Not ready yet
Sweet farewell
That hurts
Sources tell Dicta that a prominent Metro East plaintiff's attorney who earns his living suing doctors is having trouble finding one here to treat him.
The lawyer, a regular on these pages, needed a specialist to help treat a medical problem but was turned away by Metro East doctors typically in his crosshairs. He was told they weren't accepting "new patients" at this time.
Rebuffed, the sick attorney was forced to head to a hospital in doctor-happy Indiana, where lawyers fees in medical liability cases are capped at 15% of an award (vs. 33.33% here).
We are pleased to announce that the attorney is expected to make a complete recovery.
Getting stale
Talk is that a reason for promoting Associate Judge Ellar Duff to the circuit court bench is that it will give her a salary bump, jumping her state pension which is based on her last years of service.
Of course, Judge Nicholas Byron said exactly the same sixteen years ago—but he’s still lurking around Madison County. Byron served as an associate judge for eight years (1981-88) before being appointed to the Third Circuit along with Kardis and Judge Edward Ferguson in 1989.
Instead of retiring in 1990, Byron ran for election. He beat back a primary challenge from then fellow-associate judge Dan Stack.
Associate judges earn about a grand less a month than circuit court judges who draw close to $160,000 annually.
Up for the challenge?
While vacationing next week, a wedded pair of local Republican attorneys will be mulling over submitting their circuit judge applications.
Said one half of the legal team, we couldn't be more wrong about the "safe route" Ellar Duff scenario (Dicta, Aug. 29), whereby the Madison County GOP wouldn't actively try to fill the looming Third Circuit vacancy caused by the retiring Judge Phillip Kardis.
If they didn't aspire to share the power here in Madison County why else would Republicans have fought so hard for Karmeier's election, the husband-wife team asked?
Meanwhile, sources tell Dicta that Duff was the first "candidate" to meet with Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier after he officially announced the Kardis vacancy last week.
Please send cake
A retirement reception for Judge Kardis will be held at 2 p.m, Tuesday, Sept. 20, in Courtroom 302.
Donations of desserts are being sought.