Will County Judge Weathers Storm, Gets Retained Despite Family Scandal

A Will County judge embroiled in a month-long scandal held onto her job by winning a retention election with more than 10 percentage points to spare.

Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes captured 115,467 votes to the 49,322 against her. She needed to get 60 percent of the vote to keep her seat on the bench and got 70.07.

All of the seven Will County judges running to retain their positions succeeded. Judge Alessio Policandriotes passed with the lowest percentage. Judge Susan O’Leary got the highest with 76.5 percent.

Alessio Policandriotes drew attention and criticism when her son, Louis Goode, 29, was arrested and jailed Oct. 6 for allegedly battering his girlfriend and the mother of his child. The girlfriend, 28-year-old Tanya Brandolino, accused the judge of looking on as her son threatened to kill her.

While Brandolino claimed Alessio Policandriotes witnessed the death threat, she did not make clear if the judge was present for any of the alleged physical attack.

In the ensuing 28 days, detectives with the sheriff’s department have yet to get around to finding out what the judge may have seen. Detectives reportedly will not question Alession Policandriotes about it until Wednesday, the day after the election.

The head of the county’s detectives, Ken Kaupas, said last week he is not “complicit” in when or if his investigators question potential witnesses.

Ken Kaupas, the Republican candidate for sheriff, appeared to have prevailed in Tuesday’s election and will likely take over from his cousin, retiring Sheriff Paul Kaupas.

Go take a look at our Facebook page.