2 Of 8 Candidates 'Not Qualified' To Be Judges In 9th Subcircuit

SKOKIE, IL — Voters in Cook County's 9th judicial subcircuit can choose from eight candidates to fill two vacant positions on the bench in the upcoming Democratic Party primary. No one in the county is running in the Republican Party as a candidate for judge.

Two candidates were "not recommended" or found "not qualified" to serve as judges by the Cook County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers, with one of them — ousted former state senator and former Democratic Party Committeeman Ira Silverstein — also "not recommended" by the Chicago Bar Association.

The 9th subcircuit includes Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Lincolnwood, parts of Glenview and Chicago's Rogers Park and West Ridge neighborhoods.

Only residents of the subcircuit (map) are eligible to run for the six-year terms as circuit judges, and only its residents vote for the positions. But, once elected, there are no differences in the authority or courtroom assignments of judges elected countywide or to a subcircuit position.

In the March 17 Democratic Party primary election, voters in the subcircuit will choose among four candidates each for the seats vacated by retired judges Larry Axelrood and Marvin Luckman. Information about the candidates is presented below in alphabetical order.

Axelrood Vacancy

Tim Carter is a criminal defense attorney who began his career as a prosecutor, spending nearly 16 years as a Cook County assistant state's attorney. He opened his own practice in 2012 with another former prosecutor and defends clients accused of offenses ranging from traffic offenses to first degree murder.

Carter has been appointed by the presiding judge of Cook County's main criminal courthouse to represent people with severe mental health issues who face involuntary commitment. According to his campaign website, he "provides a voice for the abused and seeks civil orders of protection and stalking/no-contact orders on behalf of his clients and will often represent victims pursuant to Marsy's Law," formerly known as the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights.

According to his website, Carter is also a founding member and a past president of the Northfield Bar Association, and he enjoys sailing, scuba diving, biking, traveling and reading in his free time. It does not list any endorsements.

All local bar associations found Carter "qualified" or "recommended." The Illinois State Bar Association reported he was "well-respected for his legal knowledge and ability, integrity and professionalism. He treats all with respect and is fair and diligent." The Chicago Council of Lawyers noted his extensive litigation experience and said attorneys praised his litigation skills.

Circuit Judge Thomas Cushing was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in May 2019 to fill a vacant seat created by a retirement and assigned to domestic violence court. Prior to becoming a judge, he specialized in civil litigation with various firms, assisted counsel to the monitor of the anti-patronage Shakman decrees and was senior vice president at the Chicago Climate Exchange. He has also been a volunteer hearing board member with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission since 2013.

"Serving as a judge is the joyful fulfillment of a longtime goal," Cushing, who twice ran unsuccessfully for judge, said in a release at the time of his appointment. "I intend to do everything in my power to honor the trust the Supreme Court has placed in me."

The Chicago Bar Association rated him as the only candidate who is "well qualified" — as opposed to "qualified" or "not qualified." According to the Illinois State Bar Association, "[A]ttorneys universally praised his experience, diligence and demeanor." The Chicago Council of Lawyers found he was "reported to have been a solid practitioner with very good ability and an excellent temperament," and noted his involvement with teaching and environmental advocacy.

According to his campaign website, Cushing said he grew up in Rogers Park, taught sixth grade students in Humboldt Park as his first job out of college and later co-founded an immigration amnesty clinic. As a civil litigator, he said his "practice protected the rights of injury victims and of small businesses against the insurance industry, government authorities and monopoly utilities." His website touts endorsements from State Sen. Laura Fine, State Representatives Robyn Gabel and Jennifer Gong Gershowitz and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, among other local elected officials.

Ira Silverstein is a former Illinois state senator for the 8th District and 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman. After winning the 1998 primary by fewer than 1,000 votes, Silverstein served 20 years in the Illinois General Assembly, during which he was unopposed in any primary or general elections. He has been a sole practitioner since July 1988, focusing on civil litigation and probate law. Silverstein handled more than 30 trials a year from 1988 to about 1990 as co-counsel for a collection law firm. In 2013, he made international headlines with an abortive proposal to ban anonymous comments on websites.

In 2016, a victim's rights activist, lobbyist and Republican candidate for state representative filed a complaint accusing him of unwanted sexual advances. That complaint went nowhere, she said, but in 2017, amid the burgeoning #MeToo movement, a report by a special legislative inspector general found he behaved in a "manner unbecoming of a legislator in violation of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act" and recommended ethics counseling. But, since Silverstein was not found to have created a hostile work environment for his accuser, the report found he did not commit the offense of sexual harassment under federal or state law law. In March 2018, he faced a primary challenge for the first time as a state senator and lost by more than 20 points.

No local bar association has endorsed Silverstein's bid to don a judge's robes. Silverstein is considered to have good legal ability and temperament but the council is "concerned about his past ethical lapse," according to the Chicago Council of Lawyers' rating.

"While some attorneys gave positive comments about his diligence and knowledge," the Illinois State Bar Association said, "concerns were raised about the depth and breadth of his legal experience and his lack of litigation experience."

After filing paperwork to run for the judgeship, Silverstein resigned as 50th Ward Democratic committeeman. He was replaced by his wife, 50th Ward Ald. Deb Silverstein. As of the start of early voting, Mr. Silverstein's campaign website contained no information other than his name, email address and the office he is seeking.

Pam Stratigakis spent more than 16 years as a prosecutor with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, where she was most recently the first chair and felony trial specialist of the sexual assault domestic violence division.

According to her campaign website, Stratigakis was raised on Chicago's Northwest Side to a Polish American mother and a father who immigrated from Greece. A board member for the North Suburban Bar Association, Stratigakis worked in private practice before and after her time as a prosecutor. She previously handled civil litigation and contracts and currently focuses on health care, elder law and medical malpractice.

