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: Fredrick H. Bates
Age: 55
Current residence: Chicago
Party: Democratic
Current position: Cook County circuit judge (appointment effective Dec. 14, 2015)
Past legal experience: Administrative law judge, 2000-15; law firm equity partner, 1990-2000; law firm associate, 1985-90; judicial law clerk in the 8th U.S. Court of Appeals, 1983-85.
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $94,905
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $58,658.97
Law school: Creighton University School of Law, 1983
Campaign website: batesforjudge.com
Family: Married to Lolita for 27 years, with a son, Robert, and a daughter, Genevieve. Both are in graduate school at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, respectively.
Hobbies/interests: Serving the community on seven nonprofit boards — most important to him being the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation Legacy Board. Bates also serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism, the Creighton University School of Law Advisory Board, the Mendel Catholic Prep Alumni Legacy Foundation Advisory Board, Gilda’s Club African American Advisory Council, the Cook County Bar Association board and the Chicago Legal Prep Advisory Board.
Have you ever run for office before? No.
Why should voters support your candidacy? Experience. A proven track record of being a fair, respectful and impartial judge. I spent 15 years as a trial lawyer and 15 years as an administrative law judge and hearing officer before being appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court. I received the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating of lawyers and judges for over 20 years, and have a long and demonstrated commitment of service to the community and to the profession. I’m a past president of the Cook County Bar Association and the co-founder and past chairman of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. Finally, I have sufficient life experience to understand the importance of being truly compassionate as a judge while maintaining fidelity to the law.
Why do you want to be a judge?
In one word: service. I view the role of judge as that of a public servant. For the past 30 years I have committed myself to service to the profession and my community. I have mentored literally hundreds of at-risk young men and many young lawyers. I believe that my role as judge will enhance my ability to serve the community, particularly those at-risk youth from the communities that I come from.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
I worked on many cases when I practiced as a lawyer, and I am proud of all my work on all of the cases. I always worked many hours to prepare the cases and to provide the best representation possible for my clients. However, I am most proud of obtaining an $850,000 settlement for an employee-owned pension fund — I felt like I made a real difference in the lives of hardworking men and women.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
Being appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
My experiences in life, particularly being my son’s caregiver during his fight against cancer, have made me a more empathetic and compassionate human being. These are qualities that I take to the bench with me on a daily basis.
Name: Patrick Joseph Powers
Age: 53
Current residence: Forest Park
Party: Democratic
Current position: Partner of The Powers Firm Ltd.
Past legal experience: Sole practitioner since 1988
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $9,000
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $9,000
Law school: The John Marshall Law School, 1987
Campaign website: powers4judge.com
Family: Wife, Rachael Powers
Hobbies/interests: Golf, fitness, traveling, reading and fine dining
Have you ever run for office before? No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
I have been practicing law for almost 29 years, primarily at the Daley Center and have tried hundreds of hearings and trials. I have the experience to know how to run an efficient court call, understand the pressures of private practice and can work with lawyers to improve the forward progress of a case. My colleagues and judges have been encouraging me for years to run for judge because they believe that actual practitioners are needed on the bench.
Why do you want to be a judge?
At this point in my career, I look forward to being an umpire rather than a pitcher. I have owned and operated my own practice since February 1988, and I believe that I would make a very good addition to the bench and that lawyers will want to appear before me. I could focus solely on the law itself and not on the business aspect of law.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
In 1990 during a divorce case, a husband went to his wife’s place of employment and shot and killed her. He was subsequently shot and killed by Palatine police. My client was the boyfriend of the wife, who was the beneficiary of the wife’s life insurance policy — and not the 5-year-old child of the divorcing couple. The guardian ad litem filed a petition for a constructive trust and froze the insurance proceeds, so at the hearing there were nine lawyers representing the child and family — and just me representing the boyfriend. I had been out of law school for only three years and this was a high-profile case that was all over the news, so I was in over my head but put up a good fight.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
Practicing mostly in domestic relations, every case where the custodial parent willfully denies parenting time — formerly known as visitation — and I am able to obtain parenting time for my client, I consider a career accomplishment since the parent and the child are reunited.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
I have tried many types of cases: felony, DUI, misdemeanor, personal injury, contract cases and hundreds of domestic relations matters. I have the experience and the knowledge to be a very good trial judge. The Chicago Council of Lawyers stated “Lawyers report that he is knowledgeable and always prepared. He has substantial litigation-related experience and a good temperament.” I expect those qualities will be good assets on the bench.