To the Editor:
Appellate Court Judge Judy Cates wants to be an Illinois Supreme Court judge? I see numerous problems with how Judge Cates's June 2019 traffic ticket was dismissed in St. Clair County as far as standard procedure. For one, there are signatures missing on documents, her own in particular. There is no proof Judge Cates or her unnamed defense attorney were even present when her ticket went into the burn pile at State's Attorney James Gomric's office.
Most importantly, before her run for the Illinois Supreme Court continues even one more day, I would like to see the sealed/confidential alcohol drug report associated with her traffic ticket file, which Gomric says was actually a coding error made in the Circuit Clerk's office. Where's the proof it was a clerical error? Was a report actually ordered, and if so, who ordered it and why? What were the results? What makes it confidential?
I'm calling Judge Cates out on this one. Former Judge Ron Duebbert was removed from the bench for far less.
Judge Judy Cates currently serves as Fifth District Appellate Court Judge. She is an elected public official. Considering what happened to St. Clair County Judges Christ and Cook, not so long ago, the public deserves to know if those who render sometimes life changing rulings are possibly impaired or acting in a diminished capacity. Judge Cates needs to explain this matter publicly or step down immediately.
I am not to be dismissed as some kind of Republican operative. Let it be known I have given depositions in several cases that were very inconvenient to Republicans. In Bloyer v. St. Clair County and Poshard v. Madison County. I have also agreed to give a deposition on behalf of tax buyer John Vassen in his lawsuit against Republican Kurt Prenzler.
My father was an operating engineer and my grandfather was a union bricklayer. I have not forgotten those values. Today's Democrats may not be my grandfather's Democrats, but the Republicans are sure as hell no friends of mine.
Brad Van Hoose
Belleville