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"This practice of a state’s attorney
soliciting and accepting a loan from a sitting judge in his home
county raises serious ethical questions and undermines the public’s
faith in a fair and impartial judicial process," Melissa Merz said.
"Paying back the loan after the election is like returning groceries
after you’ve eaten them. It does nothing to correct the potential
conflict of interest between Birkett and Judge Elsner."
Birkett has been under fire in recent
weeks for accepting contributions and loans from defense attorneys
involved in plea bargaining to get lighter sentences for their
clients. In addition, he has solicited and received loans from
well-connected DuPage County criminal defense attorneys. Birkett
received loans of $100,000 from DuPage County lawyer Tim Martin and
$10,000 from attorney Terry Ekl. Martin and Ekl, Birkett’s former
campaign manager, both represent clients being prosecuted by Birkett.
Martin’s firm played up its insider
connection with Birkett’s office in a promotional brochure that
boasts of the firm’s "knowledge and ability to conduct very
favorable plea negotiations." Another part of the brochure says the
firm can often "win your case by filing a motion to quash arrest and
suppress evidence."
[to top of second column in this
article] |
In another case, a lawyer who
contributed $3,100 to Birkett’s campaign secured a plea bargain that
resulted in a sentence of probation, and 34 days of jail time
already served, for a man who attempted to murder his wife by
pushing her into a fire.
Since August 1995, Birkett has received
approximately $244,430 in direct contributions from criminal defense
attorneys located in DuPage County. He has received approximately
$141,000 in loans from the same group during the same time period.
"A clear
pattern has emerged in DuPage County that shows a tight circle of
well-connected lawyers manipulating the criminal justice system to
their benefit. Joe Birkett is at the center of that circle," Merz
said
[Press
release]
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Register to vote in
the
November general election
[SEPT.
27, 2002]
SPRINGFIELD –– Illinois
Secretary of State Jesse White is reminding citizens that Oct. 8 is
the deadline for applying to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general
election through the motor voter program. The secretary of state’s
office gives citizens the opportunity to fill out an application to
register to vote when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or
state identification card. However, the secretary of state’s office
only sends the application to the voter’s election authority, which
is responsible for registering voters.
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"Voting is one of our most precious
rights that we cannot and should not ignore," White said,
"especially at a time when America is uniting to exercise the very
freedoms upon which this country was founded."
White said that all secretary of state
facilities take applications for registration through the motor
voter program from those who come to the facility to obtain or renew
their drivers’ licenses or identification cards. But after Oct. 8,
people who file applications through the motor voter program will
not be registered for the general election on Nov. 5.
In 2000, White formed a committee
headed by Dr. Paul Green of Roosevelt University’s School of Policy
Studies that reviewed the motor voter program and recommended a
number of changes. The secretary of state’s office has implemented
those changes to streamline the motor voter program and make it more
efficient.
For more
information on voter registration, call the Illinois State Board of
Elections at (217) 782-4141.
[Press
release] |
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Lincoln alderman candidate petitions available
[SEPT.
20, 2002]
Public notice:
Petitions for nomination of candidates
for alderman for the city of Lincoln consolidated primary election to be
held Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003, are available in the city clerk’s
office at City Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
(except holidays).
[Juanita Josserand, city
clerk] |
|
Area Illinois Senate, 44th District
Bill Brady (R):
http://www.citizensforbillbrady.com
Gerald A. Bradley (D)
Illinois Senate, 50th District
Larry Bomke (R):
http://www.legis.state.il.us/bios/senate/
BOMKE.html
Don
Tracy (D):
wtracy56@msn.com
Citizens for Tracy
Illinois House, 100th District
Rich Brauer (R):
http://www.richbrauer.com
Carl Oblinger
Illinois Supreme Court, 4th District
Rita Garman (R):
http://www.ritabgarman.com/
Sue
Myerscough (D):
http://www.illinoisjudges2000.com/
Courts-Candidates-Myerscough.htm Illinois
Appellate Court, 4th District
John Turner (R):
http://www.illinoisjudges2000.com/Courts-Candidates-Turner.htm
Bill Trapp (D):
http://www.illinoisjudges2000.com/Courts-Candidates-Trapp.htm
U.S. House of Representatives,
18th District
Ray LaHood (R):
http://www.raylahood.com |
Statewide
U.S. Senate
Jim Durkin (R):
http://www.durkinforsenate.org
Dick Durbin (D):
http://www.senate.gov/~durbin/
Governor
Jim
Ryan (R):
http://www.jimryanforgovernor.com/
Rod
Blagojevich (D):
http://www.rodforus.com/
Lieutenant governor
Carl Hawkinson (R):
http://www.legis.state.il.us/bios/senate/
HAWKINSON.html
http://www.jimryan2002.org/
AboutHawkinson.asp
Pat
Quinn (D):
http://www.votequinn.com/
Attorney general
Joe
Birkett (R):
http://www.joebirkett.com/
Lisa Madigan (D):
http://www.lisamadigan.org/
Secretary of state
Kristine O'Rourke Cohn (R):
http://www.cohn2002.com
Jesse White (D):
http://www.sos.state.il.us/
Treasurer
Judy Baar Topinka (R):
http://www.state.il.us/treas/
http://www.judybaartopinka.com
Thomas Dart (D):
http://www.tomdart.com
Comptroller
Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell (R):
http://www.vote4ramsdell.com
Daniel Hynes (D):
http://www.ioc.state.il.us/
http://www.friendsofdan.com
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