As reported in an earlier article, Putnam County voters are in the distinctive position this fall of electing the county’s first new resident judge in nearly a quarter-century.
The candidacies of the three area attorneys who are competing to succeed the retiring Scott A. Shore of Granville were outlined in that earlier news article. This blog post and a following one are intended to provide further information in the form of the candidates’ formal announcements and also their detailed responses to written questionnaires.
Early voting can begin Oct. 20, and the importance of this election cannot be over-emphasized. Not since 1990 has a new county judge been chosen; an entire generation of Putnam County residents have never had the opportunity to vote for a judge, and many more probably never will.
And voters could be making a long-term commitment in another sense as well. Although elected to an initial six-year term in a conventional partisan election, judges need only seek “retention” to further terms of that length.
The retention system means that an incumbent judge does not face any challenger but only needs 60 percent of the vote to remain in office. So while judges are not officially elected for life, it’s pretty close to a term of their own choosing.
Finally, it’s worth remembering that decisions and rulings by the judge chosen by residents of Granville and Hennepin and Magnolia and McNabb and Putnam and Standard will have impact far beyond tiny Putnam County. In fact, the judge elected next month will spend most of his time presiding in Marshall, Peoria, Stark, or Tazewell Counties, which make up the rest of the 10th Judicial District.
One judge generally sits in all three of the “Northern Circuit” small counties of Marshall, Putnam, and Stark, which have limited court schedules. But new judges typically remain clear of the area for the first few years in order to avoid the conflicts that would inevitably arise in such small jurisdictions.
So in other words, Putnam County voters should not expect to see their chosen candidate on the local bench when they come in to try to beat a traffic ticket next year. It could be near the end of his term before he assumes that role.
That said, what follows are the announcements of candidacy issued by the three attorneys. They are important not only for their actual contents, but also because what candidates choose to say about themselves in that context – and what they don’t say – may be revealing in and of itself.
Just as the photographs that they have provided tell you how they want to be seen, the announcements made in their own words tell you something about how they wish to be understood.
One note of correction is in order regarding an earlier article’s statement that candidate John Grivetti had served one term as State’s Attorney, 1976 – 80, and then lost that office. He pointed out in a later e-mail that he actually chose not to seek reelection at that time.
“I don’t think it’s important, however, this long after the fact,” Grivetti added.
To add a little further historical context, that 1980 State’s Attorney’s election was won by Norman Raffety of Hennepin, who later served a total of 24 years in that office. He lost it in a Democratic primary in 2000( the year that Mack later won the general election); won it back by beating Mack in 2004, but then lost to him in 2008.
Otherwise, the announcements can speak for themselves. They have been standardized as to format, but not length or content, so what you read here is what the candidates wanted you to read.
They are listed here in ballot order. A later blog entry will provide their answers to questionnaires to which all three replied.
**************************************
Putnam County State’s Attorney James A. Mack has announced his intention to fill the seat of retiring Judge Scott A. Shore as Resident Circuit Judge in the upcoming election.
Mack is currently serving his third term as Putnam County State’s Attorney. Mack started his legal career as an associate in the general practice law firm of Boyle, Goldsmith and Bolin, where he practiced in the areas of insurance defense, probate and family law, a position he held until 2000 when he was first elected state’s attorney. He was also the Assistant Public Defender for Putnam County while working at the Boyle firm.
He worked as an associate at the law firm of Schweickert & Ganassin from 2004-2008 practicing in the areas of municipal and personnel injury law. Mack graduated from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1995 where he served as president of the Student Bar Association and co-editor of the law school newspaper.
“From private practice and representing the accused to being a prosecutor and representing the county”, Mack stated, “My wide range of legal experience fits well with the varied and important decisions a judge must make. Through both private practice and public service I have learned that a fair, compassionate and even-tempered pursuit of justice is the best course, even in contentious environments.”
Mack, 49, makes a habit of community service, being active in several civic and religious organizations. Mack is an active member of and has served as president and vice president of the Granville Rotary (nka Putnam County Rotary), and the Hennepin Business and Betterment Association (2 terms each); as well as Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus.
Service to Mack also means serving on the boards of community organizations like Putnam County Achievement Services (Putnam County Community Center), and Community Partners Against Substance Abuse (CPASA). He is the secretary of the Putnam County Bar Association, member of the Illinois Bar Association and the Illinois State’s Attorney Association. Mack is also on the board or a member of several other civic, benevolent and professional organizations.
“I have always enjoyed using the law to seek justice. If allowed to serve the people of Putnam County as judge, I would continue to seek justice through law; albeit in a different capacity. Using the law to achieve justice as judge would be a very fulfilling position. I would be humbled and honored to use my experience and abilities to serve Putnam County as judge.”
Mack is a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and lives in Hennepin with his wife, Beth, and their children Roman and Veronika.
