Myron "Mike" Mackoff
Name: Myron “Mike” Mackoff
Age: 49
Party: Democratic
Current residence: Chicago
Current position: Cook County circuit judge, appointed Dec. 29, 2016
Past legal experience with years of each job: Assistant Illinois attorney general, environmental division, 1994-02; partner, Hubert Law Group, 2002-07; partner, Richardson & Mackoff, 2007-16; circuit judge, 2016-present
Campaign funds available, July 1 to Dec. 31: $67,930.74
Campaign funds spent, July 1 to Dec. 31: $35,270.58
Law school: Northwestern University School of Law, 1994
Campaign website: electjudgemackoff.com
Family: Divorced, two kids (ages 14 and 16)
Hobbies/interests: Volunteer at the John G. Shedd Aquarium (1994-present); volunteer civics teacher for seventh graders through the Constitutional Law Foundation of Chicago (approx. 2000-present); adjunct professor Northwestern University School of Law, (approx. 2010-present); collecting books, baseball history
Have you ever run for office before?
No.
Why should voters support your candidacy?
I am the sitting judge, vetted by all bar associations and appointed to this seat by the Illinois Supreme Court. Further, I am the most experienced candidate in my race having tried hundreds of cases, civil and criminal, bench and jury, state and federal as an attorney and as a judge. I am endorsed by the Democratic party as well as politicians such as Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley, Jesse White, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Larry Suffredin, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Sara Feigenholtz, Christian Mitchell, Walter Burnett, Tom Tunney, James Cappleman, Lucy Moog and Carol Ronen. I am also endorsed by Personal PAC and the National Organization of Women. Finally, my campaign committee consists of more than 70 of the top attorneys and retired judges in Chicago all of whom support me because of my experience, knowledge and temperament.
Why do you want to be a judge?
I am a judge, and I want to keep the job to which I was appointed. I believe that, in the time that I have been on the bench, I have handled the cases that have come before me with compassion, thoughtfulness, fairness and with a judicial temperament. I treat everyone who comes into my courtroom with respect and I listen to all parties before coming to a reasoned decision.
What was the most interesting case you handled as a lawyer?
As a lawyer I once handled pro bono an investigation into the legitimacy of a couple of Negro League baseball players who were accused of defrauding the public at autograph shows. I was able to do research to show that these gentlemen were exactly whom they claimed to be and I was able to present the evidence to the Illinois Attorney General in a way that immediately caused them to close their investigation. I subsequently became lifelong friends with these former ball players and over the years I helped them and their friends and families out with various legal issues. In exchange I got a glimpse into the history of baseball as well as the history of race in America.
What would you consider your greatest career accomplishment?
Becoming a judge is probably my greatest career achievement to date. As a lawyer, my greatest accomplishment was the time in approximately 2012 when my partner and I tried five federal civil rights jury trials over the course of six months and we won all five of them.
What qualities do you plan to bring to the bench?
Experience, integrity, hard work, compassion, fairness, a calm judicial temperament and a strong desire to help people resolve their problems.