Chicago Alderman Permitted to Keep License Amid State Supreme Court Recusals

I have lost count of how many times I have called the entire system corrupt.

It needs to be said again after a recent verdict regarding former Chicago Alderman Edward Burke.

With several members of the Illinois Supreme Court recusing themselves from the case, Burke has been permitted to keep his law license after being linked to a corrupt scheme.

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Burke was up for disbarment after an investigation showed that Burke was guilty of a shakedown scheme meant to enrich his firm.

The state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission moved to suspend his license, but the State Supreme Court blocked that because at least four of the justices on the bench were forced to recuse themselves from the case due to a conflict of interest.

With the court unable to act, Burke is not able to retain his license, which he has held since 1968.

Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson tried to explain it, stating, “It’s not so much, to me, a flaw in the system as a reflection of what the system is drawn from.

“And it’s drawn from a party political history in which one figure had enormous influence on determining the composition of the court at all levels, all the way up to the Supreme Court where his wife served, and in that, has created a jabberwocky situation.”

Now you are asking why the court could not rule, and that goes to the state constitution.

Cynthia Grant, clerk of the Supreme Court, explained, “The court does not have the constitutionally mandated quorum necessary under Article VI, section 3 of the Illinois Constitution to render a decision on the petition for interim suspension. Accordingly, no decision will be rendered.”

As we noted above, at least four members of the court recused themselves and with only seven members on the court, there were not enough justices to rule on the required four members by the constitution.

So, the bottom line here is that a corrupt official cannot be properly disciplined because he is tied too tightly to the ruling body… the state Supreme Court.

This is exactly why we need to tear down the entire system and rebuild it because right now, it is broken beyond repair.