Crawford wins judge race, but can’t serve

Rhonda Crawford may have won her election to the 1st Judicial Subcircuit on Tuesday, but she won’t be sworn in next month while disciplinary charges against her are still pending.

The Illinois Supreme Court suspended Crawford’s law license and enjoined her from taking the judicial oath of office. The Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission is investigating Crawford after she was fired from the Cook County Circuit Court for donning a judge’s robes and adjudicating at least three cases.

Crawford appeared to be the winner of Tuesday’s general election, squaring off against the write-in candidacy of Cook County Circuit Judge Maryam Ahmad.

It’s unclear whether Crawford’s inability to take the judicial oath of office after winning her election means there is a “vacancy” on the 1st Judicial Subcircuit.

Ahmad’s attorney, Burton S. Odelson, had previously stated he believes Crawford’s situation creates a vacancy on the court that can be filled with an appointment

A spokesman with the state Supreme Court did not return a request for comment on whether the justices would appoint someone in Crawford’s stead.

Although neither the Cook County Clerk’s Office nor the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners posted the number of write-in votes Ahmad received, the numbers appear to make an Ahmad win impossible.

In suburban Cook County, Crawford garnered 18,791 votes from the 25,788 ballots cast. That difference — 6,997 votes — is the maximum number of votes Ahmad could have received, although it would also include any ballots where people didn’t vote in that particular race.

In the city, Crawford garnered 65,118 votes. Unlike the county election officials, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners’ unofficial summary reports as of this morning did not list how many ballots were cast in the 1st Judicial Subcircuit.

However, Crawford only collected 420 fewer votes than Jesse Outlaw, another judicial candidate in the same subcircuit who was running unopposed, a possible indicator of how voters might have responded to Crawford, whose name appeared one line below Outlaw’s on the city’s ballot.

A spokesman with the Chicago election authority said write-in votes will not be counted until next week.

Prior to Tuesday’s election, both Crawford and Ahmad unsuccessfully sought to invalidate the other’s candidacy.

Ahmad cited Crawford’s ongoing disciplinary matter to have election officials revoke her candidacy. Her petition was ultimately denied by the state Supreme Court on Oct. 31.

Meanwhile, Crawford tried to invalidate Ahmad’s write-in candidacy ahead of the election after a Cook County judge ruled she was cleared to run for the seat. The 1st District Appellate Court affirmed Ahmad’s write-in candidacy in a one-page order, with an opinion or a Rule 23 order coming “in due course.”

Crawford was fired by Cook County Chief Circuit Judge Timothy C. Evans in August for wearing Circuit Judge Valarie E. Turner’s robe and adjudicating at least three traffic cases at the Markham Courthouse. Turner allegedly oversaw Crawford as she handled the cases.

Meanwhile, the Cook County State’s Attorney Office has charged Crawford with official misconduct by a public employee who knowingly performs an illegal act, a Class 3 felony, and false personation of a public employee, a Class A misdemeanor. Crawford has pleaded not guilty.

The ARDC has charged Crawford 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.