Chicago Reader print issue of March 7, 2024 (Vol. 53, No. 11)

THE BRADY LIST: WHEN POLICE OFFICERS HAVE CREDIBILITY ISSUES

THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

CHECK YOUR JUDGES: INJUSTICE WATCH’S GUIDE TO THE 2024 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS INSIDE

LETTERS

04 Readers Respond Our readers react.

04 Editor’s Note Justice is elusive.

CITY LIFE

06 Street View A fashion show from Akira; style at the Lyric Opera House

FOOD & DRINK

10 Dry bar An upcoming astrologythemed sober bar seeks community without alcohol.

NEWS & POLITICS

12 Cover story | Policing Hundreds of cops are barred from testifying in court.

16 Elections A roundup of key races ahead of the March 19 primary election

ARTS & CULTURE

18 Comic Reconsidering a historically marginalized art form

19 Caporale | Curses Kevin Huizenga’s breakout graphic novel gets a rerelease.

20 Exhibition Joe Gallo’s moving portraits of burlesque dancers

21 Cra Work Building Brown Workshop tackles risky design projects.

THEATER

22 Dance Nejla Yatkin’s Ouroboros combines dance with healing circles.

24 Plays of Note Proof, Skunk and Badger, and The Time Machine: A Tribute to the ’80s

FILM

26 Festival The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival “makes school stuff seem real.”

28 Movies of Note Dune: Part Two is an epic continuation of the saga, Ordinary Angels pulls off the faithbased melodrama, and more.

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

30 Chicagoans of Note Kai Akili, neosoul artist and founder of Forever Noir

32 The Secret History of Chicago Music Blues harpist Dusty

Brown le behind a discography much smaller than his talent.

36 Shows of Note Previews of concerts including Hurray for the Riff Raff, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Kodie Shane, Horse Lords, and Otoboke Beaver

42 Early Warnings Upcoming shows to have on your radar

42 Gossip Wolf Footballhead celebrate the vinyl arrival of their charismatic alt-rock, and jazz nonet Groppler Zorn connect several undergrounds.

OPINION

44 Savage Love Tie me up, break us up.

46 Jobs

47 Housing

47 Professionals & Services

47 Auditions

47 Matches

AMBER NETTLES

EDITOR IN CHIEF SALEM COLLO-JULIN

MANAGING EDITOR SHEBA WHITE

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR

SAVANNAH HUGUELEY

ART DIRECTOR JAMES HOSKING

PRODUCTION MANAGER KIRK WILLIAMSON

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER AMBER HUFF

THEATER & DANCE EDITOR KERRY REID

MUSIC EDITOR PHILIP MONTORO

CULTURE EDITOR: FILM, MEDIA, FOOD TARYN ALLEN

CULTURE EDITOR: ART, ARCHITECTURE, BOOKS KERRY CARDOZA

NEWS EDITOR SHAWN MULCAHY

ASSOCIATE EDITOR & BRANDED

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DIGITAL EDITOR TYRA NICOLE TRICHE

SENIOR WRITERS LEOR GALIL, DEANNA ISAACS, BEN JORAVSKY, MIKE SULA

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Reader Letters m

Re: “Best national corporation based in Chicago that sells overpriced designer weed,” written by Shawn Mulcahy for our Best of Chicago issue (February 22, 2024; volume 53, number ten)

The weed is ass and so much money. You don’t even get to see the product you’re buying. Illinois weed stores blow. —Passthadutch0404*, via X

Re: “City Council talks transit accountability,” written by Reema Saleh and published at chicagoreader.com on February 29, 2024

I never remember the trains being this horrible. They closed the whole Forest Park Blue Line during the summer and you would think it would run faster [now]. It does not. At this point I get to work barely on time and stinking like weed and cigarettes. Trying not to get robbed.

