« Ind. Courts - "Fort Wayne man convicted of molesting leaps off courthouse balcony" | Main | Ind. Decisions - Court of Appeals issues 4 today (and 14 NFP) »
Friday, November 09, 2007
Ind. Courts - "Judges defend hiring politicians' relatives"
Bill Dolan reports today in the NWI Times, in a story that begins:
CROWN POINT | Lake County judges defended their hiring practices Thursday in the wake of concern about political patronage in local courts.Lake Superior Court County Division Judge Julie Cantrell said the only reason she recently hired Marissa McDermott as a public defender is because McDermott is qualified, not because she is the wife of Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.
Lake Superior Court County Division Judge Nicholas Schiralli said politics played no role in his recent employment of Alex Dominguez, a nephew of Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez, as a public defender in his court.
Their comments come as the Lake County Bar Association released a survey Thursday of 124 judges and lawyers about ways to make local courts more efficient.
Almost two-thirds of those surveyed said they believe "patronage is an issue with regard to the hiring and firing of court support personnel."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 9, 2007 09:29 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts