Victor P. Henderson
Rhonda Crawford
On two separate legal fronts this morning, former law clerk and current Cook County judicial candidate Rhonda Crawford was hit with criminal charges and asked by the Illinois Supreme Court to show cause why her law license should not be suspended for allegedly masquerading as a judge.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Crawford with official misconduct by a public employee who knowingly performs an illegal act, a Class 3 felony. She is also charged with false personation of a public employee, a Class A misdemeanor.
Crawford was arraigned today at the Leighton Criminal Court Building before Associate Judge Alfredo Maldonado. Her bond was set at $10,000.
“The role and conduct of a judge is at the heart of our criminal justice system in the pursuit of justice in each and every case,” State’s Attorney Anita M. Alvarez said in a written statement. “The defendant’s conduct in this case was offensive to the integrity of our system and cannot be excused or ignored as a mere lapse in judgment.”
But Victor P. Henderson, a partner at Henderson, Parks LLC and Crawford’s criminal defense attorney, told reporters following her arraignment that the charges amount to political retribution from the Democratic Party.
He said the charges did not have to be filed before the election; doing so is an effort to disenfranchise voters in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit, he alleged.
“There was no reason to file these charges at this time, other than to interfere with the election,” Henderson said.
Henderson was not specific about the identity of the forces that were aligning against his client; instead, he told reporters to go digging.
He accused the Democratic Party of sending “very talented lawyers, as we speak, to go into the courthouse to try to interfere with her election prospects.”
“It’s astounding to me that this event, which played out for three or four minutes, is being blown out to such huge proportions,” Henderson said. “There is something going on that doesn’t have anything to do with Ms. Crawford.”
But prosecutors are not the only ones wanting action ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
An hour after Crawford pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, the Illinois Supreme Court announced she had one week to show cause after the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission last week petitioned for her suspension.
The ARDC made the request while it pursues an underlying complaint charging her with dishonesty as a result of handling cases on a judge’s call while dressed and seated like one; criminal conduct of official misconduct and false personation of a public officer; and giving false statements in a disciplinary investigation.
The high court has given Crawford until Oct. 28 to offer her justification.
After that, the court will decide whether to suspend Crawford’s law license. That eventual decision would remain in effect until the ARDC complaint is fully adjudicated.
Because the Illinois Constitution provides that judges must be licensed attorneys, a suspended license would make Crawford ineligible to take the judicial oath of office.
Crawford’s attorney said any potential discipline should wait.
“She shouldn’t be suspended on an interim basis as a matter of due process,” said Adrian M. Vuckovich, a partner at Collins, Bargione & Vuckovich and Crawford’s attorney before the ARDC. “She should be able to continue as a lawyer, and we should have a hearing on the merits.”
Crawford was fired by the Cook County Chief Circuit Judge Timothy C. Evans’ office in August for allegedly wearing the robe of Circuit Judge Valarie E. Turner and adjudicating at least three traffic cases at the Markham Courthouse. Turner allegedly oversaw Crawford as she handled the cases.
Henderson said his client has admitted to making a mistake by donning the robe.
However, he appeared to draw a distinction between her wearing the robe and signing off on documents in the traffic cases she allegedly oversaw. When he was pressed on this, he said, “Those are the allegations. I’m not going to try this case in the press.”
Henderson criticized the fact that Turner has not been charged by the Cook County state’s attorney. He said he has not spoken with Turner at all.
Evans pulled Turner from hearing cases and reassigned her to desk duty after the incident.
“She’s being sequestered somewhere, which is pretty obvious to us. The entire truth can’t come out until you hear from the person who is at the center of the incident, which is the judge who owned the robes,” Henderson said. “It appears they’re hiding her off to the side somewhere, and we’ll see how long that lasts.”
The ARDC’s petition to the Supreme Court lays out the facts and allegations of their case. Turner, when confronted by another judge about the incident, said she thought Crawford was another judge.
On a third front this morning, Crawford attempted to derail the independent write-in challenge from Circuit Judge Maryam Ahmad, who lost her own primary in March in a separate race, but entered the race after Crawford was fired in August.
Ahmad’s attorney, Burton S. Odelson, a partner at Evergreen Park-based Odelson & Sterk, filed an emergency motion today with the Illinois Supreme Court, asking them to remove Crawford from the ballots in the city of Chicago and Cook County.
The motion would specifically compel the State Board of Elections, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners and the Cook County clerk.
“The substantiated allegations filed by the ARDC demonstrate that Rhonda Crawford does not have the fitness or competency to practice law, let alone be a judge,” Odelson said in the news release announcing the suit.
“Should Crawford remain on the ballot or her votes are counted, Illinois will again be embarrassed, throughout the world, this time by electing a lawyer under criminal indictment and facing possible disbarment.”
Last month, Ahmad prevailed in a lawsuit against city election officials, allowing write-in votes for her to be counted. Crawford has asked Associate Judge Alfred J. Paul to reconsider his ruling.
A spokeswoman for Ahmad said Paul will issue his decision on Monday.
If Crawford is suspended prior to the election but wins and is unable to be sworn in, Vuckovich said it is still a possibility she could take the oath later should she be exonerated.
However, he acknowledged that that possibility is a long way off.
The Chicago Bar Association has also called for Crawford to step down from the election while the ARDC disciplinary complaint is pending against her.
Both Henderson and Crawford dismissed the notion that she would step down before the election. Henderson noted that she is still campaigning in the 1st Subcircuit.