—Kimberly Martin, via Instagram

Re: “Best little-known neighborhood (East Side),” written by Dmitry Samarov for our Best of Chicago issue

My mom’s childhood neighborhood, where her immigrant family lived. Visited almost every Sunday through my childhood. The East Side has my heart. —Sheila Quirke, via X

Find us on socials: facebook.com/chicagoreader twitter.com/Chicago_Reader instagram.com/chicago_reader linkedin.com search chicago-reader

The Chicago Reader accepts comments and letters to the editor of less than 400 words for publication consideration.

m letters@chicagoreader.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

The so-called justice system exists at the heart of the country’s cultural conscience. It’s a fascination for both the ravenous consumer of true crime (with its endless supply of podcasts and docuseries) and the average viewer of TV (whose prime-time offerings number Law & Order, Chicago P.D., FBI, NCIS, and American Crime Story, among so many others).

But conceptions of justice—like the allegory of Lady Justice, who graces our cover—are idealized, fictionalized. The true picture of the nation’s legal system is far murkier, the institution opaque and inaccessible to outsiders. The legal system isn’t some neutral actor, objectively calling balls and strikes. Like any institution, it’s fallible, and the people operating within it don’t always act in good faith.

Every few years, the public is asked to choose arbiters of the law, people who hold in their hands the fates of thousands of people. Yet outside of the legal sphere, judicial elections often fl y under the radar in a 24-hour news cycle more interested in sensationalized horse-race politics. Few resources, then,

are as powerful as Injustice Watch’s judicial elections guide, included as a pullout section in this issue. The incisive, digestible guide empowers voters to make informed choices about the people who mete out supposed justice in our names.

Equally important are the people tasked with enforcing the rule of law: prosecutors and police. For the first time in nearly a decade, Cook County will have a new state’s attorney; Kim Foxx announced last April that she wouldn’t seek a third term. For the Reader, Maia McDonald previews the Democratic primary challenge for top prosecutor between progressive Clayton Harris III and centrist Eileen O’Neill Burke, along with a handful of other contests we’re watching ahead of the March 19 election.

Whoever assumes the post will command the country’s second-largest prosecutor’s office in the nation’s wrongful conviction capital. At the heart of many wrongful convictions, write Max Blaisdell, Sam Stecklow, and Matt Chapman, is the failure by police and prosecutors to provide defendants any evidence that might

help their case. The trio shed light on the pitfalls and shortcomings of the Cook County State’s Attorney Office’s Brady Giglio policy, which governs prosecutors’ constitutional obligation to turn over exculpatory information. The piece is the first installment in A Catalog of Infamy, a series of investigations by the Invisible Institute and the Reader into failures of the state’s attorney’s office and Chicago and suburban police departments, to uphold the rights of the accused afforded under Brady v. Maryland

Media today presents a distorted view of reality, where cops, judges, and prosecutors exist on the same side of a black-andwhite, good-versus-bad dichotomy. The reality, however, is a system that disappears people for life, that puts them behind bars for decades, charged with crimes they didn’t commit. The pieces in this issue, and those to come, seek to complicate the prevailing narrative. v

—Shawn

Mulcahy, news editor m smulcahy@chicagoreader.com

A statue of Justice, artist unknown, at the Chicago headquarters of the American Bar Association

JAMES HOSKING

Grandmother said

There are no more betrayals on the horizon There are no more betrayals on the horizon There are no more betrayals on the horizon my gut has started pulling magic my gut has started spilling faggot my gut has got me throwing tantrums my gut has started speaking a language other than anguish

By Stuti

Hours

Wednesday & Friday: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM–7:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

Open Door Reading: Claire Pentecost + Beth Jacobs, MMM + Clareese Hill

The Open Door series highlights creative relationships and collaborations rooted in the Midwest.

Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 PM CT

Letras Latinas 20th Anniversary Reading & Panel

Join us for a two-day celebration of Letras Latinas’s 20th Anniversary, featuring Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Diannely Antigua, Jasminne Mendez, and Yesenia Montilla.

Reading: Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 PM CT

Afro-Latinx Poetry Now Panel: Saturday, March 23 at 2:00 PM CT

Kara Walker: Back of Hand

Foregrounding Walker’s long-term engagement with language and text, this exhibition features works completed in 2021 and shown for the first time in Chicago.

