big step backward. The board added that incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot is their second choice and the candidate they feel should face Vallas in a potential runoff election. Democratic Cook County state's attorney candidate Kim Foxxmeets with the Tribune Editorial Board on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. Van Dyke was not charged with McDonalds murder until November of 2015 when dash-cam footage of the incident was being made public as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request. Democratic voters so disapproved of how the current state's attorney, Anita Alvarez, handled the Laquan McDonald case that they rejected her primary election bid for a third four-year term. Today, the Cook County Democratic Party presented its recommendations for statewide, countywide and judicial races in the 2022 primary. DeVore, who has the words freedom and liberty tattooed to his forearms, is best known for pursuing a series of challenges to Gov. The defendant, who had no prior record, was given an I-bond after being charged on July 29, 2022, with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, after running from a vehicle that had been stopped by police, according to the statement issued by her office. We think Foxx, by contrast, in time would rebuild the public's trust, the editorial board wrote. Lightfoot changed her tone after speaking with Lausch, her former colleague at the U.S. attorneys office, whom she said she admired and trusted. In the highly-contested race for Cook County States Attorney, the Chicago Tribune editorial board endorsed candidate Kim Foxx Friday. Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. The suspicion that Alvarez could and should have moved faster may help explain why 71 percent of Cook County respondents in a Tribune poll said they weren't satisfied with her handling of this case. On Nov. 8, Illinois voters will elect their governor, junior U.S. senator, two Illinois Supreme Court justices, all 17 of Illinois representatives in the U.S. Congress, every state senator and state representative in the General Assembly, and county and judicial offices throughout the state. Before working in . (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune), Chicago police officers place blue ribbons on trees outside District 8 Chicago Lawn Police Station on March 2, 2023, in honor of police Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso who was fatally shot the night before. When he was elected governor of Illinois in 2018, J.B. Pritzker was blissfully unaware of the COVID-19 crisis that would dominate his first term. The victim and witnesses described the car used in the shooting and its license plate, which police learned was stolen a couple of days earlier, according to a police report included in the police case file. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Publicado en junio 16, 2022 por junio 16, 2022 por But the top job of state's attorney involves many other skills: judgment about law enforcement priorities and conduct; frank and comfortable communication with the public; administration of a big and vital office that, like all of county government, will have to get smaller as pension costs crush budgets. WTTW's 2020 Voter Guide is your comprehensive library of resources for the General Election on November 3. Lauschs exit comes just days before the trial of the so-called ComEd Four gets underway at the Dirksen U.S. The driver of the vehicle has been charged with felony counts of illegal gun possession, and the case is still pending., Vallas told reporters on Thursday that Foxxs office is not getting serious with the gun crimes.. All candidates for Illinois judicial offices in the March 20 primary election have been rated by Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) evaluation committees, or in a poll conducted by ISBA. Those who view her actions then from the safe remove of three years and through the hindsight of the charges result are forgetting the real and justified fear that the city would erupt again into rioting if the foolish self-imposed deadline then-police commissioner Anthony Batts had set for completing the investigation into Grays death passed with no move toward accountability for the officers. 2022. v. t. e. The 2020 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Illinois, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives . Trying again on Tuesday, focused this time on crime, he was the top vote. We think Foxx, by contrast, in time would rebuild the public's trust. On Thursday morning, about 100 people walked the two blocks from St. Gall Catholic Church in Gage Park, paying their respects at the block where Chicago police Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso was shot and killed Wednesday. Raoul pledges to expand the attorney generals jurisdiction over corruption cases, and Illinoisans should hold him to that pledge. All rights reserved, Michigan Businessman Perry Johnson Launches Long-Shot 2024 Presidential Bid, Black Vietnam Veteran Finally Honored With Medal of Honor, New Ranking Names Most Expensive Cities In Illinois and These Chicago Suburbs Top the List, Chicago Suburb Lands on List of Happiest Places to Live,' Another Midwest City Makes Top 10, Chicago-Area Counties Under Winter Storm Advisories and Warnings, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. And, debating her opponents before the Tribune Editorial Board, Alvarez repeatedly came up empty when pressed on a related question: If a judge hadn't ordered the release of that video, would she still be waiting for the feds to complete their investigation before she filed charges? Amendment One We endorse a no vote. Edward Burke, the bribery probe involving Commonwealth Edison, A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Here are our choices for contested races in the court's 15 subcircuits. Raouls goal isnt to usurp the work of federal prosecutors, who have ably gone after a vast array of public officials on corruption charges, most notably Michael Madigan. What's more frustrating is that she doesn't seem to think she could have performed better. Sources told . Instead, she styles herself as Baltimores chief advocate and prime mover for law enforcement reform, but that job actually belongs to the federal consent decree monitoring team. But Alvarez has the benefit of that hindsight, too, and she isn't using this campaign to demand the fixes. Read the full editorial here. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul speaks at a campaign event on Aug. 25, 2022, at a Jackson County Democrats dinner in Murphysboro. Lawyer, admitted to the Maryland bar. In this months Democratic primary, we endorse attorney Ivan Bates. For years, we have argued candidates running for state attorney general should carve out a bigger role in tackling corruption in Illinois politics. It's a tall mountain to climb. Should the amendment pass, we anticipate serious negative consequences for the taxpayers of Illinois. Vasquez-Lasso was in one of two pairs of responding officers who engaged with Montano, who allegedly ran away from the officers. Democratic candidate for Cook County state's attorney Kim Foxx and Republican candidate Christopher Pfannkuche give their closing statements to the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Sept. 13, 2016. We believe Toni Preckwinkle has been an effective fiscal steward of Cook County, overall, and a competent manager in the massive countys various areas of jurisdiction, from corrections to transportation to public health. Foxx has strong communications skills. Alvarez has missed chances to assure voters that she's learned something from this debacle. We need to remember that. Assistant State's Attorneys and support staff vigorously prosecute crimes committed in the County and provide extensive services to victims and witnesses. You don't think that could happen? A nominee of Republican President Donald Trump, Lausch was originally asked by the incoming Biden administration to step down from his post in 2021 along with other Trump holdovers. That she could explain to them why cooperating with cops and prosecutors in finding and convicting the bad guys can curtail the bloodshed that takes so many of their children's lives. Foxx got where she is with strong help from Preckwinkle and the county Democratic organization. Read the full editorial here. How rigorously oversight boards pursue accusations of officer misconduct. But not his teammates. When were looking at the drivers of violence, weve seen a lot of it relate to turf and social media and retaliation upon retaliation. She should have pledged that next time, she'd wrap up the state investigation as fast as possible and, if appropriate, promptly file charges. Watching Foxx and Pfannkuche debate,we were struck by what a good team they would make. (Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune). Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. This case also should have taught her the peril of binding together the state and federal investigations. She worked well with a politically diverse County Board, and we think she can be a bridge to the bloodied communities that are most alienated from the criminal justice system.