D. Renee Jackson
Chelsey R. Robinson
Celeste K. Jones
In the days leading up to the March 15 primary election, the Daily Law Bulletin will publish responses to questionnaires sent to candidates in all contested Cook County judicial races. Campaign finance information comes from Illinois State Board of Elections reports.
Name: Celeste K. Jones
Age: 46
Party: Democratic
Current residence: Chicago
Current position: Supervising attorney, Office of the Cook County Public Guardian, 2007 to present
Past legal experience: Staff attorney, Adult Guardianship Division, Office of the Cook County Public Guardian, 2003 to 2007; lead attorney, Juvenile Division, Office of the Cook County Public Guardian, 1999 to 2003; attorney/guardian ad litem, Juvenile Division, Office of the Cook County Public Guardian, 1995 to 1999.
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $27,071.83
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $19,589.46
Chicago Bar Association finding: Not Recommended
Chicago Council of Lawyers finding: Qualified
Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1994
Campaign website: celestejonesforjudge.com
Family: I am single. I have one sister, a niece and nephew, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Hobbies/interests: Paper crafting, traveling
Have you ever run for office before?
No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
Voters should support my candidacy because I have a proven record of public and community service and I am the most qualified candidate. I have been practicing law almost 21 years (longer than any other candidate in my race) and I have dedicated my entire legal career to serving and protecting the most vulnerable in our community: abused and neglected children and senior citizens with disabilities. I have been rated Qualified/Recommended by the various bar associations. I have a passion for serving our community and I will take that same passion for service to the bench as a judge.
Why do you want to be a judge?
I want to be a judge because I wish to give back to my community. I know and have witnessed the very positive impact good judges can make in a person’s life. I wish to be a part of that legacy of service and my career thus far has equipped me well for that task.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
My most interesting case as a lawyer involved a law school professor who needed help due to early onset dementia. Her case presented various challenges because it required me to delve into various areas of law outside of guardianship law. I had to handle an eviction matter and foreclosure matter as well as employment law issues. While it was important to handle the professor’s legal affairs in a zealous manner, it was just as important to conduct her affairs in a manner that maintained her dignity.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
My greatest career accomplishment was being promoted to supervisor while serving in both the Juvenile and Adult Guardianship Divisions of the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian. In doing so, I was able to mentor junior attorneys and help them nurture their passion for serving our community.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
In addition to a solid foundation of legal knowledge and ability, I plan to bring a heart for fairness, dignity and respect. I will also bring an excellent temperament, which I developed over years of serving in a leadership capacity most of my career.
Lastly, my unique area of practice has given me a holistic perspective. It has enabled me to appreciate that the decisions I make will often profoundly affect not only the people who come before me as litigants, but also their families and loved ones.
Name: Chelsey R. Robinson
Age: 44
Party: Democratic
Current residence: Hazel Crest
Current position: Partner, Owens & Robinson, 1996 to present. I am the legal counsel for And Syndicated Inc., the “Judge Mathis” TV program. I prosecute felony and misdemeanor criminal cases. I also prosecute civil cases and domestic violence cases. I advise clients regarding preventative measures and strategic litigation issues. I negotiate, construct and revise commercial and marital contractual agreements. I represent clients in personal injury, employment discrimination, consumer fraud, family, housing, real estate, criminal, bankruptcy, unemployment and business matters. I handle state and federal criminal and civil appeals.
Past legal experience: Judicial extern for then-Magistrate Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, 1995. I assisted Judge Pallmeyer in assessing pretrial motions and evidentiary hearings and made recommendations for dispositions. I researched and prepared judicial orders relating to disability insurance benefits and employment discrimination claims.
Investigator, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, 1994. I investigated claims of discrimination in housing and banking. I examined and drafted investigative reports, developed investigative plans, gathered and analyzed evidence, interviewed claimants and respondents and researched legal issues regarding claims. I drafted evaluative reports, notices and other documents. I mediated conciliation between claimants and respondents.
Legal assistant and office manager, Paul E. Kay, Attorney at Law, 1992 to 1993. I conducted legal research and assisted in the litigation process regarding criminal, abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency issues. I prepared initial drafts of motions and conducted client initial intake. I organized case files for trial.
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $4,737.65
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $4,470.63
Chicago Bar Association finding: Qualified
Chicago Council of Lawyers finding: Qualified
Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1996
Campaign website: electchelsey.com
Family: I am married and have two children.
Hobbies/interests: I enjoy reading and traveling.
Have you ever run for office before?
No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
I am a true native of my jurisdiction who cares about the future of our community. I am a consummate professional who will dispense real justice no matter the clout of the parties in dispute. My nearly 20 years of litigation and consultation experience has equipped me with a multi‐faceted collection of tools from which to draw as a jurist. I will bring a unique prospective to the bench and will ensure that every party who comes before me will obtain the justice they deserve.
