Thomas Maloney Cushing
Aleksandra “Alex” Gillespie
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: Aleksandra “Alex” Gillespie
Age: 48
Party: Democratic
Current residence: Park Ridge
Current position: Cook County circuit judge (appointment effective Aug. 22, 2014)
Past legal experience: Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, 1994 to 2014; first chair, felony trial division, 2006-14. Responsible for the daily management of more than 400 felony cases including preparation and presentation of pretrial motions, plea negotiations and acting as the lead attorney representing the state in more than 60 juries and more than 600 bench trials. Supervised and mentored junior prosecutors. Authored and argued appellate briefs, indicted hundreds of cases before grand juries and gained significant litigation experience.
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $107,935
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $47,779.85
Chicago Bar Association finding: Qualified
Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1993
Campaign website: judgegillespie.com
Family: Married to criminal defense attorney Michael P. Gillespie; two children
Hobbies/interests: Reading, gardening, sports
Have you ever run for office before?
No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
I believe voters should support my candidacy because my judicial and legal background combined with my life experience has best prepared me to be a judge who has seen the law from both the defense and prosecution point of view. I have a real appreciation for our justice system and the need for judges who know the law, court procedures as well as a firsthand knowledge of how the court system impacts the lives of the people it serves. All of the bar associations have found me qualified or recommended to serve as a judge.
Why do you want to be a judge?
I aspired to be a judge because while serving as an assistant state’s attorney I realized how important it was to have good qualified judges on the bench. I believe good judges make a difference. I am the first person in my immigrant family born in America, and I was raised to believe we should all give back. I became a lawyer because I viewed the practice of law as a noble profession and one of public service and serving as a judge is a way in which I can give back to the community.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
As a prosecutor I tried many first-degree murder cases, so all were important and interesting, but one that stands out is a case involving a drive-by shooting where a teenage boy was killed. Throughout the preparation of the case, I became very close with the victim’s family. After a two-week jury trial resulted in a hung jury, an appeal was followed by a second jury trial with the entire process taking well over three years.
After finally securing a guilty verdict, the victim’s mother became very involved with a support group. We remained close through the years and she has invited me to speak to her group several times, and for this reason, I find this to be my most interesting case — not just because of the legal issues but also because of the close personal relationships I formed with the witnesses and the family of the victim.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
I consider my greatest accomplishment my appointment to serve as a judge of the Cook County Circuit Court by the Illinois Supreme Court.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
I bring qualities of common sense, fairness and a strong knowledge of the law and court procedure to the bench. I am hardworking, honest and ethical. I work very hard at all times to treat everyone in my court equally and with the dignity and respect they deserve. I base my decisions on the facts and the law always tempered with compassion and an awareness that my decisions impact human lives. I realize at all times my decisions impact real people.
Name: Thomas Maloney Cushing
Age: 54
Party: Democratic
Current residence: Evanston
Current position: Of counsel to Christopher A. Kreid & Associates LLC in Evanston, 2013-present
Past legal experience: Managing director, Delta Institute, 2012; executive vice president — environmental finance, Chicago Climate Exchange, 2006 to 2010; principal, Thomas M. Cushing LLC, 2005 to 2006, and 2010 to 2011; associate, Ambrose & Cushing P.C., 1988 to 2005
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $43,410
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $31,414.69
Chicago Bar Association finding: Highly Qualified
Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1988
Campaign website: cushingforjudge.org
Family: Married with four children, ages 16 to 22
Hobbies/interests: Non-‐fiction reading, exercise, meals with family
Have you ever run for office before?
Yes, I ran for circuit judge in Cook County’s 9th Judicial Subcircuit in 2014.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
I know that I am well-suited by temperament to do the work of a judge, and I have enjoyed unsurpassed support from the bar for my candidacy. In 2014, 11 past or current presidents of the major bar associations were public supporters, and I was one of only four candidates out of 67 in Cook County to be found “highly qualified” and “well qualified” by The Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers, respectively. The Decalogue Society of Lawyers has found me “highly recommended” twice.
Why do you want to be a judge?
I recently had a limited role helping a client involved in a university-run disciplinary process in a sexual assault matter. Seeing at close range a process where eyewitnesses were excluded from testifying over hyper-‐technical application of rules, where hearing officers took on the roles of advocates and where published standards for evaluating conduct were casually ignored reminded me first of the habits of justice baked into experienced lawyers and judges, and second, of the critical importance of fair application of mature procedures. It highlighted the importance of having the best people operating, maintaining and repairing the machinery of the justice system. I want to serve by doing that work.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
There have been many, but my brother and I tried the case of Cora Glenn v. The CTA before Judge Allen Freeman. Cora’s husband, Eugene, was found dead on the elevated tracks at the Wilson stop on the Red Line. We proved through strictly circumstantial evidence that Eugene died crossing between train cars, convincing the jury to reject the testimony of a claimed eyewitness and instead accept our theory based solely on the physical evidence. The substantial recovery made a real difference in the life of a hardworking widow.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
On a personal level, I hope I have earned a reputation as a vigorous and creative advocate who can be trusted. On a broader scale, my greatest accomplishment has been to provide access to justice to the common man and woman. Representing injury victims, victims of civil rights abuses, environmental advocates and small businesses, I know I have given a voice to people who often are marginalized and not heard.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
A good judge is well-‐prepared and knowledgeable, but more than that is humble: Willing to listen to all the facts before making a decision, willing to consider that an advocate may know something about the law that the judge does not, willing to be punctual and respect the time of the parties and lawyers appearing before him or her. Those are the qualities I plan to bring to the bench.