The politically charged issue of Chicago violence came to a head again two years later, when Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2020 threatened to sue after Trump announced he was sending federal agents to Chicago to tackle violent crime, which she said was done without her permission. We support the rights of unions to represent their members. He said he came because he has quite a few police officer friends and wanted to share in their grief. Read part three of the Tribunes endorsements for Illinois Senate here. racketeering case against Chicago Ald. I personally went over last night to the 8th District, he told the Tribune. Chicago Tribune; The Baltimore Sun; The Morning Call of Pa. Daily Press of Va. Since then, he has managed this office skillfully, making sound investments for the states portfolio that have earned taxpayers more than $1 billion. We'll again note that while taking criminals off the streets and standing up for crime victims aren't the entirety of this job, those are the reasons this job exists. Ask anyone who's ever worked near the top of the state's attorney's office. A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. The clear and present dangers of intrusion from county pols run from patronage to policy to principle.. (Chicago Tribune). "This is a slate that represents the values . Under Frerichs, Bright Start has gone from one of the nations worst-rated college savings programs to one of the best it has gotten a Gold rating from independent investment analysis firm Morningstar for five successive years. If nothing else, that list should serve as a sobering reminder that dismantling the culture of corruption staining Illinois politics must be a top priority for prosecutors at every echelon of government. Alvarez's wordy non-answers to that question did nothing to quash the impression that she slow-walked this case, hoping for a joint news conference with the U.S. attorney when he finished his (still-unfinished) probe. CHICAGO Cook County state's attorney Kim Foxx issued a statement Thursday addressing the criminal history of the 18-year-old suspected of killing Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso on Wednesday as . 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. Disclaimer | He knows how to operate in it, he said. If the treasurer is Illinois primary investment manager, the comptroller is the states main bill payer, with control over Springfields checking account. So financial acumen is a must, and both candidates bring strong money oversight credentials to the race. We endorse a no vote. And she had worked as chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, helping administer a $4 billion budget. Kim, who ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 2010 and then as gubernatorial candidate Dan Rutherford's lieutenant governor running mate in their losing primary race in 2014 . Read the full editorial here. Our concern was that (Boik) seemed committed to moving the process along, Raoul told us. Unlike Mayor Rahm Emanuel, she hasn't come to understand that it's not in the public interest to endlessly withhold information about deadly force incidents. On Monday, Sally Daly, a. If we could choose one of the three candidates in this race to prosecute a murder case in a courtroom tomorrow, we'd choose Alvarez for her depth of experience there. In an unrelated case last year, Montano was charged on July 30 with a misdemeanor count of resisting a peace officer for allegedly running from an officer who stopped a car he was in, according to court documents. Preceding him are four former Senate Democratic colleagues, Thomas Cullerton, Terry Link, Annazette Collins and Martin Sandoval (who died in 2020); a former GOP state senator, Sam McCann; former House Speaker and Democratic kingmaker Michael Madigan; and onetime Democratic state Reps. Luis Arroyo and Eddie Acevedo. Alvarez, who has worked in the office for nearly three decades, was previously endorsed by the Tribune in 2008 and 2012. But Lausch was allowed to stay on the job after an unusual push from Durbin and Duckworth, who extolled Lausch as a corruption buster who needed to see through investigations of some of the states most powerful politicians. 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. She has experience in helping to administer a $4 billion government. Since Lausch took over, his office has charged more than 80 reputed gang members under the federal racketeering statute, which brings hefty mandatory minimum sentences and in some cases can carry the death penalty. Today, the Cook County Democratic Party presented its recommendations for statewide, countywide and judicial races in the 2022 primary. If we could choose one of the three candidates in this race to prosecute a murder case in a courtroom tomorrow, we'd choose Alvarez for her depth of experience there, the editorial board wrote. The mayor said Lausch assured her an influx of law enforcement would be working collaboratively with Chicago cops against violent crime. Courthouse in Chicago after verdicts were reached in the trial of singer R. Kelly. What standards police officials require of their departments. ], [[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]. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The editorial board makes these recommendations based on the evaluations of major bar associations, including the Chicago Council of Lawyers, interviews with judges and attorneys who know the work of the candidates, and information provided by the candidates to the board. Courthouse in Chicago after verdicts were reached in the trial of singer R. Kelly. She's given plenty of thought to the suspicions and hostilities that have animated metropolitan Chicago since the McDonald case erupted in the public consciousness a year ago. Results are available at www.isba.org/YouBeTheJudge. Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. Nor have we joined the more recent chorus arguing that Alvarez's handling of the Laquan McDonald case disqualifies her from office. Jun 16 2022. chicago tribune state's attorney endorsement In the months since the release of that breathtaking video of McDonald crumpling onto a street, many among us have come to better understand why so many law-abiding Chicagoans distrust the criminal justice system here. A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia now has the endorsements of both U.S. senators from Illinois. In Election, Support for Abortion Rights Was About Much More Support for abortion rights did drive women to the polls in Tuesday's elections. Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune GOP Harris County judge candidate contesting her loss after Election Day problems at polling sites by Patrick Svitek and Pooja Salhotra Updated: Jan. 6, 2023. Thursday night, a few hundred people, mostly Chicago police officers, gathered at Hale Park on the Southwest Side during a vigil for the slain officer. The FOP announced the decision in a post on the . In Springfields post-Michael Madigan era, how much of a dent can Republicans make into the viselike grip that Democrats have on the Illinois House of Representatives? When we wrote about this case before the March primary, we said that if we could choose one of the three Democrats in that race to prosecute a murder case, we'd choose Alvarez for her courtroom experience. Despite very public calls to oust school board members and reject candidates who opposed fully reopening schools until April, Naperville District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 incumbents appear to have cruised to reelection by hefty margins. 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. But not his teammates. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. 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. Foxx understands that disconnect; wanting to heal it is her most compelling rationale for seeking the office. Ahead of her confirmation hearing scheduled Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by U.S. Sen. The office also represents the County in civil proceedings. Former Kane County prosecutor Jamie Mosser has decided to run for Kane County state's attorney in the 2020 election. Heres the first installment of the Tribune Editorial Boards endorsements for Illinois House contests. 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. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune). Any incumbent's re-election ought never be an entitlement. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune). We need to remember that. Vasquez-Lasso, 32, lived in the Marquette Park neighborhood, according to the Cook County medical examiners office. We trust that she could connect with people in those violence-ravaged communities. Brandon Johnson, Vallas opponent in the April runoff, said the officers death was a painful reminder of how much work we have to do in the city of Chicago to end violence., My prayers and my thoughts are with the family and all families involved, Johnson said. Find a downloadable, printable list of Chicago Tribune election endorsements and candidates responses to our questionnaires here. And those misgivings? Endorsements, In The News / October 5, 2018. I take the liberty of reproducing the Tribune's subcircuit endorsement editorial in full.The Tribune made endorsements Sunday in countywide races for the Cook County Circuit Court. Illinois Supreme Court. Alvarez came under fire amid the Laquan McDonald scandal. To our eyes . U.S. Attorney John Lausch submitted his formal resignation Wednesday stating hell be leaving his high-profile post as Chicagos top federal prosecutor later this month. U.S. Attorney John Lausch, center, prepares to speak to reporters on Sept. 14, 2022, at the Dirksen U.S. 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. Sept. 13, 2016. Fundamentally, the reason we believe voters should not give her a second term is that she seems unable or unwilling to entertain the notion that she should do anything differently in the face of Baltimores record violence. The board noted that Congressman Chuy Garcia's platform was too vague to issue an endorsement, while noting they were troubled by his associations with former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. His depth of experience does qualify him to charge and prosecute outlaws, to put the guilty behind bars. We endorse Foxx while admitting two concerns. He died while protecting Chicago and its people. For years, we have argued candidates running for state attorney general should carve out a bigger role in tackling corruption in Illinois politics. Attorney General Keith Ellison easily wins DFL endorsement for second term 600175318 Attorney General Keith Ellison easily wins DFL endorsement for second term Delegates also endorsed. (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. Lauschs five-plus years on the high-octane job exceeds the terms of many of his predecessors, including Fardon, who served as U.S. attorney for about 3 years beginning in 2013 before leaving for a private Chicago law firm. It makes more sense for voters to try and figure out which candidate will best improve this most customer-service oriented of public offices. Weve got to be more aggressive about working with the U.S. attorneys office to bypass the states attorneys office when the states attorney whoever the states attorney is is refusing to charge, Vallas said. The CBA Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) invites you to view its evaluations of candidates running to fill vacancies on the Appellate and Circuit Courts in the upcoming general election to be held on November 8, 2022. 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. Christopher Pfannkuche will run unopposed on the Republican ticket. The task force is starting to yield results, including an investigation that led to the discovery of more than $1 million in stolen retail merchandise hidden in storage units, Raoul told us. 79th District - Lindsay Parkhurst (R) 81st District - David Olsen (R) 82nd District - Jim Durkin (R) 84th District - Stephanie Kifowit (D) 86th District - no endorsement. Yet we endorse one of her challengers, Kim Foxx, in the Democratic primary for state's attorney. We think Foxx, by contrast, in time would rebuild the public's trust, the editorial board wrote. But if Foxx is elected, her chief challenge will be persuading crime-ravaged communities to cooperate with law enforcement and curtail the slaughter of so many youths. "Kim Foxx is a strong voice for reform and justice for all, Governor Quinn said in a statement provided by Foxx's campaign. The paper also expounds on the need for the next states attorney to serve as a bridge between crime-riddled communities and law enforcement. (Chicago Tribune). 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.