Open through May 18, 2024.

Learn more at PoetryFoundation.org

Poem curated by Stuti Sharma. Stuti is a poet, stand up comic, writer, filmmaker, but most importantly, a lover. She grew up on Devon street and the south suburbs. They are a Tin House 2023-2024 Reading Fellow.

A biweekly series curated by the Chicago Reader and sponsored by the Poetry Foundation.

CITY LIFE

IFASHION Forever Akira

The national chain that started in Chicago celebrates over 21 years of pure glam.

By ISA GIALLORENZO

have an uber-stylish friend who has a closet filled with the most sophisticated and creative garments one can imagine. She showed up at the last Reader UnGala sporting a ru ed hot pink bolero that made me wonder: is that Issey Miyake? Margiela? Dries Van Noten? Nope. It was from Akira.

It should be no surprise to fashion-forward Chicagoans that whenever a statement piece is needed, Akira is a great place to go. During their fashion show last November, celebrating their 21st anniversary, guests and ambassadors proudly donned high fashion looks that seemed to come straight out of the pages of Vogue . When asked where they purchased them, the answer was almost invariably “Akira.”

The styles seen on the runway were no less extravagant, featuring exciting pops of color,

texture, and volume. Lots of fun and taste.

“It’s an honor to celebrate Akira’s growth right where it all started, with our loyal Chicago clientele. This show and collection are a thank you for their support and a commitment to creating iconic fashion moments for all customers as we continue to expand nationwide,” said Erikka Wang, Akira cofounder and co-owner. Along with partners Eric Hseuh, and Sarah Hughes, Wang is expanding their business to over 35 retail locations in Illinois, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Mayland, New Jersey, and Missouri, while maintaining a successful e-commerce platform at shopakira.com. Seems like ambitious fashion entrepreneurship is finally picking up some steam in the windy city.  v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

ISA GIALLORENZO

From jeans to jewels

Every style is welcome at the opera house.

By ISA GIALLORENZO

We live in very informal and creative times but there are still certain social situations that could make even the most confident of dressers scratch their head and wonder, “What should I wear?” An evening at the opera is certainly this kind of occasion. It’s always worth it to spend extra time deciding on the attire for such a special outing, but a trip to the opera can also be a chance to have fun with fashion.

According to Michael Solomon, director of media relations for Lyric Opera of Chicago, performances at the opera house provide “. . . one of the best people-watching spots in Chicago. The more formal crowd mixes easily with the more adventurous and fashion-forward crowd.”

The Lyric Opera House building is the second-largest opera auditorium in North America, only surpassed in capacity by New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Solomon described the building as a “gem of Art Deco architecture.”

Despite the building’s resplendent atmosphere and gorgeous architectural details, there’s no requirement to wear black tie to performances. Solomon says, “You don’t need to wear a tux or ball gown to the opera. That’s a myth. Patrons should wear what makes them comfortable and lets their authentic spirit shine—whether jeans or jewels.”

Last October, I caught a stellar Jo rey Ballet performance of Frankenstein presented at the Lyric, where I met fellow audience members Kynnedi Tripplett, 28, and Katie Ites, 34. Both echoed the beauty of our surroundings in their own way.

Tripplett, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist, was wearing a graphic knit dress by Fashion Nova that fit her like a glove.

“I think sweater dresses are timeless. I like this dress because of its funky pattern and pop of color. It has drama but in an elegant and upscale way,” she said.

“I tend to gravitate towards statement pieces that [have] a wow factor.”

Tripplett defined her style as “bold, fun, and experimental.”

She continued, “I tend to gravitate towards statement pieces that [have] a wow factor.”

Ites, an artist who works as an art director for a gaming compa-

ny, sported a floor-length gown by Kimberley Gordon’s Selkie collection. The garment was adorned with bows and multiple layers of organdy.

