SPRINGFIELD – Madison County associate judge Donald Flack formed litigation relationships with two national asbestos firms after taking the robe, according to his annual statements of economic interest at the Illinois Supreme Court.
His statements since 2013 have disclosed relationships with Baron and Budd of Houston, Texas, and Simon, Eddins, and Greenstone of Long Beach, Calif.
Flack didn’t disclose them on the first statement he filed, in 2012.
All his statements have disclosed relationships with Thomas Q. Keefe Jr. of Belleville, David R. Jones of Edwardsville, Christopher Donohoo of East Alton, and the Perica law firm of Wood River.
All his statements have disclosed an interest in “asbestos cases filed by Flack law office or Perica law firm before 5/25/12,” his first day as judge.
His statements don’t identify the parties or the courts in those cases, nor do they specify the number of cases.
At least 30 of them remain active in Madison County, including three that he filed after the announcement of his appointment as associate judge.
Union Carbide has moved to dismiss all 30 for want of prosecution, and associate judge Stephen Stobbs plans a hearing on Aug. 3, at 9 a.m.
Bob Perica took charge of the cases when Flack took the robe, and the New York City firm of Napoli Shkolnick later replaced Perica.
Flack did not withdraw his appearances in any of the cases.
In every case but one he filed an attorney’s lien, apparently still in force.
His statements have disclosed litigation interests beyond asbestos.
In 2012 and 2013, he listed Patterson v. Alton and Southern Railway; Dhue v. Premier Holdings; Zimmer v. Mastercars; Salmond-Williams v. Norman; Brown v. Scrap Solutions; Wilkinson v. McDonald’s; Harris v. Specialized Living Center and “McGee v. tree stand mfr.”
He did not specify the courts handling those cases.
In 2014, the list no longer included the cases of Patterson, McGee and Dhue.
In 2015, the list no longer included the cases of Zimmer and Harris.
This year’s list no longer included the Salmond-Williams case, leaving only Brown v. Scrap Solutions and Wilkinson v. McDonald’s as potential sources of income, as well as the asbestos cases.
Flack’s current statement identifies the Perica firm as his wife’s employer, seasonal and part time.
Previous statements identified the firm as her employer, without qualification.
The current statement identifies Flack’s former firm, Korein Tillery, as his son’s employer from June to August last year.
The Supreme Court’s statements of economic interest don’t obligate judges to report the amounts they receive from other sources.
The Secretary of State’s office requires its own annual report, with a box to check if a judge earned more than $1,200 from an outside source.
Flack has checked the box every year.
The California firm he identified as Simon, Eddins, and Greenstone currently identifies itself as Simon Eddins Panatier Bartlett.