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Releases to the Media

Lisa Madigan: Loan raises serious ethical questions

[SEPT. 27, 2002]  CHICAGO — A spokesperson for Democratic attorney general candidate Lisa Madigan today called on DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett to immediately pay back a $10,000 loan that Birkett admits he solicited from DuPage County Circuit Judge John Elsner to support his campaign. Birkett says he intends to repay the loan only after the election is over

"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]

 


Election Information

New district information for voters

Logan County divisions create new representative and legislative districts

County board is also by districts now

[OCT. 4, 2002]  Logan County has been divided into the 87th and 100th representative districts through the state’s redistricting process. The division has also created new legislative districts for senators. The 87th and 88th representative districts will now form the 44th Legislative District, and the 99th and 100th representative districts create the 50th Legislative District.

Most of the northern and southeastern portions of Logan County are in the 87th Representative District and 44th Legislative District. The southwest portion of the county and the majority of Lincoln are situated in the 100th Representative District and 50th Legislative District.

Logan County will also have new county board districts.

District 1: Atlanta 1, Atlanta 2, Atlanta 3, Eminence, Orvil 1, Orvil 2, Prairie Creek, Sheridan and part of West Lincoln 7 (north of Route 10 West and Interstate 55).

District 2: Broadwell, Corwin, Elkhart 1, Elkhart 2, Hurlbut, West Lincoln 6 and part of West Lincoln 7 (south of Route 10 West and Interstate 55)

District 3: Mount Pulaski 1, Mount Pulaski 2, Mount Pulaski 3, Mount Pulaski 4, Aetna, Chester, Lake Fork, Oran and Laenna.

District 4: East Lincoln 1, East Lincoln 2, East Lincoln 3, East Lincoln 6, East Lincoln 8 (part) and West Lincoln 1.

District 5: West Lincoln 2, West Lincoln 3, West Lincoln 4, West Lincoln 5, West Lincoln 8, West Lincoln 9 and West Lincoln 10.

District 6: East Lincoln 4, East Lincoln 5, East Lincoln 8 (part), East Lincoln 9, East Lincoln 10, East Lincoln 11 and East Lincoln 12.

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Districts are printed on the registration cards that voters received earlier in the year. If you are confused about your voting districts, please feel free to contact the county clerk’s office in the courthouse in Lincoln.

If you need to change your address, have incorrect information on your voter registration card, or have married and changed your name, it is necessary for you to contact our office by Oct. 8 in order to be eligible to cast a full ballot in the Nov. 5 general election.

As always, we encourage your participation in the election process. It is through the process of democracy that our great nation will continue to enjoy the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

[Sally J. Litterly, Logan County clerk and recorder]

 

 


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.

"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]


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]


Meet the Candidates

Links to candidate information on the Web

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

 


Letters of Endorsement

The Lincoln Daily News publishes letters to the editor as they are received.
 The letters are not edited in content and do not necessarily reflect 
the views of Lincoln Daily News.

Lincoln Daily News requests that writers responding to controversial issues address the issue and refrain from personal attacks. Thank you!


Calendar of Events

Tuesday, Nov. 5
WHO:
Registered voters
WHAT:
General election

WHERE: Logan County polling places

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2003
WHO:
Registered voters
WHAT:
Consolidated primary election

WHERE: Logan County polling places


District Maps

Click on images to see larger maps

County board:

[to top of second column of maps]

State representatives:


Back to top


 

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