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In case you missed it, this is the article that led to far more questions and pressure on the Governor of Illinois regarding his $$ and amount of money he gave to two now seated IL Supreme Court justices. This is the mess of the IL assault weapon ban now at t:
After being directly cited and explored on air with Greg Bishop of the Center Square (all updates are in the link), the story itself quickly spread and was expanded upon. Pritzker himself even got questioned (blamed "the right wing" LOL). People and groups are now calling on the two IL Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves from the case, as it is blatantly obvious that they may be compromised and not impartial, and that is what today's update is for.
Kwame Raoul, the IL AG, is also a top defendant in the case, and this is on his campaign website:
Chicago — This afternoon, the Gun Violence Prevention PAC and Giffords PAC endorsed Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Illinois Supreme Court candidates Judge Elizabeth M. Rochford and Justice Mary O’Brien in the 2022 general election at an event at Bright Star Church on Chicago’s South Side.
“Every law we pass to strengthen Illinois’ gun law is at risk this November if we don’t elect gun safety candidates in our justice system,” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC. “Reducing gun violence and the number of illegal firearms on our streets have been key pillars of Attorney General Raoul’s work. Judge Elizabeth Rochford and Justice Mary Kay O’Brien have been recommended by the Illinois State Bar Association and have the full support of the organizations working to protect and strengthen our gun laws and maintain public safety. Together, these candidates working in Illinois’ justice system will make our state a safer place and ensure key positions don’t fall into inexperienced hands.”
In addition to the Attorney General’s race, the balance of the Illinois Supreme Court is at stake in November. Judge Elizabeth Rochford and Justice Mary Kay O’Brien are experienced and highly qualified candidates who have the support of the organizations working to protect and strengthen our gun laws and maintain public safety.
Judge Elizabeth Rochford is running for Illinois Supreme Court in the 2nd District, which includes DeKalb, Lake, Kane, Kendall and McHenry counties. She started her career as Assistant State’s Attorney and later served as President of the Illinois Judges Association. She is committed to fairness in our courts and has worked to expand racial justice, equity, and access to the justice system. She served for 23 years as Commissioner of the Illinois Court of Claims and as a judge for the past decade .
“GPAC and Giffords PAC do such important work to prevent gun violence and create safer communities across our state, and I am honored to receive their endorsement,” said Judge Elizabeth Rochford. “There is too much at stake in this election to entrust a seat on our state’s highest court to someone who does not have the necessary qualifications and experience, and I am humbled that GPAC and Giffords PAC believe I am the right person to serve. As a Supreme Court justice, I will utilize my 35 years as an attorney and a judge to increase fairness and equity and expand access in our judicial system.”
Justice Mary Kay O’Brien is running for Illinois Supreme Court in the 3rd District, which includes Bureau, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, LaSalle and Will counties. She has served on the 3rd District Appellate Court for nearly 18 years. She has heard more than 4,500 cases and served on numerous committees, including the Supreme Court Rules, Legislative, and Appellate Court Access to Justice Committees, the Illinois Courts Commission, and the Lawyers Assistance Program, among others.
While the Supreme Court race is last on the ballot, they should be first on voters’ minds because fundamental rights are at stake. At every turn, their opponents of our endorsed candidates have called common sense gun safety legislation “unconstitutional” and supported the corporate gun lobby’s agenda of profit over people, putting children and families at risk. We can’t let them take control of the court.
G-PAC is a proud member of the Protect Our Court campaign, which has organized more than 150 leaders across Illinois to raise awareness of the Illinois Supreme Court races this November.
Now, how did one get a GPAC endorsement in the 2022 election?
The G-PAC Board of Directors is proud to release its first round of endorsements leading up to the November 8, 2022 General Election.
To earn a gun safety endorsement, each candidate demonstrated strong support of the following policies:
Banning assault weapons
Banning large-capacity magazines (LCMs)
Making ghost guns illegal, which G-PAC and Giffords helped pass into law earlier this year
Funding community violence intervention programs
Funding a gun storage public awareness campaign
Each endorsed candidate supports our #1 legislative priority when the General Assembly is called into session: banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. These weapons of war have been shown to contribute to both city violence and mass shootings.
RATING PROCESS
Endorsed candidates with a good questionnaire.
CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS
GOVERNOR and LT. GOVERNOR
GOV. JB PRITZKER and LT. GOV. JULIANA STRATTON
ATTORNEY GENERAL
AG KWAME RAOUL
SUPREME COURT
2ND DISTRICT
JUDGE ELIZABETH ROCHFORD
3RD DISTRICT
JUDGE MARY KAY O’BRIEN
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
STATE HOUSE INCUMBENTS
HD 1 – REP. AARON ORTIZ
HD 2 – REP. ELIZABETH “LISA” HERNANDEZ
HD 3 – REP. EVA-DINA DELGAGO
HD 6 – REP. SONYA HARPER*
HD 7 – REP. EMANUEL “CHRIS” WELCH
HD 9 – REP. LAKESIA COLLINS
HD 11 – REP. ANN WILLIAMS
HD 12 – REP. MARGARET CROKE
HD 14 – REP. KELLY CASSIDY
HD 15 – REP. MIKE KELLY*
HD 17 – REP. JENNIFER GONG-
.
.
.
STATE SENATE
SD 2 – SEN. OMAR AQUINO*
SD 6 – SEN. SARA FEIGENHOLTZ
SD 7 – SEN. MIKE SIMMONS
SD 8 – SEN. RAM VILLIVALAM*
SD 9 – SEN. LAURA FINE
SD 10 – SEN. ROBERT MARTWICK*
SD 12 – SEN. CELINA VILLANUEVA*
SD 17 – SEN. ELGIE SIMS
SD 20 – SEN. CRISTINA PACIONE-ZAYAS
SD 21 – SEN. LAURA ELLMAN
SD 22 – SEN. CRISTINA CASTRO
SD 23 – SEN. SUZY GLOWIAK-HILTON
SD 25 – SEN. KARINA VILLA
SD 27 – SEN. ANN GILLESPIE
SD 28 – SEN. LAURA MURPHY
SD 29 – SEN. JULIE MORRISON
SD 30 – SEN. ADRIANE JOHNSON
SD 39 – SEN. DON HARMON
So, the two justices, according to GPAC, have demonstrated "strong support" for banning "assault weapons" and "large capacity" magazines. This leads to a logically perceived bias that they will not be ruling on the gun ban case based solely on the facts of the case, but have stated (to G-PAC to get the endorsement?) that they want them banned and are now in a position to use their power to uphold the law regardless of the constitutionality (this setting up more legal fights in this one case alone). They are endorsed by the same group, for having the same positions, as the defendants in the case they are set to hear, in which Raoul, Pritzker, Harmon and Welch are defendants. The more that comes up, the crazier it gets. Hat tip to Guns Save Life from an earlier article they put out on some of this last year.
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