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Sunday, April 30, 2006
Ind. Courts - Yet another story on the Lake Superior Court race
"Noncandidate Cantrell a factor in judge’s race against Villalpando" is the headline to this story in the Gary Post-Tribune by John Byrne. Some quotes:
There’s a 1,000-pound elephant, er, donkey, no wait, elephant ... let’s just say gorilla ... a 1,000-pound gorilla in the race for Lake Superior Court judge: Robert “Bob-by” Cantrell.The former East Chicago Republican chairman and current Democratic powerbroker has publicly targeted Judge Jesse Villalpando for defeat.
Cantrell, not a candidate himself, has also been linked to the two men running against Villalpando for the Democratic nomination, attorneys Eduardo Fontanez and Stanley Jablonski.
Villalpando has filed complaints with the state Commission on Judicial Qualifications in recent months, charging Cantrell has attempted to coerce him into participating in various illegal moneymaking schemes from the bench.
The campaign has largely been seen as a proxy fight for the ongoing spat between Cantrell and Villalpando, while Fontanez and Jablonski clamor to make known their qualifications for the post. * * *
Jablonski, a public defender in the courtroom of Judge Julie Cantrell, Bobby Cantrell’s daughter, contends Villalpando only has his job because of politics. While a state representative, Villalpando was a co-sponsor of the bill that created the judgeship that the late Gov. Frank O’Bannon later bestowed upon him.
“It’s a clear conflict of interest,” Jablonski said. “The guy has hardly any courtroom experience as an attorney, and he’s given the seat on the bench? Come on. Let’s get somebody with trial experience in there.”
A recent Lake County Bar Association survey, in which local attorneys gave Villalpando higher marks than the hopefuls, is a testament to the incumbent’s tendency to cater to the lawyers who appear before him, according to Jablonski.
“If I wasn’t running against him, I’d vote for him, too, as an attorney,” Jablonski said. “The lawyers have the run of that place, and it’s not fair to the regular people who go in there.”
Villalpando scoffs at the notion he treats professionals better than citizens. He points to the 23,000 hours of community service performed by defendants at numerous local charities during his term as evidence of his civic mindedness.
At the end of the campaign, however, Villalpando still feels the race is about Cantrell.
“Cantrell tried and failed to co-opt this court, and this election is a referendum on that, whether the citizens of Lake County will tolerate a political attack against judges,” he said. “I don’t believe they will.”
Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 30, 2006 09:47 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts