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Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave more $1 million each to then-justice
candidates Elizabeth Rochford and Mary O’Brien. Now seated on
the bench of seven, Rochford and O'Brien are set to hear a
challenge of the gun ban Pritzker signed Jan. 10.
The plaintiffs in the case have filed a motion for Rochford and
O’Brien to recuse themselves from proceedings because of
“unreasonably large campaign contributions” and other issues.
During a House Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday, state
Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, asked Illinois Supreme Court
Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis about the issue.
“They were just recently elected, is that correct,” Halbrook
asked.
“That’s right,” Theis said.
“You think they’ll do the right thing and recuse themselves in
relationship to the gun-ban case,” Halbrook asked.
“There are motions pending before the court as we speak and at
this point I’m not going to make any comment on those motions
until they’ve been decided,” Theis said.
Some past statements from the then-candidates and now justices
have surfaced.
Nearly a year ago, before the November 2022 election, Rochford
addressed with the American Constitution Society how to ensure
impartiality by acknowledging a higher standard.
“Just that appearance of bias is a dangerous thing that
undermines the credibility of our judicial system,” Rochford
said.
In
a candidate statement to the League of Women Voters in October,
O’Brien sounded off on where she stands on a central question in
the gun ban challenge: equal protections.
“Let the laws apply the same to everyone, no matter what your
economic status is or your social status, let the laws apply
equally to everybody,” O’Brien said.
Illinois’ gun ban and registry does not apply to active and
retired police, and others in the law enforcement and security
industries, something plaintiffs say violates equal protections.
It’s unclear when a decision will be made on the motion for the
justices to recuse themselves. The case is set to be heard in
mid-May. Separately, a consolidated federal challenge of the gun
ban is set for April 12.
Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and
other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of
award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning
Newsfeed out of Springfield.
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