Both romantic and gothic, Ites’s frock was a fitting nod to the Frankenstein performance. “I love the delicate bows that add a touch of femininity and the volume of the skirts. My partner had just surprised me with the dress that day,” Ites remembered when I reached out to her post-event. “It actually arrived just as we were getting ready to leave for the ballet so it was perfect timing.”

There will soon be a new reason to dress up (or, as Solomon suggested, dress with an authentic spirit) for the Lyric. Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida opens on Saturday, March 9, and runs through Sunday, April 7.

“ Aida is one of the true classics of opera, and it’s just about as grand as opera gets,” Solomon raved. “More than 200 artists tell a timeless story of a love triangle set against the backdrop of a political drama. Aida is majestically scaled but full of strikingly intimate moments, and the music tells you exactly what’s going on. This is a beautiful production direct-

Kynnedi Tripplett’s style is bold, fun, and experimental. ISA GIALLORENZO

LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO

Lyric offers discount tickets to select performances for teens, college students, and educators. More information at lyricopera.org.

ed by Francesca Zambello, with an innovative art design concept by the street artist Retna, who has collaborated with everyone from Justin Bieber to Louis Vuitton.”

“You don’t need to wear a tux or ball gown to the opera. That’s a myth.”

Opera is a classic art form, but today’s opera is far from outdated and has plenty to appeal to a younger demographic. Solomon said “[Opera] combines all the major performing arts: music, theater, and dance. I think [attending the opera is] such a

unique experience that everyone should try.”

Solomon added, “We announce our new season on Tuesday, March 12, and it will be full of both classic operas and new contemporary works never before seen in Chicago.” Time to bring out the diamonds (though rhinestones will also do). v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

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Katie Ites wears a detailed Selkie gown. ISA GIALLORENZO

FOOD & DRINK

OSolar Intentions should feel like ‘a little midwest cozy hug’

An upcoming astrology-themed sober bar seeks community without the need for alcohol.

By JUSTICE PETERSEN

ne year into her sobriety, Morgan Martinez knew she wanted to create a space where people could be social and have a good time without the societal pressures of drinking. Now, two years in, her goal is within reach.

The founder of Hooligan Magazine , a Chicago-based arts-focused publication, Martinez is also the owner and founder of Solar Intentions, an astrology-themed sober bar slated to open around the end of spring or summer. Originally from Wisconsin, Martinez was inspired by Inmoxicated, a sober bar in Racine. Inmoxicated is still a place that Martinez loves and holds close to her heart, she says, and after her initial visit, she knew Chicago needed something similar.

“It wasn’t until a year in[to my sobriety]

where, throughout the year, I was discovering a lot of sober-curious movements, brands, and companies that were dedicating themselves to making these nonalcoholic and alcohol-free spirits, beers, and wines and really diving into the beauty around that. . . . When I went [to Inmoxicated], something shifted inside of me,” she says.

Martinez wanted to create a sober bar that combined an alcohol-free environment with the artistic and expressive elements of Hooligan Magazine. The astrology theme of Solar Intentions comes from Martinez’s own connection with astrology and how, similar to her sobriety, following it has allowed her to see herself and the people she loves more clearly.

“I think as a queer person too, it’s very ingrained in us to use astrology as a means

of connection,” she says. “And it comes into this greater meaning of—we’re all on this very driven path for something that’s sometimes bigger than ourselves, and I like that astrology kind of ties in the journey of sobriety with that.

. . . Because astrology isn’t easy, and sobriety isn’t easy, but they all tie in this concept of something that works bigger than ourselves or for ourselves.”

Martinez was heavily inspired by the sober-curious movement, something she says got very popular during the pandemic. This movement involves people who are looking to reestablish their relationship with alcohol by breaking down the capitalist pressures that push people to consume alcohol—like happy hours, sporting events, yoga and wine nights—as well as learning how to live in the present without feeling the need to drink.

“It somehow has been ingrained in these small, everyday things that we try to do, even with wellness,” Martinez says. “And a lot of it is because I think that, as a society, we’re disassociating from what we’re scared of. I think that everything, at the end of the day, if we’re mass consuming—whether it be alcohol, a drug, whatever you say—it’s always based off fear, and some of that fear has stemmed from resources we don’t have [or] that we don’t have the privilege to have.”

