Illinois Corruption

No, not Big Rod getting picked up by the Feds.  This one here and here involves one of the biggest and most successful Personal Injury Firms in the nation.   Says the Sun-Times:

Four Illinois Supreme Court justices have been asked to withdraw from hearing an appeal of a legal-malpractice case against Corboy & Demetrio, one of the nation’s top personal-injury firms, because the justices have gotten political contributions from the Chicago firm’s attorneys.

Wisconsin law deals with this issue by stating INDIVIDUALS may make political contributions, but FIRMS can not.  But this does raise interesting questions in Wisconsin.  Such as, should judges who receive big cash contributions from Corporate CEOs recuse themselves when the Judge is asked to rule on case involving the Corporation?  Are individual contributions enough to sustain a motion to recuse?  Should a criminal defendant in front of newly elected Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Gableman ask the Justice to recuse himself based on Gableman’s despicable and discriminatory campaign ads?  I think the latter is a stretch, but it is an issue I heard a prominent criminal defense attorney make in the not too distant past. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has agree to address this issue this term.  Stay tuned to see how this issue shakes out.