If you’re unhappy with Democratic and Republican lawmakers,
the Illinois Supreme Court is just as bad.
Republican Supreme
Court Justice: Current Illinois Justice Lloyd Karmier raised $4.8
million for his seat on the Court. For confirmation, read Roy Schotland, Transparency
International, ed., "Global Corruption Report 2007: Corruption in Judicial
Systems", Judicial Elections in the United States (Cambridge University
Press), pp. 27–28. State Farm Insurance made a direct contribution of $350,000;
affiliates of State Farm Insurance also paid for Karmeier's campaign. Around that time
policyholders from State Farm Insurance had won $1 billion against State Farm
in Avery v. State Farm, and won at the intermediate appellate court. The appeal
against the damages and award was pending before the Supreme Court.
When Karmeier was elected, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
newspaper published an editorial, "Big business won a nice return on a
$4.3 million investment ... It now has a friendly justice."
The appeal was decided in favor of State Farm Insurance by a
majority of 4-2, with Karmeier in the majority.
This ruling versed $600 million of punitive damages as well as the award of $457
million against State Farm. The real losers were policyholders.
Democratic Supreme Court Justice: The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform tracks contributions
to judges. Justice Thomas Kilbride, a Democrat, raised more than $2 million
from the state Democratic Party and unions. Business groups gave $600,000
to Kilbride’s opponent. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130810189
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