CWB Judge List - Part One

The crew over at CWB has a list of judges that you ought to do your due diligence on:

• CWB Chicago does not endorse or recommend judges or candidates for political office. In the past, we have provided subscribers with information about Cook County judges who handle criminal matters during biannual judicial retention election cycles. This year, we are publishing that information for all readers.

  Below are brief biographies, background information, and links to relevant cases involving Cook County judges up for retention during the current cycle who handle criminal matters in CWB Chicago’s coverage area.

They list five judges and (being actual media) try to show good and bad sides of them all. The good sides are some of the sterner sentences we've been amazed at, but those are rarities. The bad sides include kowtowing to the SAFE-T Act inanities that endanger citizens far too often.

Regular readers know that we recommend against ever voting "yes" on a single judge, if only to send a message to the Machine that we're getting damn sick and tired of their catering to the criminal element. Especially DEI judges Walton and Lyke - if you can't be bothered to vote "no" a few dozen times, at least vote against these two assholes.

But if there aren't changes at some point, what's currently happening in France, Germany, England, Ireland and other parts of Europe might make appearances here - and this side of the Atlantic might be a bit more....demonstrative of their displeasure

IL Supreme Court Hearing

So about two weeks ago, there was an Hearing before the Illinois Supreme Court. We didn't follow it too closely because (duh) it doesn't effect us. Here's a summary a reader sent us:

• This is oral argument before an Illinois appellate court (or the Illinois Supreme Court) in case 132241, *Chicago John Dineen Lodge No. 7 v. City of Chicago*. The dispute arises from a 2023 Dispute Resolution Board (DRB) interest-arbitration award that set terms for the next collective bargaining agreement between the Chicago police union (Lodge 7) and the City.
  
  
  The award extended the longstanding right to private grievance arbitration (already available for lesser discipline) to the most serious cases—suspensions longer than 365 days and separations/discharge. Officers still have the option of the public Chicago Police Board process; the award does not change Police Board procedures. The City challenged two main aspects: (1) the requirement that arbitration of serious discipline be private (claiming it violates public policy favoring transparency and accountability), and (2) the requirement that officers remain in pay status while challenging serious discipline through arbitration (claiming it is arbitrary and capricious).
  
  
  Matt Pierce argued for the Lodge (appellant, seeking confirmation of the full DRB award). Aya Barnea (Ms. Barnea/Bernier) argued for the City (seeking affirmance of the appellate court’s ruling against private hearings and reversal on pay status so that portion of the award is vacated). The court took the case under advisement.

We're told that Mr Pierce pretty much gave a stellar performance and destroyed much of the City's arguments, which under normal circumstances, would result in a tremendous win for the Lodge (also from the email).

• Oral argument is not a final decision (the case was taken under advisement), so there is no formal winner. On the strength of the exchanges, the **Lodge (union) performed stronger**. The judges pressed the City hard on the foundations of its public-policy claim—whether Chicago’s local practice can create statewide policy, the lack of record evidence about other jurisdictions, the novelty and potential forfeiture of the First Amendment theory, the limited role of a consent decree, and the risk of disrupting settled private arbitration statewide. The Lodge’s statutory carve-outs, emphasis on deference, and consistency with decades of private labor arbitration appeared more tightly grounded in existing Illinois law. The City’s transparency and public-trust arguments are powerful as policy advocacy, but they faced steeper legal hurdles under the public-policy exceptions demanding standard. The pay-status issue received less sustained questioning and looked more like a classic “arbitrary and capricious” fight the City could still win or lose on the record. Overall, the Lodge left the stronger impression on the dispositive privacy/public-policy question. 

Unfortunately, Illinois is not "normal circumstances." Logic and sense don't usually exist here. Politics rules the day and distorts everything with its foul stench. 

You can hear the Court arguments here at this link. 

Amy opinions here one way or the other? 

Who Are These Guys?

So what is the OT schedule looking like? Days off cancelled yet?

• Braden Montgomery lined a two-run double down the right-field line, Sean Burke allowed one hit in 5 1/3 innings of splendid relief and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in their AL Division Series.

  The surprising White Sox improved to 4-0 in these playoffs — all on the road — and are one win from advancing to the American League Championship Series for the first time since winning the World Series in 2005. Chicago became the first team to reach the postseason after three straight 100-loss seasons, including a post-1900 record 121 defeats in 2024.

Four road wins in a row, now on the verge of making a liar out of Conehead's vow to cut OT expenditures. The only good news might be that this is what the last White Sox World Series parade looked like:

 

Plenty of parking, too.

What a Way to Go

The comedy has started up over the botched Tennessee execution with the Babylon Bee leading the way - Ten Surefire Ways to Execute Criminals.