Martinez says that, at the end of the day, all people are really looking for is community and acceptance.

“I saw this TED Talk recently where it was like, when we think about people who are addicted to nicotine, we blame the cigarettes,” she says. “But when we think about people who are addicted to alcohol, we blame the people. And alcohol is actually the most addicting substance that is so normalized in our society that we’re missing the point every day.”

When it comes to sobriety, Martinez encourages being “sober with intention.” Doing

Opening date and location TBA solarintentionsbar.com

so highlights that sobriety is a choice, according to Martinez, and many people associate choosing sobriety with having an issue.

“Sobriety looks different for everybody,” she says, “and talking about it takes away the actual stigma that we’ve put [on] sobriety and the shame that people feel by choosing either a temporary bout of sobriety, whether it’s a choice or whether they need to. How do we eliminate that shame? I think a part of it is creating these spaces.”

Martinez can’t say the location of Solar Intentions at this time, but the space she’s considering is located in the Logan Square area. She’s planning on creating a maximalist dream—an earthy, open-space concept that will not only serve as a bar but also hold community events and space for artists to sell their work.

“I do want people to notice something different every time they’re there and to feel like they’re having fun,” she says. “They don’t need to dress a certain way. They don’t need to be a certain way. I want it to feel like a little midwest cozy hug.”

Nonalcoholic drinks such as beers and wines will be served alongside signature astrologyinspired drinks. Martinez will work with both a mixologist and an astrologer to bring these drinks to life. Some of these drinks, such as the Scorpio Spritz, have made their debut at pop-up events that Solar Intentions has participated in, such as their recent speakeasy at the Chicago Athletic Association.

For sober patrons who may find a mixed drink or bar setting to be uncomfortable, Martinez says that she and her sta will be trained

“Sobriety looks di erent for everybody,” she says, “and talking about it takes away the actual stigma that we’ve put [on] sobriety . . .”

in peer-to-peer training, which will prepare them on how to make a patron feel calm and safe when they may become triggered in this kind of environment.

“I did a Typeform [survey] before we launched our Kickstarter campaign to really get the momentum going and see who is interested in understanding more info,” she says,

Morgan Martinez, the owner and founder of Solar Intentions BELLA PETERSON

FOOD & DRINK

“and one of the questions I asked everyone was ‘Why are sober spaces important to you?’

The number one answer . . . was community

pressure, eliminating pressure around socializing, actual connection. And those are the things that people can expect at Solar Intentions. A judgment-free zone. That’s not welcome here, you know what I mean? We’re all in this together.”

In her own journey, Martinez has found such peace from sobriety. She’s thankful for her supportive circle, and she’s been able to live a life where she is more present now than she’s ever been.

“I hope that with Solar Intentions, we can create this space where that community is just immediately there for people who want to explore,” Martinez says.

“Even just a month or two of sobriety could change the trajectory of your life, especially if you’re someone who actively consumes.” v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

Monday Night Foodball

The Reader’s weekly chef pop-up series at Ludlow Liquors. @chicago_reader@mikesula

March 4: It’s the all-indigenous return of Ketapanen Kitchen @ketapanenkitchen

March 11: Desi smoke with Dhuaan BBQ @dhuaanbbq

March 18: Get to the Greek with Meze Table @meze.table

March 25: Beeria sandos with Milo’s Market @milosmarket

April 1: Pierogi Papi lives! @pierogipapichi

April 8: The Glowing Revenge of Sauce and Bread Kitchen and 18th Street Distillery @sauceandbread @18thstreetdistillery

April 15: Indonesian with Minahasa @minahasachicago

chicagoreader.com/foodball

INSIDE THE COOK COUNTY

STATE’S ATTORNEY’S BRADY LIST

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LIST THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE PUBLISHES— AND THE ONE IT DOESN’T

By MAX BLAISDELL, SAM STECKLOW, and MATT CHAPMAN

For more than two decades, Cook County has boasted the infamous reputation of being the wrongful conviction capital of the U.S.—both a statistical fact, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, and the result of ongoing public revelations since the 1990s, when the Reader’s John Conroy first exposed Jon Burge and his crew torturing suspects into making false confessions, through to today’s waves of mass exonerations of the victims of Ronald Watts and his crew.