Stratigakis has been endorsed by Congressman Mike Quigley, State Sen. Ram Villivalam, State Rep. John D'Amico, New Trier Township Committeeman Dean Maragos and several labor unions, police associations and political organizations, according to her website. She was rated as "qualified" or "recommended" by area bar associations.

"She is praised for her litigation skills and for her temperament," the Chicago Council of Lawyers said. According to the Illinois State Bar Association, "attorneys praised her legal knowledge and ability, her diligence, demeanor, and professionalism."

Luckman Vacancy

Julie Aimen founded her solo practice in 1986, specializing in civil rights, criminal, family and municipal law after beginning her legal career as an assistant appellate defender, representing indigent clients during appeals in state court. She has also taught and lectured at law schools, been a hearing officer for the Chicago Department of Revenue and been qualified as a Cook County arbitrator since 1990.

Before becoming a lawyer, Aimen was a social worker who "helped Vietnam vets, victims of domestic violence, drug addicts, the wandering mentally ill, and so many others in need of assistance," according to her campaign website.

Aimen has been endorsed by Cook County Commissioners Larry Suffredin and Scott Britton, state lawmakers Fine and Gong-Gershowitz, and the Democratic committeemen of Evanston, New Trier and Northfield townships, according to her website. She was the first female president of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and a former board member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Aimen was rated "highly qualified" by the Illinois State Bar Association, "well qualified" by the Chicago Council of Lawyers, "qualified" by the Chicago Bar Association and "recommended" by the Cook County Bar Association.

"She is considered to be a zealous advocate for her clients. Her integrity is unquestioned," according to the Chicago Council of Lawyers. It found she is held in high regard as a legal practitioner, and her pro bono work to improve the administration of justice earned praise. The Illinois State Bar Association said she was considered "diligent and straightforward" and was highly praised by judges and attorneys for her legal ability and knowledge.

Bill Foutris has been a licensed attorney since 2000 and has operated as a sole practitioner since 2005, representing plaintiffs in civil rights and police misconduct litigation. He has represented clients in cases involving police shootings, false arrests, malicious prosecution and more, including a $1.16 million verdict against Chicago after he represented a man whose hip was fractured during a drug raid on the city's West Side.

"As a native Chicagoan, Bill knows that police officers do things that they are not supposed to do. He is aware that there are both bad police officers, and good police officers that do bad things," according to his firm's website. "Bill can relate to people who have had their civil rights violated because Chicago police officers violated his rights. As a teen, during a baseless traffic stop, Chicago police officers pointed guns at Bill's head for no reason. His firsthand experiences motivate him every day, and push him to achieve the same result for all his clients: justice."

Foutris was raised in Lincolnwood by parents who immigrated from Greece before attending Niles West High School, Northwestern and Loyola University, according to his campaign website.

"I have tried dozens of cases, many of which were high profile, and have recovered millions of dollars for victims of police misconduct," Foutris said on his website. "Unfortunately, the vast majority of my clients have been racial and/or ethnic minorities who were victimized as a direct result of their status."

Foutris has also created an app called Fi-Vo Film designed to prevent the destruction of evidence by uploading video in realtime.

"Most attorneys generally reported that he [is] a formidable opponent respected for his knowledge. A few attorneys interviewed felt that at time[s] he took advantage of less-experienced colleagues in resolving disputed and was not always easy to work with," according to the Illinois State Bar Association, "some attributed any such issues to his passion for his clients." He was praised for his knowledge of the law, according to the Chicago Council of Lawyers.

Thomas Kougias is a former prosecutor who spent 20 years in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, departing in 2012 to handle mostly criminal defense and traffic cases. He was the only candidate in the 9th subcircuit other than Silverstein found to be "not qualified" by the state bar association.

According to his campaign website from a prior, unsuccessful campaign, Kougias' parents immigrated from Greece and built and operated Northeastern Fruit and Garden Center until they retired in 2013. During his time as an assistant state's attorney, he acted as a liaison with the Chicago Police Department and lectured at elementary schools in an effort to deter kids from drugs and street gangs. Mock trial programs, he said, were particularly effective.

Though he was found to be qualified to serve as a judge by the Chicago Bar Association, Kougias was recommended by neither the Chicago Council of Lawyers — "Many lawyers say that he lacks sufficient trial management skills to become a judge and some lawyers say that he is not always punctual." — nor the Illinois State Bar Association, which said "some concerns were raised about his lack of civil experience, organizational skills and temperament."

Circuit Judge Michael Strom was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in January 2019 after more than 30 years as a civil litigator focused on tort cases as a sole practitioner and a partner in a law firm. He is currently assigned to the 1st Municipal District in the Daley Center.

Before his appointment, he worked in the legal research division of the Cook County Chief Judge's Office, working on issues such as "electronic monitoring to reduce jail population, recidivism reduction, ethics compliance, and changes to domestic relations court rules," according to his campaign website.

Strom is a founding member of the Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education — work that involved teaching South Side high school students how to resolve disputes and compete in citywide mock trial competitions — and a board member and past president of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers. He has received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, State Sen. Heather Steans and State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, among others, according to his website.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers found "Strom has good legal ability and has been widely praised for his good temperament. He has extensive experience as a trial lawyer on a variety of challenging cases," it said, rating him as "well qualified."

"He has extensive experience as a trial lawyer in civil matters and is respected by other attorneys for his knowledge, ability, diligence, and professionalism," according to the Illinois State Bar Association, which rated him qualified.

Complete Judicial Candidate Ratings: Chicago Bar Association | Chicago Council of Lawyers | Cook County Bar Association | Illinois State Bar Association

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Find more information about all the judicial races in Cook County from Injustice Watch