Number Five is Illinois' contribution:

• Place them between JB Pritzker and a hamburger: Oof. What a way to go.

Go read it all for the full amusement.

Off Duty Shooting

Little Village area:

• An off-duty Chicago police officer shot a man twice after being attacked and punched in the face on the city’s Southwest Side overnight, according to a statement released by the Chicago Police Department.

  Police say two men were injured, including the the one who was shot. That offender was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in fair condition and is now in custody. Another man who had been standing with a group on the sidewalk took himself to Mt. Sinai Hospital in good condition.

  The officer who was attacked was taken to an area hospital for injuries sustained during the altercation, police say.

Sounds like he shot the guy who reached into his car and punched him. 

No idea yet how the second guy got winged. 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. 

FOP Friends and Family Plan

Good news - if you're dating the FOP president, you don't have to pay for your own lawyer!

• latest A.I. generated video here 

It pays to know the right people.

How Many Felonies?

Thank goodness for the SAFE-T Act:

• A 57-year-old man with 32 felony convictions and a long history of stealing electric scooters is back on the street after prosecutors charged him with stealing five more scooters, part of a citywide crime pattern that left Chicago scooter owners frustrated all summer and sparked two Chicago police community alerts.

  Incredibly, Randall Brown was released from custody without even being placed on an ankle monitor, and Judge James Costello indicated in a court document that there was “no obj,” apparently meaning there was no objection to his release.

  CPD’s newly formed Area 5 Motor Vehicle Theft Team arrested Brown on Thursday afternoon, capping a weeks-long effort to identify a man who has stolen so many scooters that victims formed their own Facebook group to post pictures, compare surveillance video and report sightings in real time.

Otherwise, all of these guilty people might be stuck in prison, unable to enjoy terrorizing and victimizing the law abiding and costing taxpayers countless millions of dollars in wasted money.

Dems love criminals! 

Conehead Corpse Count Climbs

Once again, a dead body lying around, this time for TEN HOURS:

• A 23-year-old man found fatally shot in Grand Crossing on Friday morning apparently went undiscovered for more than 10 hours before someone called 911, according to Chicago city records.

  The man was found in an area previously monitored by the city’s ShotSpotter gunfire-detection network, which automatically alerted police to suspected gunfire even when no one called 911. Mayor Brandon Johnson ended the city’s ShotSpotter contract in 2024.

This is number ninety-five.

Good News

Lake Forest Officer Filip Czarnecki who was stranded in Managua before being flown back here for more advanced treatment is moving forward in his recovery efforts:

• We have some truly remarkable news to share! On September 29th, Fil officially transitioned out of the hospital and into a long-term rehabilitation facility—a massive milestone in his journey toward a full recovery. Even more exciting, Fil is showing incredible signs of progress every day. He is officially speaking, demonstrating sharp mental acuity, and showing strong memory recall. On the physical side, he is already working hard in therapy: standing up with assistance and actively participating in everyday tasks like putting on his own clothes. Seeing his determination and hearing his voice again has brought so much hope to his family, friends, and care team. While there is still work ahead in rehabilitation, these leaps forward are a testament to Fil’s strength and the power of the support, prayers, and donations you all have provided. Please continue to keep Fil and his family in your thoughts as he takes on this next chapter of healing!

Keep fighting the good fight Officer. Continued thoughts, prayers and best wishes in your efforts. 

M.F.S.G.A.

Following the botched execution in Tennessee the other day, excuses have abounded:

• expired Pentobarbital;
• jammed/clogged IV line;
• blown vein delivery;
• sabotage

But no one has mentioned the well known and documented fact that redheads often require upwards of 20% more anesthesia when undergoing medical procedures, which could describe a lethal (or almost lethal) injection.

Leaving aside all excuses though, you know what injection doesn't fail? 

Lead....at 2,700 feet per second....Make Firing Squads Great Again

One Month

We're about a month out from Election Day, and while we don't think much is going to change locally, there is one place that a concerted effort can send a message to the political class that there better be some changes.

• judicial retention

 And believe it or not, in 2024 more judges than ever ended up on the verge of losing their seats:

• Tuesday was the last day provisional ballots can be counted and it appears one Cook County Circuit Court judge will be losing their seat. Shannon O’Malley gained only 58% Yes for Retention votes. All members of the Alliance of Bar Associations rated Judge O’Malley not recommended for retention. In addition to questions about his meeting residency requirements, the Council had concerns about his courtroom management, where avoidable delays can mean that a child remains in a group home, psychiatric hospital, or other out-of-home placement longer than necessary.

  Most judges hovered around 73% yes votes on their retention and no judge gained more than 78%. Five additional judges did not break 65% approval ratings: Kathy M. Flanagan, E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., Maura Slattery Boyle, Lisa Ann Marino,  and Ieshia Gray. An additional seven judges did not break 70%. In 2020, eight judges achieved less than 70% approval, with five below 65% and two not retaining their seats. 