At the heart of many wrongful convictions is the violation of a legal obligation on the part of police and prosecutors to provide evidence to defendants that might help their case. This violation can look like anything from withholding reports about conflicting eyewitness accounts to a failure to disclose that the investigating o cer has a history of dishonesty or brutality.

This obligation has been outlined in several U.S. Supreme Court decisions, starting in 1963 with Brady v. Maryland and followed in 1972 by Giglio v. United States . These decisions state that the prosecution is required to turn over any evidence that would be favorable to the defendant, including information that calls into question the credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses—such as police o cers or other investigators. Further Supreme Court decisions, the Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure, and a rule of the Illinois Supreme Court add even more weight to these requirements.

Despite a history of expanding obligations on prosecutors and police, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) and Chicago Police Department (CPD) fail to comply with Brady in several ways, according to interviews with experts, successive outside reviews, and an investigation into the agencies’ practices by the Invisible Institute and the Reader.

WHAT IS THE STATE’S ATTORNEY’S ROLE?

As the representative of the government in a criminal case, the SAO and its prosecutors are ultimately responsible for disclosing any Brady material to defense attorneys. The Supreme Court has ruled that this obligation applies even if that information is not possessed or controlled by prosecutors, meaning prosecutors must conduct extensive

due diligence about potentially exculpatory evidence and witnesses before calling them to appear.

To streamline the process of vetting witnesses, the SAO, under the leadership of Kim Foxx, who took o ce in 2016, has developed a procedure that all Cook County assistant state’s attorneys (ASAs) are required to follow: They must ask law enforcement officers if they have ever been arrested, charged, or convicted of a criminal offense; if a judge or prosecutor has ever found them to be untruthful or biased; and if they have any history of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary actions taken against them, including whether those complaints alleged their dishonesty.

UNTIL

witness is in complete disrepair, Foxx and her leadership team can take a further step of placing them on a “do not call” (DNC) list, which prohibits ASAs from ever calling them as a witness in a criminal proceeding. Placement on the list can, but doesn’t always, e ectively end a law enforcement o cer’s career.

(See more below on the di erences between the lists.)

Until 2023, little information was public about the SAO’s Brady-related lists or practices.

2023, LITTLE INFORMATION WAS PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE’S BRADYRELATED LISTS OR PRACTICES.

In 2019, an investigation by USA Today and the Invisible Institute found that the SAO maintained no Brady list. Instead, the office circulated memos that inconsistently described the misconduct of each o cer.

How to end up on The Brady list

An officer is found guilty of misconduct or a judge rules officer’s testimony as incredible (called an “adverse credibility finding”).

SAO learns of impeachment information (information that could be used to challenge the credibility of the prosecution).

CEO and Brady Giglio officer determine whether disclosure is warranted. CEO and Brady Giglio officer determine how disclosure will occur on a case-by-case basis.

ASA notifies supervisor, bureau chief, CEO, and Brady Giglio officer.

CEO and or Brady Giglio officer notify internal stakeholders (CPD, Chief of Police, and COPA) that disclosure will occur.

If a witness says yes to any of these questions, the ASA must bring this to the attention of the SAO’s Brady Committee and chief ethics officer, Meriel Coleman, who then decide whether the information warrants disclosure to defense attorneys and, if so, how and when it should be disclosed.

These questions are key because the SAO does not have an automatic way to look up whether a Chicago or suburban police o cer has a sustained disciplinary finding that might a ect their credibility.