****************************************
Brad Popurella, a McNabb attorney is running for Putnam County Circuit Judge on the Democratic ticket.
“I believe I have the civil and criminal experience to effectively serve the citizens of Putnam County as their resident judge,” Popurella said. “I have worked as a prosecutor in various forms for 12 years. On top of that I have extensive experience in civil litigation wherein I have represented the rights of injured workers and families in the Illinois Valley and throughout North Central Illinois.”
Popurella, 37, is the owner of Popurella Law Office, LLC, which provides legal representation for victims of workplace accidents, personal injury, product liability and medical negligence. He also practices criminal defense, family law, real estate law, as well as municipal law as the village attorney for Magnolia.
Popurella is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1998. He earned his law degree from Northern Illinois University in 2001. While at Northern Illinois University College of Law he represented the school in the ATLA Mock Trial Competition in Chicago, IL. He also served as a class representative to the Student Bar Association and was a founding member of the Italian-American Law Student Association.
He began his law career as a law clerk in the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office in 1999 where he worked through 2004. He was the Division Chief of the Traffic Division and also assisted in the prosecution of various misdemeanors and felonies, including assisting in the investigation of two murder cases while serving as an Assistant State’s Attorney. He joined Anthony C. Raccuglia and Associates, P.C. as an associate counsel in 2004, where he practiced until 2012. After a year at Wimbiscus Law Firm in Spring Valley, Illinois, he has opened his own office in Granville. He is licensed to practice in both Illinois and Wisconsin as well as federal courts in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
Popurella has been incredibly active in the community as well. He served on the Oglesby Fire Department for 16 years as a volunteer firefighter, followed by four years on the McNabb Fire Department, where he now serves as Fire Chief. He has also served on the ambulance service in Oglesby as a driver for 4 years, and currently serves as an EMT-Basic for both Oglesby Ambulance Service and 10/33 Ambulance Service in Spring Valley. He is presently a Board Member of the Putnam County Historical Society. He is also presently a member of the Granville Rotary Club and is the current coach of the Magnolia Instructional League Boys baseball team.
A native of Oglesby, Illinois, he has resided in McNabb since 2006 with his wife of 10 years, Kristina. They have two sons, Zachary and Anthony.
Popurella stated, “I have diverse experience as a prosecutor and private attorney and I will use these experiences to effectively hear both the civil and criminal matters which would come before the court in a responsible, accountable, and effective manner. The values I was taught while growing up – hard work, respect, honesty and civic responsibility – give me the foundation to be an effective judge.”
*************************************
Standard attorney John Grivetti has filed to be an independent candidate for the office of Circuit Judge in Putnam County in the general election on November 7, 2014.
In announcing his candidacy, the Standard native stated:
“I have been practicing law for over 43 years, and believe that I have the experience and temperament to serve as a circuit judge. It is a daunting challenge, but my years of experience have prepared me for it. I have practiced in courts throughout Illinois, appearing in over 60 of the Illinois counties, as well as in courts in our surrounding states, and that has given me an exposure to the legal system that is extensive and varied. While the political party candidates for judge are both fine men, I have always felt that a judge should be truly independent of any influence, whether by virtue of friendship, politics or money. I will accept no donations from lawyers or potential litigants for my campaign.
John graduated from Standard Grade School and St. Bede Academy before attending Loyola University in Chicago for his undergraduate work in business and for law school. After completing his legal studies he immediately opened his law practice. In addition to that practice, he served as Putnam County State’s Attorney. He is admitted to practice in Illinois state courts, federal courts in Illinois and Michigan, and the United States Supreme Court, and has appeared in other states by special permission.
Grivetti noted that “while serving as State’s Attorney, in cooperation with two sheriffs we compiled an outstanding conviction record, including the first murder conviction in Putnam County in over 50 years. However, serving as a judge requires a different approach than that of a prosecutor, as each case is unique and must be independently evaluated. A judge cannot take a one size fits all approach, and I believe that my experience is such that I can provide the judgment needed for all kind of cases. In my practice, over one-half of the the work I have done has been pro-bono, and I am well aware of the great effect a legal case has on people appearing in court.”
While in private practice, John was hired by one of America’s largest legal publishers to be part of a team summarizing all Illinois legal cases, and creating an index of important legal points in those cases. “I worked on 25 to 50 cases per week for over three years, beginning with statehood in 1818 through the 2000’s. This required intensive analysis of each case, and provided me with a unique and unparalleled overview of Illinois law in all its facets.”
John has four children and currently 14 grandchildren. In addition to his law practice and research work he served as Golf Coach at Loyola University, produced an award winning music video, and has completed over 100 marathon and ultramarathon runs, from 26.2 miles to over 70 miles.
***************************************
Gary L. Smith can be reached at glsmith@mtco.com. Follow him on Twitter @Glsmithx.