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Group Pushing to Remove Kilbride from Bench
(IRN)-Huge sums of money are being spent on an Illinois Supreme Court retention race.

The business groups that want Justice Thomas Kilbride off the Supreme Court are planning to raise and spend $1 million on the effort. They're putting out a message that he has often sided with criminals in his opinions, but Ed Murnane of the Illinois Civil Justice League says their real concerns is how he votes in civil cases involving lawsuits against corporations and doctors. In particular was a ruling in February in which Kilbride joined the majority in ruling unconstitutional the caps for pain and suffering that the legislature imposed in 2005.

"We're not questioning his integrity," Murnane said. "We don't like the results. That doesn't mean that we don't agree that he's honorable, but he's wrong."

Kilbride supporters are putting up millions of their own in his defense, saying that the anti-Kilbride campaign badly distorts the judge's record, is interested in favorable outcomes more than justice, and notes Kilbride is supported by many cops, state's attorney and fellow judges.

The Third Judicial District covers 21 counties from Rock Island to Joliet, Kankakee and Peoria. Kilbride will need "yes" votes from 60 percent of the voters voting on the retention question. Never before has a Supreme Court justice failed in a retention bid. If Kilbride is not retained, an interim replacement will be named, and an election will be held in 2010.

(Illinois Radio Network)
10 25 10 by Newsroom
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