However, the requirement to identify and disclose impeachment information is a constitutional one, not merely a good faith obligation. If the SAO fails to locate sustained disciplinary findings and turn them over to a defendant, that constitutes a Brady violation. If the chief ethics o cer and Brady Committee determine that a witness’s past misconduct should be disclosed, that person is then added to an internal “disclosure” list, which is accessible to all ASAs in Cook County. ASAs are responsible for consulting with this list before calling a witness. However, placement on the disclosure list doesn’t prevent an o cer from being called to testify.

If past misconduct is deemed especially egregious, or if the credibility of a potential

In March 2023, WGN-TV published a copy of the DNC list, and a month later, the TRiiBE obtained both the disclosure and DNC lists through a state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Following those releases, in July 2023, the SAO published an o cial copy of the DNC list (but not the disclosure list) and its Brady Giglio policy on its website.

Although police o cers are not the only law enforcement witnesses called by prosecutors in criminal matters—some are expert witnesses on, say, blood pattern analysis—they are frequently called to appear and testify in court on criminal matters and are considered a core part of the prosecution team. Because of this, they make up the bulk of the individuals on both lists.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DISCLOSURE LIST AND THE DNC LIST?

When an officer on the disclosure list is called by an ASA to testify in a criminal case, prosecutors must provide notice to the defense’s counsel about that officer’s history of past misconduct or incredibility.

Appeal: Within 90 days of notification, person on list can submit a letter of challenge. Brady committee will consider appeal and make determination.

SAO maintains two lists:

CEO and Brady Giglio officer update disclosure lists.

The Brady list is not permanent. People can be removed from list following the same process. After being removed, CEO and Brady Giglio officer notify that disclosure is no longer required.

1. The disclosure list: an internal database that contains witnesses subject to disclosure.

2. The Do Not Call List: a public database containing the names of law enforcement officers that will not be called as witnesses for factors such as current and past conduct investigations, allegations of misconduct, and officers who have been stripped of their police powers. Inclusion on DNC list is made at the discretion of the SAO.

SAO: State’s Attorney’s Office

CEO: Chief Ethics Officer

ASA: Assistant State’s Attorney

COPA: Civilian Office of Police Accountability

AMBER

SAO must disclose exculpatory or mitigating material even if they do not possess or control the material.

• This includes all information known to anyone on the “prosecution team,” including cops, expert witnesses, medical examiner, and crime lab.

• Law enforcement agencies have an obligation to disclose exculpatory evidence to prosecutors.

• ASAs must engage in a search inquiry with their investigative partners and expert witnesses about what they know or is in their files.

• ASAs must make a good-faith effort to “specifically identify” for the defense the exculpatory nature of items tendered.

• ASAs are only required to identify material that is “clearly exculpatory or mitigating.”

continued from p. 13

Disclosure to a defense attorney, however, doesn’t mean that the o cer can’t testify, or even that the information disclosed will be admissible in that particular case—that is for the judge to decide.

If an o cer is placed on the stricter DNC list, however, ASAs are prevented from ever calling that o cer as a witness in any criminal matter. O cers placed on the DNC list are also prohibited from signing o on search warrants.

Many, but not all, of the o cers on the DNC list have been stripped of police powers. Some remain active-duty CPD o cers, though.

Rather than having hard and fast distinctions, the SAO maintains considerable discretion over which o cers are placed on which list. O enses that land an o cer on the disclosure list versus the DNC list can be di erences in kind, but also ones of degree. Several CPD officers convicted of crimes are only on the disclosure list, while others who have never been charged with a crime are on the DNC list. Though that may make the distinction between the two lists seem arbitrary, especially in the absence of more transparency around both lists and the reasons o cers are placed on each one, the SAO’s policy is vague, leaving substantial room for discretion. Cops can be added to the DNC list for any “circumstance deemed appropriate by the State’s Attorney of

Cook County.”

Despite its series of rulings, the Supreme Court has never provided clear instructions for what compliance looks like; therefore, there is no uniformity for how di erent states, prosecutorial o ces, or even individual prosecutors within the same office handle Brady information.

“These lists have developed sporadically, inconsistently, and often at the behest of prosecutors responding to credibility crises within local law enforcement,” Rachel Moran, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, wrote in a 2022 law review article.

