Luechtefeld: Plaintiff Attorneys Trying To Cash In By Getting Karmeier Off High Court
From the Belleville News-Democrat
State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld says a handful of lawyers hoping to score a big payday are behind a last-minute campaign to get his longtime friend, Justice Lloyd Karmeier, voted off the Illinois Supreme Court.
Karmeier, an Okawville Republican who was first elected to the Supreme Court in 2004, is up for retention on the November ballot. A justice needs at least 60 percent "yes" votes in order to be retained. Voters in Illinois' 37 southernmost counties will vote on his retention.
Luechtefeld, an Okawville Republican who went to high school with Karmeier, said the campaign to unseat the judge is spearheaded by plaintiff attorneys who stand to gain if they win favorable Supreme Court rulings in two class-action lawsuits -- one against State Farm Insurance and one against cigarette maker Philip Morris.
"For these attorneys, it's just like putting money in the stock market. It's an investment," Luechtefeld said.
Television commercials critical of Karmeier began airing in the past day or so. A campaign committee, called Campaign for 2016, is conducting the anti-Karmeier effort.
Records show the committee's largest donation so far is $300,000 given last week by George Zelcs, an attorney for the Korein Tillery LLC law firm in St. Louis who was involved in the Philip Morris case. Christine Moody, another attorney at Korein Tillery, donated $200,000 on Tuesday.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Belleville News-Democrat
State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld says a handful of lawyers hoping to score a big payday are behind a last-minute campaign to get his longtime friend, Justice Lloyd Karmeier, voted off the Illinois Supreme Court.
Karmeier, an Okawville Republican who was first elected to the Supreme Court in 2004, is up for retention on the November ballot. A justice needs at least 60 percent "yes" votes in order to be retained. Voters in Illinois' 37 southernmost counties will vote on his retention.
Luechtefeld, an Okawville Republican who went to high school with Karmeier, said the campaign to unseat the judge is spearheaded by plaintiff attorneys who stand to gain if they win favorable Supreme Court rulings in two class-action lawsuits -- one against State Farm Insurance and one against cigarette maker Philip Morris.
"For these attorneys, it's just like putting money in the stock market. It's an investment," Luechtefeld said.
Television commercials critical of Karmeier began airing in the past day or so. A campaign committee, called Campaign for 2016, is conducting the anti-Karmeier effort.
Records show the committee's largest donation so far is $300,000 given last week by George Zelcs, an attorney for the Korein Tillery LLC law firm in St. Louis who was involved in the Philip Morris case. Christine Moody, another attorney at Korein Tillery, donated $200,000 on Tuesday.
Read more in our daily News Update...