Cook county voters are literally on the cusp of sending a message, maybe a few hundred votes in many races. For every four "No" votes, a judge needs to get six more "Yes" votes than previously counted. A couple hundred "No" votes would sink more judges in a single election than have been removed in decades past. 

It literally takes thirty seconds to vote "No" and convey your disgust with the system. Justice isn't going to grind to a halt without these idiots - has anyone seen a judge put in a full day at any point in the past century? There are plenty of them to pick up the slack and plenty of opportunity for judge bitch Beach to make temporary appointments if needed. 

Take the thirty seconds and vote "No."

Finish the Job Citizens

Witnesses jumped in after the fact:

• A 48-year-old woman fatally stabbed a 7-year-old girl on a South Side street Saturday afternoon, then was knocked unconscious by a bystander and taken into police custody, according to Chicago police and witnesses. Court records show the woman has had an outstanding felony warrant for more than 18 months.

  The girl was walking southbound in the 8600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue shortly before noon when the woman approached her and stabbed her multiple times in the back, police said. Multiple witnesses saw the attack, and one of them knocked the woman unconscious a short distance from where the child was found, according to a witness who spoke with CWBChicago.

Why not finish the job? Not to put too fine a point on it, but that part of town is notorious for non-cooperation with authorities. Why would they start now after a seven-year-old got stabbed....and killed. 

We'd actually admire the extra effort.

Cop Killer Had Quite the Record

And just a ton more proof that he never should have been on the streets after all those convictions.

(This is an updated article from 01 October - the original publication was closer to the shooting date, but this version outlines more of Talley's criminal record and how hte SAFE-T Act failed completely at keeping this recidivist criminal off the streets):

• A seven-time convicted felon accused of shooting of two Chicago police officers was wanted for evading parole, escaping from electronic monitoring, and had two pending felony cases against him at the time, court records confirm.

  The suspect, 26-year-old Alphanso Talley, was charged late Sunday night with 20 new counts, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, and other charges.

  Talley, who has a history of violent crime, is accused of shooting and killing 38-year-old John Bartholomew, a 10-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, and critically wounding another officer, a 57-year-old man with 21 years on the force.

Paroled on two cases, an active warrant on another, cut of his ankle monitor, seven felony convictions, and still managed to get released over SAFE-T Act provisions by (who else?) DEI retard judge Lyke.

Keep voting democrat for more! 

Lots of Bears Movement

Just to be clear, we care little about the NFL any more. Long time readers will recall we used to do regular postings about sports, mostly about the Blackhawks, but we followed the Bears, too. That all changed when they went "woke" and the whole league went anti-police. 

Now, we only care as much as it affects where our tax money goes....as in they should get zero.

But the Springfield theater is ramping up for the fall veto session where the actors pretend to make deals and rip off taxpayers - just look at all these articles: 

• Channel 7
• Channel 9
• Slum Times

And all of them say the same thing - that the billionaire owners are meeting with the billionaire governor and NFL officials in some sort of "last ditch" effort to keep the Bears in Illinois. We still think they're staying because the Hammond location would require two years and a few billion dollars just to decontaminate the site. 

The correct palms will be greased this fall. 

COPA Releases Video

From a shooting a year-and-a-half ago:

• New videos and documents detailing the shooting of an alleged knife-wielding suspect by CPD in the lobby of a River North hotel back in April of 2025 have been released by the city’s office of police accountability.

  On Thursday, officials from Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) announced that their office had released a host of materials in connection with the incident, including response reports and video that captured the shooting.

  According to police, the incident unfolded just before 2:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, 2025, in the 100 block of East Hubbard Street, near State Street and Wabash Avenue in River North.

And in the entire article, there's not even a hint that COPA is attempting to hand out suspension time. 

So is this a textbook "good shoot" or what?

We watches some of it and the main question we have is why are Tasers still being issued / used / required as a Use of Force option when they're inaccurate and ineffective, needless endangering Officers' lives via hesitation and time constraints in dynamic situations?

We weren't ever big fans, but in hindsight, we realize that they failed nearly as often as they worked, which aren't good odds in this job.

Rats Bailing?

The rumor mill is gaining steam:

• There’s a rumble that at least one of the lodges in house attorneys have severed ties with the FOP as a result of the federal investigation. 

If true, this would be a big deal as liars lawyers aren't permitted to operate in unlawful atmospheres unless (A) they're heavier than whale shit or (B) they have any desire to keep their law licenses unblemished once the shit really hits the fan.

Anyone know if it's true? 

