Various Latino elected and community leaders denounced the actions of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke’s recent appointments in the judicial system that show a deliberate disregard to adequate and fair demographic representation of judges in Illinois Supreme Court 1st District. The Latino leaders gathered at the Daley Center called for a reformed and transparent judicial appointment process in Illinois Supreme Court 1st District. The officials included Alderman Michael D. Rodriguez (22nd); Juan Morado, Jr., and Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya (7th). The 14th subcircuit includes the predominately Latino southwest side of Chicago including the communities of Little Village, Pilsen, Back of the Yards, Archer Heights and McKinley Park among others, as well as parts of Cicero and Berwyn, an area whose population is significantly Latino. Currently, there are 11 judges in the 14th subcircuit. Of those, only three are judges of color (Latino).

“In 2019, there are ample qualified Latino and African American attorneys who are both willing and capable of serving on the bench,” said Morado, Jr. “We demand that the Supreme Court utilize the awesome appointment power bestowed upon them by the Illinois constitution and, through their election by the people, appoint individuals to the bench who are reflective of the communities they serve.” In addition, the Latino leaders pointed out that Justice Burke has shown overwhelming support for white judges throughout her tenure. They called for an increased focus on qualified diverse nominees in the judicial subcircuits. “We are elected to serve our communities with integrity and this comes with the highest level of responsibility to ensure that there is adequate and diverse representation at all levels of government,” said Cook County Commissioner Anaya. “Representation can be critical in determining outcomes in the court room. We cannot get to a point of true restorative justice if those deciding the fate of our communities are disconnected and not representative of us.”