Kilbride Makes Closing Argument in Supreme Court Retention Race

With less than one week remaining until Election Day, voters in the Third Judicial District have an opportunity to defend the impartiality, fairness, and integrity of our state’s highest court by casting a “Yes” vote to retain Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride.

In the recommendation of a “Yes” vote for retention, the Illinois State Bar Association stated Kilbride “championed access to justice for all” during his time on the bench, bringing cameras to courtrooms across the state and putting in place programs that ensure our justice system should work for everyone. Kilbride has developed a reputation as a fair, deliberate and thoughtful judge, winning him the broad bipartisan support from across law enforcement, local elected officials, businesses and working men and women.

By contrast, the smear campaign targeting Kilbride engineered by wealthy special interest groups seeking to erode the independence of the judicial branch is funded almost entirely by one individual: a mega-rich donor from Chicago.

“I have known Justice Kilbride for more than 30 years, and I’m proud to say he has always upheld the very best qualities of the judiciary, with a true commitment to ethics, fairness and independence,” said Timothy Bertschy, a retired Peoria attorney and a past president of the Illinois State Bar Association. “He truly understands the impact his decisions have on real people, which is why he’s dedicated so much of his career to increasing transparency and access. These are among the many reasons why Kilbride has earned so many of the highest judicial honors and has earned the trust of such a broad group of people who care about preserving the sacred duty of the courts. He deserves our support to be retained.”

“Some issues transcend partisanship, and that’s particularly the case when it comes to my support for Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride,” said LaSalle County Sheriff Tom Templeton, a Republican. “My endorsement of Justice Kilbride is based on his record of treating everyone who comes before the court fairly and with the utmost respect for the rights our state and federal constitutions endow them. Fairness, honesty and integrity is what the men and women of law enforcement expect in a judge and Tom Kilbride has never let us down.”

“No matter the partisan banner we first ran under when we sought election to the bench, the truth is that the law knows no parties,” said Will County Chief Judge Richard C. Schoenstedt. “I enthusiastically endorse Tom Kilbride’s retention on the Supreme Court because his record demonstrates that he knows the role of a judge is to call balls and strikes. He’s proven himself to be honest, fair and independent, the most essential qualities for a judge to possess.”

Endorsement from prominent Republicans with impeccable legal credentials

• The late Governor Jim Thompson
• Former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justices Ben Miller and Robert Thomas
• Former Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner
• Former United States Attorney’s Bill Roberts, Anton Valukas and Dan Webb
• Former Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego)

Endorsements from Public Safety Leaders in Third Appellate District

• Adrienne W. Albrecht, Circuit Judge, 21st Judicial Circuit, Kankakee County
• J. Jeffrey Allen, Circuit Judge, 12th Judicial Circuit, Will County
• Paul Bauer, Marshall County State’s Attorney
• John Booker, Whiteside County Sheriff
• Tim Bukowski, former Kankakee County Sheriff
• Gerald Bustos, Rock Island County Sheriff
• Geno J. Caffarini, Bureau County State's Attorney
• David Clague, Knox County Sheriff
• Terry A. Costello, Whiteside County State's Attorney
• Chris Doscotch, Circuit Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Peoria County
• Kevin L. Doyle, Putnam County Sheriff
• Stephen G. Evans, retired Chief Judge, 12th Judicial Circuit, Henderson County
• Paula A. Gamora, Circuit Judge, 12th Judicial Circuit, Will County
• James W. Glasgow, Will County State's Attorney
• Jodi Hoos, Peoria County State's Attorney
• Justin G. Jochums, Fulton County State's Attorney
• Mike Kelley, Will County Sheriff
• Michael J. Kick, retired Chief Judge, 21st Judicial Circuit, Kankakee County
• Stephen Kouri, Circuit Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Tazewell County
• Meeghan N. Lee, Mercer County State’s Attorney
• Robert N. Livas, retired Circuit Judge, 12th Judicial Court, Will County
• Paul Mangieri, retired Circuit Judge, 9th Judicial Circuit, Knox County
• John L. McGehee, Circuit Judge, 14th Judicial Circuit, Rock Island County
• John T. Pepmeyer, Knox County State's Attorney
• Jim Reed, Bureau County Sheriff
• Jim Rowe, Kankakee County State's Attorney
• Richard C. Schoenstedt, Chief Judge, 12th Judicial Circuit, Will County
• Timothy J. Slavin, retired Circuit Judge, 14th Judicial Circuit, Whiteside County
• Tom Templeton, LaSalle County Sheriff
• Linnea E. Thompson, Circuit Judge, 14th Judicial Circuit, Rock Island County
• David L. Vancil, Jr., Chief Judge, 9th Judicial Circuit, Henderson County
• Dora A. Villarreal-Nieman, Rock Island State's Attorney

The Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois represents the following affiliates within the 3rd Judicial District:

Rock Island Local 26

Coal City Local 4884

Moline Local 581

New Lenox Local 5097

East Moline Local 929

Lockport Local 1544

Monmouth Local 1702

Romeoville Local 4237

Macomb Local 3053

NW Homer Local 4817

Rock Falls Local 3291

Homer Local 4223

Sterling Local 2301

Mokena Local 4270

Kewanee Local 513

Joliet Local 44

Galesburg Local 555

Joliet Local 2369

Bolingbrook Local 3005

Canton Local 1897

Manhattan Local 4991

Peoria Local 50

Kankakee Local 653

Princeton Local 4308

Bourbonnais Local 5035

Pekin Local 524

Bradley Local 4288

East Peoria Local 1498

Manteno Local 4042

Morton EMS Local 4952

LaSalle Local 4760

Ottawa Local 523

Peru Local 4751

Mendota Local 4200

Raised in Kankakee, Kilbride was inspired to become an attorney while helping to organize the United Farm Workers and later served as a legal aid attorney for clients in need. He served as Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice from 2010 until 2013, when he led the effort to place cameras in every courtroom across the state, pushed for digitization of records, and fought to increase access to the justice system. Kilbride was instrumental in the creation of the Illinois Supreme Court “Access to Justice Commission,” which uses technology to make the courthouse accessible to people who cannot afford a lawyer. To save people from having to take a day off work, his innovative measure allows people to appear in court by phone or video rather than in person. In a long-overdue move for judicial fairness and access, he also pushed to provide certified interpreters at no-cost for those who speak limited English.

At the same time, Kilbride has developed a strong record of protecting crime victims, especially children. In 2020, he authored the majority opinion on a case that upheld barring child sex offenders from visiting public parks in Illinois. When an accused sexual predator attempted to get court authority to force a physical examination of a 3-year-old victim, Kilbride protected the child and refused to let that happen. He helped protect women and children by strengthening the ability of abused women to secure restraining orders against their attackers. Kilbride believes in a justice system that ensures everyone’s voices are heard, not just those who have the most resources. He supported common-sense standards to prevent guilty verdicts from being unjustly overturned. In cases where the greatest consequences are at stake, Kilbride worked to ensure that true justice was carried out by backing provisions to ensure innocent people are not wrongly imprisoned.

To retain his position on the state Supreme Court, Kilbride will need favorable votes from 60 percent of the voters who mark an answer to this question on their ballots.