(Chicago Tribune), A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Now, however, he tells us he is working to expand the attorney generals jurisdiction over public corruption cases. Officers including Vasquez-Lasso encountered someone who was chasing a woman down the street with a gun, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said late Wednesday. Mosser, who is a Democrat, will formally announce her candidacy during an. Any incumbent's re-election ought never be an entitlement. A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Given that the county has more 800 governmental units, thats a crucial quality that voters must keep in mind. We want a state's attorney who'll focus on police misconduct, fairness to defendants and incarceration rates of the guilty. For this reason, its absurd to see the office of secretary of state through a partisan lens. That long tradition of. About | 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? Lightfoot changed her tone after speaking with Lausch, her former colleague at the U.S. attorneys office, whom she said she admired and trusted. Mary Kay O'Brien EI's State Legislative and County-Level Endorsement Press Release Illinois Senate (District Number - Name) 1 - Javier Loera Cervantes 2 - Omar Aquino 4 - Kimberly Lightford 6 - Sara Feigenholtz 7 - Mike Simmons 8 - Ram Villivalam 9 - Laura Fine 10 - Robert Martwick 12 - Celina Villanueva 13 - Robert Peters 16 - Willie Preston Sept. 13, 2016. Today, the Chicago Tribune endorsed Governor Rauner, highlighting how critical this election is to the future of Illinois. We believe Ivan Bates is that person. Under Lightfoot's leadership, thefts, burglaries and robberies increased in high numbers especially between 2022 and 2023 while her relationship with the teachers' union turned . We need to remember that. All three were taken into custody and officers recovered two guns in the vicinity, the report said. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. She has the integrity and ability to serve the people of Cook County well as their states attorney.. Kim Foxx is challenging Anita Alvarez in the March primary race for Cook County state's attorney. 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 made the state's attorney's office more transparent, providing the public, for the first time, with online access to records for every felony case dating back to 2011. Christopher Pfannkuche will run unopposed on the Republican ticket. During the past three years, Baltimore has suffered its worst period of violence on record with more than 1,100 people killed. Foxx has strong communications skills. Tribune reporters Jeremy Gorner, Paige Fry, Rosemary Sobol, Deanease Williams-Harris and Shanzeh Ahmad contributed. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to be the next mayor of Chicago after voters on Tuesday denied incumbent Lori Lightfoot a second term, issuing a rebuke to a leader who made history as head of the nation's third-largest city.. Vallas, a former schools CEO backed by the police union, and Johnson, a Cook County commissioner endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, advanced . Depending where you live, there are two contested vacancies: one in the 12th subcircuit and one in the 13th subcircuit. For the list of sitting judges asking to be retained, nearly every one of them is recommended for retention by the three major judicial rating groups. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In the highly-contested race for Cook County State's Attorney, the Chicago Tribune editorial board endorsed candidate Kim Foxx Friday. We endorse him. Here are the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board 's 2022 endorsements for the Nov. 8 elections. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. The board added that Vallas will be expected to use experience gained as Mayor Richard M. Daley's budget director from 1990 to 1993 in tightening city finances. A defensive stalwart, Oswego Easts Tyler Jasek surprises Joliet West. Brown told reporters Wednesday outside Mount Sinai Hospital that the officer was shot multiple times.. Choosing a new Cook County state's attorney in normal times, you might vote for a candidate who's had a hand in thousands of criminal prosecutions. This primary election is critical for the direction of pro-family issues in Illinois, and the attorney general is a key office to protecting families' freedoms of choice in education, religion, and life. 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. The Tribune Editorial Board advocates for the equality of the individual, for personal responsibility, for a limited government role in the lives of the governed. [Dont miss] Election 2022: What Illinois races do you care most about and what issues are important to you? Trying again on Tuesday, focused this time on crime, he was the top vote. Vasquez-Lasso, 32, lived in the Marquette Park neighborhood, according to the Cook County medical examiners office. 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. Rogers Forge, Baltimore County. According to a high-ranking Tribune executive . That means the top two vote-getters advance to an April 4 runoff. 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. 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. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. This case also should have taught her the peril of binding together the state and federal investigations. The . She spent 12 years as an assistant state's attorney, mostly in juvenile court, and served as chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. A rosary is among the items filling a memorial for slain Chicago police Officer Andrs Mauricio Vsquez Lasso along the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue, March 3, 2023. June 30, 2022 . Before working in . Read the full editorial here. Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook. She's had a much better view than most people of how the Independent Police Review Authority doesn't work, and she has known for quite some time that police videos often, or always, didn't have audio. Foley, who served as an Army chaplain in Afghanistan for four deployments spanning over five years beginning in 2009, said hes accustomed to violence, though still not comfortable with it. Read the full editorial here. A Foxx spokesperson released a statement that said Montano did not have a criminal record, nor did prosecutors have evidence to support a gun charge. The results of a referendum that appeared on Niles election ballots on April 6 are being kept under wraps until a legal case concerning the question is resolved. This is not an easy choice for Baltimore voters, but Mr. Bates gives Baltimore its best chance to break the cycle of violence. Printable PDF guides available on the right side bar or see bottom of page on your phone. 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. He has our endorsement. 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. 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. Amendment One We endorse a no vote. We also credit her assertion that her offices job of prosecuting violent criminals has been made much more difficult by a period of intense turmoil in the Baltimore Police Department. Paul Vallas touted his first endorsement Thursday since winning the initial round of voting in the Chicago mayoral election: that of longtime former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. Today we acknowledge Alvarez's 29-year career in this office. 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 . Singling out Vallas' expertise in city financing, policing and education, the Tribune Board felt he was both the most experienced and best positioned to handle the task of leading Chicago. Our concern was that (Boik) seemed committed to moving the process along, Raoul told us. 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. Mr. Bates has worked in Baltimore courtrooms for decades, first as a prosecutor and then as a defense attorney. Alvarez, who has worked in the office for nearly three decades, was previously endorsed by the Tribune in 2008 and 2012. is the right one, indeed the only one, in this election. Both incumbent judges, Aurelia Marie Pucinski and Mary Katherine Rochford, are recommended YES for retention. U.S. Attorney John Lausch, center, prepares to speak to reporters on Sept. 14, 2022, at the Dirksen U.S. We like the commitment to consent decree implementation that Raouls office has shown. We don't regret those endorsements. 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. 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. [Dont miss] Illinois primary 2022: What to know before Tuesdays Election Day, [Dont miss] See how all the candidates answered our questions plus who the Tribune Editorial Board endorsed. They are my family, and Im their family as well, Cuellar said. Pfannkuche would need a No. -Salvi has received endorsements from. (Chicago Tribune). 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. Signs promote candidates for office in downtown Waukegan. Disclaimer | Foxx talks eagerly and easily about police misconduct cases and whether too many people are in prison. His departure, which was first revealed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during an unrelated news conference in Washington in January, will officially kick off a search for a replacement that will be led by Illinois two Democratic senators, Dick Dubin and Tammy Duckworth. The 2023 Chicago municipal elections will be held on Feb. 28. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. In a sit-down with reporters a few months into his tenure, Lausch was careful to steer clear of any political questions, saying he was not getting pressure from Washington to change any office policies but declining to comment specifically about Trumps tweets. 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. There's heightened public scrutiny of street stops, arrests, charging decisions, judges who slow-walk cases, and insufficient state penalties for repeat gun offenders the list goes on. During a debate at the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Democratic candidate for Cook County state's attorney Kim Foxx and Republican candidate Christopher Pfannkuche address how the. The board marked disagreements with State Rep. Kam Buckner on matters of education, while calling the legislator an inspiring figure who should continue to play a role in Chicago's political future, while offering similar words for activist Ja'Mal Green. Oscar Cuellar, an elder at Hope Church Midway, was one of the speakers. The board touched on a recent Harris poll that noted many Chicagoans are pessimistic about the state of the city following an election season, highlighting the fears many have regarding public safety, as homicides reached the highest level in decades in 2021. To what extent will candidates stances on pivotal national issues such as abortion, gun control and inflation hold sway in these races? In this important race, he is clearly the best qualified candidate. But 2016 isn't a normal time here. Theyre more factionalized. The paper also expounds on the need for the next states attorney to serve as a bridge between crime-riddled communities and law enforcement. The McDonald case gave Alvarez an opportunity to display sound judgment. But not his teammates. Foxx suggested to us that she does understand the crime-fighting demands of the job. It makes more sense for voters to try and figure out which candidate will best improve this most customer-service oriented of public offices. Vasquez-Lassos widow was on hand and a few representatives from churches said prayers and spoke during the brief ceremony. Police eventually curbed the car, and the suspect and two others ran away, the report alleged. Chicago Tribune; The Baltimore Sun; The Morning Call of Pa. Daily Press of Va. 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. Beyond a polite hello in the elevator, prosecutors should be fiercely independent of politicians, especially those who sign off on their budget. His depth of experience does qualify him to charge and prosecute outlaws, to put the guilty behind bars. 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. J.B. Pritzkers pandemic-related executive orders. I was exhausted., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. TAKE THIS WITH YOU to the voting booth. racketeering case against Chicago Ald. The candidates also discuss whether police misconductis systemic or the result of a few bad apples. 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. Thursdays statement from Foxxs office said prosecutors offered community service as an alternative to traditional prosecution due to the facts of the case. (Yes, its legal.). The incumbent, Marilyn Mosby, has made a strong defense of her record, and we believe that it has merit in some important respects. In the highly-contested race for Cook County States Attorney, the Chicago Tribune editorial board endorsed candidate Kim Foxx Friday. 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. Officers located the car later that evening and tried to make a stop, the report said, but the driver fled. But not his teammates. We as a city have replaced the mayor and police commissioner (several times), and we have placed judges, the governor, parole and probation and juvenile services officials, the police union, legislators and others under intense scrutiny over their roles in stopping the bloodshed. Endorsements, In The News / October 5, 2018. Our editorials seek to help readers make sound decisions. Ask anyone who's ever worked near the top of the state's attorney's office. 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. She was elected twice to be the people's lawyer the prosecutor tasked to convict criminals and, when appropriate, put them away. Read part two of the Tribunes endorsements for Illinois House here. Running against Raoul are Schaumburg lawyer Daniel Robin, a Libertarian, and downstate lawyer Thomas DeVore, who defeated Deerfield attorney Steve Kim and former Cook County prosecutor David Shestokas in the Republican primary in June. Someone who knows the intricacies of felony statutes, what the precise burdens of proof will be, which arguments a jury is likely to embrace or discard. 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. 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. 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 . 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. That's the case Republican Christopher Pfannkuche (pronounced fon-COOK) makes for electing him chief prosecutor. [[Dont miss] Illinois primary 2022: What to know before Tuesdays Election Day], [[Dont miss] See how all the candidates answered our questions plus who the Tribune Editorial Board endorsed], [[Dont miss] Whats an endorsement, and why does the Tribune Editorial Board do them? Read the full editorial here. At this time in this county, Foxx is best suited to be that voice. A state attorney general's primary duty is to serve as counsel to the state and its agencies and to act as the "people's lawyer" on behalf of its citizens. Eight years ago we wrote that while the state's attorney's office had done a good job in many respects, it needed a fresh start. James A. Haynes. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune). In addition to the public corruption probes, Lausch has earned a reputation for going after Chicagos street gangs, which hed done previously as an assistant U.S. attorney under Fitzgerald. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune). An active and mostly-GOP push is underway to unseat him by asking voters to say No to his retention. [Dont miss] Whats an endorsement, and why does the Tribune Editorial Board do them? She was also endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO and Planned Parenthood. She didnt tell Darryl De Sousa not to file his taxes. The FOP announced the decision in a post on the . We trust that she could connect with people in those violence-ravaged communities. Nine sitting or recent members of the Illinois General Assembly have been charged with federal crimes since 2019. Its a tall mountain to climb. Dig deeper into the stories and issues animating this year's election from the newsrooms at the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ. Chicago police officers were investigating after a man was shot in the leg on July 28, 2022, in the 2600 block of West 23rd Place in the Little Village neighborhood.