Comments on: Parity for Prosecutors http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/ Latest news involving the Cook County Public Defenders Association AFSCME LOCAL 3315 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:15:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Ingrid Gill http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1093 Ingrid Gill Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:58:13 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1093 Response to inquiry as to why assistant public defenders may leave juvenille court at 2:30 p.m. 1. Neighborhood around Juvenile court is not the safest place to work late 2. county provides Wordperfect rather than Word on county computers but most attorneys have Word installed on their home computers. Consequently, if you begin any legal motions, briefs etc on the county computer, you will probably not be able to continue to work on them at home and its not safe to take public transportation after 6 pm. 3. Assistant Public Defenders located downtown at 69 West Washington work regularly after 6 pm because the building is located downtown in a safer area and the building is secured with entry only by keycard. Response to inquiry as to why assistant public defenders may leave juvenille court at 2:30 p.m.
1. Neighborhood around Juvenile court is not the safest place to work late
2. county provides Wordperfect rather than Word on county computers but most attorneys have Word installed on their home computers. Consequently, if you begin any legal motions, briefs etc on the county computer, you will probably not be able to continue to work on them at home and its not safe to take public transportation after 6 pm.
3. Assistant Public Defenders located downtown at 69 West Washington work regularly after 6 pm because the building is located downtown in a safer area and the building is secured with entry only by keycard.

]]> By: Ingrid Gill http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1092 Ingrid Gill Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:49:38 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1092 Our union contract negotiations should not be affected by Devine's public relations campaign promoting the legal fiction of "parity with assistant public defenders" The States Attorney is a constitutional officers with the rights and duties "analogous to or largely coincident with the Attorney General, though not identical" Nagano, 389 Ill. at 249. He is the "attorney and legal adviser of the county officials in all matters pertaining to the official business of the County. Ashton v. Cook County. 384 Ill. at 297. Parity should exist between the Illinois Attorney General's Office, not with a statutoryly created office like the Public Defender's Office. As the county's attorney, the First Assistant of the CCSAO has made opened threats against the county board commissioners if the prosecutors do not get a pay raise. I see a conflict of interest created by his statements published in the Sun Times. When assistant public defenders are fighting for a wage increase during contract negotiations, we have never threatened our clients and their legal representation by abandoning our legal and ethical obligations. I am still very disturbed by the comments made by the First Assistant of the CCSAO. Our union contract negotiations should not be affected by Devine’s public relations campaign promoting the legal fiction of “parity with assistant public defenders”

The States Attorney is a constitutional officers with the rights and duties “analogous to or largely coincident with the Attorney General, though not identical” Nagano, 389 Ill. at 249. He is the “attorney and legal adviser of the county officials in all matters pertaining to the official business of the County. Ashton v. Cook County. 384 Ill. at 297.

Parity should exist between the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, not with a statutoryly created office like the Public Defender’s Office.

As the county’s attorney, the First Assistant of the CCSAO has made opened threats against the county board commissioners if the prosecutors do not get a pay raise. I see a conflict of interest created by his statements published in the Sun Times.

When assistant public defenders are fighting for a wage increase during contract negotiations, we have never threatened our clients and their legal representation by abandoning our legal and ethical obligations.

I am still very disturbed by the comments made by the First Assistant of the CCSAO.

]]> By: John Stasser http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1088 John Stasser Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:48:32 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1088 If PDs work so hard, why do many at juvenile court leave by 2:30 and have outside legal jobs? If PDs work so hard, why do many at juvenile court leave by 2:30 and have outside legal jobs?

