To the Editor:
Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, the campaign was in full swing, right up to the March 17th primary on St. Patrick’s Day. I had been attending community events throughout the District. For example, I enjoyed being at the fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois, the Women’s Center’s fundraiser, the 99th Marion Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet, and even played in the trivia night for St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham. (BTW - the “Judge Judy for Supreme Court” team won). I also attended a women’s event hosted by the S.I.U. School of Law, and many other community events held in Murphysboro, Duquoin, and throughout the 37 counties that I will represent when I am on the Supreme Court, and presently represent, as an Appellate Court justice.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, and, for a while, our campaign was upended. With the closing of schools, and other “non-essential” businesses, my focus shifted away from the campaign. My first priority was to keep my family safe, and make sure all of my friends recognized the serious health consequences of exposure to this deadly coronavirus. I spent time learning as much as I could regarding the science of this new enemy, to gather more information.
Having spent all of my life in southern Illinois, and having had so many clients throughout the District, I knew that once people were ordered to shelter-in-place, many of my constituents would soon be out of work, having to close their businesses, lay off workers, and suffer the indignity of unemployment. As you well know, the people of southern Illinois are proud individuals. They always work together in times of need. I recall the mighty efforts put forth by the great people of southern Illinois during the 1993 flood. I recall being in the Chester courthouse as an attorney, and all I could see for miles was water – farms, homes, businesses, towns – all flooded. But the people of southern Illinois relied on one another to give a hand up, and through those efforts, they rebuilt and thrived.
So, I knew first-hand, that even with this pandemic, southern Illinois determination would get through this disaster. I decided then that the best use of my campaign would be to thank the many people throughout this vast District for their courageous efforts to do what was necessary to keep our community safe, educate our children, keep vital centers, such as hospitals and nursing homes open, feed our community by keeping grocery stores open, and more. If you go to my Facebook page, you will see that it has been (and will be) my first priority to say “Thank You” to all the people who have placed themselves at risk against this virus to help out their neighbors – feeding children, who otherwise would not eat, enabling young people to learn, and even graduating students through social media. I was so impressed by Mayor Absher, who asked all of the Marion businesses with electronic signage to post a video of the graduating students. But all of the mayors and their communities, throughout this District, have done a great job, despite the fact that their small businesses are hurting and people are unemployed. So, “THANK YOU,” to southern Illinois!
So what is ahead for the “Judge Judy for Supreme Court” campaign? Our campaign will continue to reach out to those in need. I am personally making contributions to food banks, and trying to help, while social distancing. As an Appellate Court Justice, I believe we need our courthouses open. On April 30th, the 5th District Appellate Court was the first Appellate Court in Illinois to hold an oral argument via videoconferencing. I was on the three-judge panel for that argument, and assisted our Court Clerk in making this happen. Our Court will continue to open slowly, holding more oral arguments by videoconferencing in early June.
So, in addition to saying “Thank You,” I have been, and will continue, to fight for access to justice for ALL of the people of southern Illinois, and get our courts open. I am on a Supreme Court subcommittee created for the purpose of Access to Justice in our Appellate Courts.
Going forward, as noted, I will continue to “thank” the great people of southern Illinois for all of their efforts to help one another, and give a hand up. (For example, Marion United, which I joined through social media and donated to, was an awesome example of community pride and getting together.) We need to begin opening small businesses in southern Illinois, while taking measures to protect each other from this deadly virus. But there must be a balance. The Illinois Supreme Court, this week, avoided the question of whether the Governor’s orders are constitutional, when it denied the Bailey case for appeal. By refusing to hear the case, the question of whether southern Illinois businesses can re-open will linger, wasting valuable judicial resources that should be used for the small businesses of southern Illinois. After all, these businesses are the economic fabric that enables the District to succeed in both good times and bad.
Our campaign looks forward to some political forums with my opponent. I believe the voters need to be able to ask questions of the candidates and get answers, even if these events are done by a virtual forum. The opportunity to ask questions is a change from the past. So, we will be working to create candidate forums throughout the District, and I look forward to a robust discussion of issues with my opponent.
As the District reopens, our campaign will be there, and everywhere, so that I can discuss with the good people of southern Illinois why they need “Judge Judy” Cates as their next Illinois Supreme Court justice.
Justice Judy Cates, candidate for Illinois Supreme Court