Law clerk accused of ruling on cases wins judicial election, though she is barred from the bench
A law clerk/staff attorney accused of donning a judge’s robes and ruling in cases has won a judicial election in Cook County, Illinois, despite a state supreme court order temporarily barring her from the bench.
Rhonda Crawford had at least 74,000 votes with about 85 percent of the precincts reporting, defeating a write-in candidate who said she had “several thousand votes,” the Chicago Tribune reports.
Crawford was accused of ruling in three traffic court cases in August as part of a shadowing process. She was indicted in October on a felony charge of official misconduct and a misdemeanor charge of false impersonation.
The Illinois Supreme Court has suspended Crawford’s law license and banned her from taking the bench “until further order of the court.” The judgeship will remain unfilled unless she is permanently banned from the bench and the Supreme Court appoints a replacement, according to the Tribune.
The write-in candidate, Maryam Ahmad, told the Tribune that, when talking to voters, she was shocked by how many were unaware of Crawford’s legal problems. “It’s very sad given the awesome responsibility that judges have,” Ahmad said.
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog (sub. req.) noted the Tribune story. Crawford’s lawyer, Victor Henderson, told the Law Blog that they would “address the charges head-on” and his client “looks forward to having the full story told and clearing her name.”