More Changes

Here's a partial list of moves:

• Chief of Patrol – Andre Parham
  
  
  Street Deputy – Bryan Spreyne 
  
  
  Deputy Chief of the Strategic Deployment Division – Jill Stevens
  
  
  Commander of the Narcotics Division – Lewis Courts  
  
  
  Commander of the Alternate Response Section – Joseph Mark 
  
  
  Commander of the Forensic Services Division – Patrick McGarry 
  
  
  Commander of the 009th (Deering) District – James Triantafillo
  
  
  Commander of the Inspection Division – Davina Ward

There are also a bunch of "acting" positions being filled:

• Commander Sheamus Mannion will be Acting Deputy Chief of Patrol
• Commander Johnny Tate will be Acting Deputy Chief of Area 4
• Commander Michael Neckermann to Acting Commander 001 
• Captain Darwin Butler to Acting Commander 007
• Captain Michael Poppish to Acting Commander 008
• Captain Charles Artz to Acting Commander 011 

Quite a few unqualified names there....this is obviously the political payoff list. 

Seven Years

Does this seem like an appropriate sentence?

• A woman initially accused of trying to murder a Chicago police officer during a 2023 South Side confrontation has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and been sentenced to seven years.

  Resendez, 41, was charged with attempted murder in connection with the September 2, 2023, encounter in the 9900 block of South Ewing. But officials never publicly accused her of firing directly at the officers. The confrontation was captured on both officers’ body-worn cameras and a city surveillance camera.

  Video released by COPA, shared at the end of this story, shows Resendez and another person walking down the middle of the street before moving toward the sidewalk as a CPD squad car approached. The officers drove alongside Resendez for a short distance before getting out of the squad car to speak with her.

  As one officer told her, “Lemme see your hands,” Resendez turned and pointed a firearm toward the officer, according to the officer’s bodycam video. Two shots were then heard, prompting the officers to take cover. The video does not establish who fired the shots, but CPD said Resendez “produced a firearm and later admitted to pulling the trigger in the direction of a Chicago Police officer.”

One question is why did she make it to sentencing? 

Here a Tax, There a Fee

The Tribune is noticing Conehead's attempts to kill Chicago....and they actually call it "dumb" (it's a paywalled editorial):

• A new parking meter deal is done and dusted, as City Council on Tuesday approved a $2.53 billion agreement allowing Stonepeak Partners to take over the remaining 57 years of Chicago’s parking meter lease. Good. We were tired of writing about this historic disaster.

  But that doesn’t mean there cannot be another one just ahead.

  Now, aldermen are looking to the future. And as some gaze into their crystal ball, they see a brave new world in which suburbanites pay more to park.

  An idea is floating around to bifurcate parking meter prices, adding a surcharge of 25 to 50 cents an hour for non-Chicagoans who park in the city, according to Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett, 27th.

  It’ll raise revenue, he says, though he couldn’t say how much, and encourage public transit, though that doesn’t take into account the frequent inadequacy of those options from the suburbs, especially on evenings and weekends.

  What we know for sure is that such a move is crazy-town nonsense.

Fifty-cents-an-hour isn't a deal breaker for most suburbanites....until it isn't fifty-cents-an-hour anymore. You can bet the price will go up....because it never goes down.

And there will almost certainly be levels of pricing, like five-bucks-an-hour for a school bus or twenty-per hour for one of those tourist coach liners. It'll add up and make it so even more people don't want to come here. Have you seen what they're charging to rent a car at the airports? Not just the fees - the taxes, too. It's all going to come crashing down at some point.

Destroy the Tax Base!

The headline:

• At City Club, Mayor Brandon Johnson asks why rich put profits over ‘the lives of my neighbors’

The simple answer:

• because your neighbors don't contribute much to society

The article (password protected) - is essentially just a demand for more money - a strategy that will cause corporations to leave Chicago faster:

• Mayor Brandon Johnson accused the city’s corporate class of ignoring Black and brown lives Wednesday in a wide-ranging speech to a crowd of business leaders who cheered his ideas but greeted with silence his promise to pay for them by taxing the rich.

  The appearance at the City Club of Chicago was Johnson’s first major public speech since announcing his reelection campaign a little over two weeks ago, and signals that he is entering his fight for a second term — and his fourth budget — with as feisty a message as ever.

Channel 7 also writes about more efforts to further degrade the city tax base:

• Mayor Brandon Johnson used a campaign-style speech before the City Club on Wednesday to argue that Chicago's upcoming election is a battle between working people and the ultra-rich, warning that crime could increase if corporations are not asked to contribute more.

Higher taxes will cause corporations (and upper echelon taxpayers) to leave the city.

Coincidentally, so would higher crime numbers as evidenced by the past few mayoral administrations. 

So this seems like more of a public service announcement that the corporate class ought to work moving expenses into their operating budgets if Conehead actually wins.