Issues

Everyone should get the best possible outcome in anything they do; this includes the court system. While not the most glamorous job that one can have, everyone who comes in contact with the clerk’s office must have a pleasant experience. No one wants to deal with going to court, paying a ticket, filling out the forum, getting stuck behind overly complex red tape, or dealing with a process that should only take a few weeks to drag out for months. 

For the last 24 years, the clerk’s office has been ruled by a Democrat’s 20 years, with Dorothy Brown, who had multiple investigations and left as soon as she got her pension, and now Iris Martinez, who didn’t even receive the nomination from her own party. That is why I want to be the next Clerk, an outsider who will not keep up the status quo of bad decision-making that the last two left the office; it is time for a change. 

In our post-COVID world, we now have various methods for conducting court proceedings, including in-person in a courtroom or via video calls. It’s important to continue offering these options to ensure smooth experiences for all while reducing delays in cases. We should also make use of technology to ensure that individuals with impairments have access to fair trials, thus avoiding missed trials or appeals and saving valuable time within the court system.

The government’s role is to serve the people. I will remove the protections granted by the 1995 ruling of the Second District Illinois Appellate Court, which stated that the administrative functions of the courts are not subject to FOIA. This ruling provided a blanket of protection, allowing Dorothy Brown and Iris Martinez to be unaccountable for their actions and leading to multiple federal investigations. When elected to the Clerk’s Office, I will follow the guidelines in House Bill 2455, allowing anyone to submit a FOIA request and ensuring a response within five days, even if it reflects poorly on the office.

As an employee of the government, it is your understanding that your actions, good and bad, should be available to anyone who wishes to make an FIOA request. If the government doesn’t want to release something upon completion of an investigation, then it is hiding something. When I take office, I promise to make the employment records available for FOIA requests. 

My main objective is to increase transparency in the office, regardless of whether it reflects positively or negatively on the office. It’s not productive to hide behind discretion when denying FOIA requests; it’s better to address any potential issues now rather than have them come to light during an investigation.