One would think that a judge who received a million dollars in their race for office would recuse themselves of any cases in which their benefactor appeared as a plaintiff or defendant. Thus far, Justices Mary O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford have not announced their recusals in the high-profile Macon County case the IL Supreme Court is due to hear in a few weeks. Dan Caulkins’ attorney Jerry Stocks is working to change that by formally requesting the two newest justices, each huge benefactors of not only named defendant JB Pritzker but also House Speaker Chris Welch.
The Center Square has the story that the mainstream media thus far has not found the time or inclination to cover. (Gee, anyone care to guess why?)
(The Center Square) – Because of “unreasonably large campaign contributions” to then-candidates now sitting justices on the Illinois Supreme Court from lead defendants in the case challenging the state’s gun ban, plaintiffs are seeking recusal.
Gov. J.B. Pritkzer signed the ban on more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities Jan. 10. Lawsuits were then filed in federal- and state-level courts challenging the constitutionality of the ban.
In a Macon County case brought by state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, a circuit court judge issued a final judgment that the law is unconstitutional. Because the appellate court already declared a similar challenge of the law on the grounds of equal protection violations had a likelihood of success, the state appealed directly to the Illinois Supreme Court, which accepted the case.
Before they were elected to the state’s high court, then-justice candidates Mary O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford received $1 million each from Gov. J.B. Pritzker before the November 2022 election. They also each received six-figure donations from Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside.
Now on the bench of seven justices, the justices are set to hear a challenge out of the Macon County case.
Caulkins’ attorney Jerry Stocks filed a motion Thursday for the justice to recuse themselves because of “unreasonably large campaign contributions” from Pritzker and Welch that “undermine public confidence” in the judiciary.
Here’s the Motion for Recusal/Disqualification…
This will, of course, not sit well with the governor, or Welch, or any of the other gun control jihadists in Springfield.
That’s just too bad.
He claims calls for recusal are “ridiculous’ as in his mind, there’s no reason for those justices to recuse themselves.
Anyone looking at it dispassionately would think that receiving a million dollars from an individual just might be a million reasons why that judge’s viewpoint might be “influenced.”
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