Why do you want to be a judge?
I have been shaped by my experiences and have a strong desire to fulfill the need for honest, unbiased judges who will give real justice and not politics as usual. Ever since I was a child growing up in Roseland on the South Side of Chicago, I was fascinated by the legal justice system.
I have been a victim of discrimination and have watched friends and family members be subjected to unfair treatment. I have served my community as an attorney and have often felt that my clients were not getting their “day in court” due to their race, economic background or the judge’s preconceived notions of my clients.
Because of my experiences I know the importance of having a judge that is willing to judge the evidence, not the person, and to enforce the law.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
I have had the pleasure of trying many interesting cases. One of the most interesting cases that I handled involved the issue of whether an officer’s pat-down search of an occupant of a disabled vehicle constituted an illegal search and seizure. In that case, the occupant of a disabled vehicle was told that he had to accept a ride from the police officer and submit to a pat-down search.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
My greatest career accomplishment has been my representation of people of low economic status. As an attorney, I have been charged with being the voice of the voiceless. Effectively representing people who would otherwise be denied competent legal service is both rewarding and inspiring. In so doing, I have had the opportunity to argue before the Illinois Supreme Court and the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
I am honest, patient, open‐-minded, courteous, tactful, courageous, punctual, firm, understanding and compassionate. I have humility and common sense. I know how to deal with others with sensitivity and without giving offense and to render judgments without bias and without undue difficulty or stress.
I am knowledgeable about the law and am willing to do what the law requires even when the course I must follow is not a popular one. I will not be influenced by the identity, race, gender, political status, wealth or relationship of the party or lawyer before me.
Name: D. Renee Jackson
Age: 50
Party: Democratic
Current residence: South Holland
Current position and employer: Attorney and owner, Law Office of D. Renee Jackson, 2006 to 2008 and 2010 to present
Past legal experience: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, 2008-2010; JPMorgan Chase Bank, 2003 to 2005; PepsiCo: Quaker Oats Co., 2001 to 2003; Anderson, Kill & Olick, 1999 to 2001; L’Oreal: Soft Sheen Products, 1988 to 1995, 1996 to 1999.
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $10,452.00
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $10,253.31
Chicago Bar Association finding: Did not participate in evaluation process, automatically considered Not Recommended.
Chicago Council of Lawyers finding: Not Recommended
Law school, year graduated: The John Marshall Law School; J.D, 2005; LLM in intellectual property, 2009
Campaign website: electdreneejackson4judge.com
Family: 22-year-old son
Hobbies/interests: Mentoring youth; mentoring students interesting in pursuing legal related careers; volunteering; reading; traveling; movies; basketball and playing the piano.
Have you ever run for office before?
No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
I am running for judge in the 2nd Subcircuit, which encompasses portions of Chicago’s South Side and portions of Chicago’s south suburbs. I am a South Side product. I understand the communities, people, challenges and hopes of this subcircuit. I have a broad legal background, the requisite legal acumen and 2nd Subcircuit knowledge such that citizens can trust me to make fair, just and compassionate decisions.
Why do you want to be a judge?
The 2nd Subcircuit and Cook County deserve to have judges on the bench who have a diverse perspective, respect litigants, strive to be just and render decisions in a fair manner. Justice oftentimes rests with the interpreter and applicator of the law. Having been involved in Cook County’s justice system since 1986, I have witnessed the interpretation and application of the law result in the destruction of lives. I’m running for judge because I want to be a greater part of the solution for Cook County’s justice system.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
The defense of a young father falsely accused of child abuse. Both he and his wife (the child’s biological mother) were arrested. This case involved several police departments, a criminal investigation, medical investigation, search of a highly specialized expert, hospital professionals, Department of Children and Family Services, four teams of attorneys and defense in Juvenile Court.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
Initiating a federal copyright infringement case as a sole practitioner on behalf of a local performer against approximately 21 defendants six months after being sworn into the Illinois bar. The defendants included major recording artists, producers, corporations and promoters. The lawsuit sought approximately $500 million in compensation.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
Trustworthiness, preparedness, timeliness, a high level of legal acumen, respect, fairness, compassion and justice.
One additional candidate in this race — Travis Richardson, a partner at Richardson & Mackoff Ltd. — did not respond to the Daily Law Bulletin’s survey. Richardson is rated as Qualified by The Chicago Bar Association and Well Qualified by the Chicago Council of Lawyers. Richardson had $6,428.70 in campaign funds available from July 1 to Dec. 31 and spent $2,058.70 during the same time period.