President Hassakis' letter to the editor on Kilbride campaign

To the Editor: A highly regarded justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Tom Kilbride, is seeking to retain his seat on the court in the November 2 election. He is being opposed by special interest groups that have mounted a misleading advertising campaign. The ad messages focus on a tiny fraction of his many opinions while on the court, and in one case totally misstate his opinion to try to make their point. Their aim is simple - to tilt the judicial system in their favor. The stakes are high in this election. Justice Kilbride has served with distinction for the past 10 years. His service has been recognized by his fellow judges who selected him to be the next chief justice of the supreme court. A vote against retaining him would be a vote against an impartial judiciary, especially if such a vote resulted from the type of misinformation campaign that is being conducted. Voters should become informed about the qualifications of Justice Kilbride and should question the misleading information being circulated in an attempt to deny him a seat on the state’s highest court. Information about all judges on the November 2 ballot can be found at isba.org/judicialevaluations Sincerely, Mark D. Hassakis President, Illinois State Bar Association Mt. Vernon, Illinois (618) 244-5335