]]> By: Kulmeet Galhotra http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1086 Kulmeet Galhotra Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:59:06 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1086 Here is a link to Carol Marin's column from the Sunday Sun Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/487688,CST-EDT-CAROL29.article Here is a link to Carol Marin’s column from the Sunday Sun Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/487688,CST-EDT-CAROL29.article

]]> By: Eileen Pahl http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1063 Eileen Pahl Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:31:22 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1063 The Chicago Reader rips Milan's comments in its political blog on the Reader website. http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/politics/2007/07/26/rule-law/#comments One of the comments posted in response to the blog asserts that our office is implicated in finding jobs for politically-connected members of the HDO. The Chicago Reader rips Milan’s comments in its political blog on the Reader website.

http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/politics/2007/07/26/rule-law/#comments

One of the comments posted in response to the blog asserts that our office is implicated in finding jobs for politically-connected members of the HDO.

]]> By: Bruce Mosbacher, Executive At Large http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1061 Bruce Mosbacher, Executive At Large Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:36:04 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1061 Ingrid: I don't think we should punish all ASAs because one of their top management people says something stupid. Would we want our brothers and sisters to be held responsible for what one of our brain surgeons who can't find the courthouse says to the press? More importantly, can you imagine how our next contract negotiations will go if the ASAs have not reached parity? Don't think too many county honchos will support raises for us that increase the gap between PDs and those who "represent the victims"...and our contract expires at the end of 2008! Ingrid:

I don’t think we should punish all ASAs because one of their top management people says something stupid. Would we want our brothers and sisters to be held responsible for what one of our brain surgeons who can’t find the courthouse says to the press? More importantly, can you imagine how our next contract negotiations will go if the ASAs have not reached parity? Don’t think too many county honchos will support raises for us that increase the gap between PDs and those who “represent the victims”…and our contract expires at the end of 2008!

]]> By: Ingrid Gill http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1056 Ingrid Gill Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:27:58 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1056 If ASA Robert Milan believes that "Public Defenders represent criminals"( direct quote from the Sun Times article on page 3 of July 26, 2007) rather than the accused who are presumed innocent until proven guilty, then I have to disagree that prosecutors should receive equal pay. The prosecutors make $5,800 more than assistant public defenders when they first start. Seven years later, the payroll disparity between the starting salaries of assistant public defenders and prosecutors are reversed. I have never heard the prosecutors complain that our young attorneys are paid less during their first seven years on the job. I am sorry but I have lost all sympathy for the prosecutors and their fight with for a decent wage when the First Assistant loses sight of the constitutional rights of all of our citizens who are entitled to the presumption of innocence. If ASA Robert Milan believes that “Public Defenders represent criminals”( direct quote from the Sun Times article on page 3 of July 26, 2007) rather than the accused who are presumed innocent until proven guilty, then I have to disagree that prosecutors should receive equal pay. The prosecutors make $5,800 more than assistant public defenders when they first start. Seven years later, the payroll disparity between the starting salaries of assistant public defenders and prosecutors are reversed. I have never heard the prosecutors complain that our young attorneys are paid less during their first seven years on the job. I am sorry but I have lost all sympathy for the prosecutors and their fight with for a decent wage when the First Assistant loses sight of the constitutional rights of all of our citizens who are entitled to the presumption of innocence.

]]> By: Bruce Mosbacher, Executive At Large http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1054 Bruce Mosbacher, Executive At Large Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:12:49 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1054 Great to see this excellent statement quoted on page 3 of today's Chicago Sun Times. I hope Mr. Devine takes steps to allow the ASAs to organize. Fair raises would follow. Great to see this excellent statement quoted on page 3 of today’s Chicago Sun Times. I hope Mr. Devine takes steps to allow the ASAs to organize. Fair raises would follow.

]]> By: Winona Agbabiaka http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/comment-page-1/#comment-1034 Winona Agbabiaka Thu, 19 Jul 2007 03:12:51 +0000 http://cookcountypd.org/blog/2007/07/11/parity-for-prosecutors/#comment-1034 Thank you for saying publicly what many of us have been saying privately for a long time! The prosecutors need to stop hating and get in the game. Thank you for saying publicly what many of us have been saying privately for a long time! The prosecutors need to stop hating and get in the game.

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