Foxx, the state’s attorney, explained in a July interview that she released the DNC list to shore up her o ce’s credibility: “We believe that the credibility of our o ce and the integrity of the work that we do requires that we are as transparent as we can possibly be.”

WHAT ROLE DO POLICE PLAY?

As part of the prosecution team, any Brady information held by the police—whether about the particular case or about the o cers working on it—is assumed by law to be in the possession or control of the SAO.

In practice, that means that the SAO is reliant on the CPD, the Civilian O ce of Police Accountability (COPA), and suburban departments to properly investigate, document, and discipline o cer misconduct, and to consistently and accurately report that potential “impeachment” information—which calls an officer’s credibility into question based on conduct in other cases—back to the SAO so that it can be disclosed to defense attorneys.

It is far from clear that each step of that process is happening.

First is the question of whether police departments are properly investigating, documenting, and disciplining o cer misconduct. To take just the example of the CPD: On paper, the integrity of police ocers is supposed to be “above reproach,” according to its Rules and Regulations, because “the dishonesty of a single o cer may impair public confidence and cast suspicion and disrespect upon the entire Department.”

However, a series of successive government, journalistic, and other investigations have shown that the CPD overall has little interest in disciplining officers for lying. A May 2023 Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, required by the city’s federal consent decree over its pattern of unconstitutional policing, found that not only had the CPD failed to follow up on promises from then superintendent David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot to take a harsh approach to o cers who are found to have lied, but that the department still had more than 100 o cers with such a history on sta at the time of the report.

A decade earlier, a series in the nowdefunct news outlet DNAinfo detailed the very same pattern: a failure to report, investigate, and discipline o cer dishonesty.

Even when they are disciplined, o cers are often able to negotiate away a violation of the CPD’s Rule 14, which prohibits making a false oral or written statements, by appealing to a third-party arbitrator, a process made available through police union contracts. In 2017, ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune found 19 cases in which o cers settled a Rule 14 violation through arbitration.

This leads to the second question: whether information about sustained misconduct is being reported to the SAO.

Six years after the ProPublica/ Tribune investigation, the OIG’s report found the issue of Rule 14 violations getting overturned—and therefore not being disclosed on request from the SAO—continues. In May 2023, the TRiiBE reported that 126 o cers with sustained Rule 14 violations did not appear on either the disclosure or the DNC lists, though the true number is likely higher.

The SAO’s Brady Giglio policy, released in July 2023, makes clear its dependence on the CPD, suburban police departments, and police oversight agencies like COPA to turn over any disciplinary or investigatory files, including Rule 14 violations. Per the policy, prosecutors issue questionnaires to every law enforcement witness they plan to call to testify that include questions about their credibility. However, the policy doesn’t outline steps prosecutors should take to independently ensure they obtain all required Brady information.

The questions also leave room for allegations of o cer dishonesty not to be disclosed. Officers are asked about any “sustained or pending matters” that “involve dishonesty or untruthfulness.” But, if a Rule 14 violation was later overturned in arbitration, it’s not clear whether it would be disclosed at all—let alone cases in which neither the police nor COPA sustained dishonesty charges in the first place.

A 2023 report from the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and Chicago Council of Lawyers argued that there are many instances of police making false reports that are never investigated or disciplined as Rule 14 violations.

If the SAO identifies any impeachment information about officers called as witnesses, the officers are added to the disclosure list and have 90 days to appeal through a process formalized by the SAO in July.

that an officer’s testimony on the witness stand was not credible, believable, or truthful. Whether police departments then investigate the finding that an officer lied on the stand, however, is a different question; a 2016 Tribune investigation found that the CPD rarely disciplined o cers after such findings.

The final question—whether defense attorneys are properly notified when Brady o cers are involved in their cases—is the subject of a future Invisible Institute and Reader investigation in this series.

WHAT SHOULD COMPLIANCE WITH BRADY LOOK LIKE IN AN IDEAL WORLD?

Many of the CPD and SAO’s recent reforms still fall short of ensuring the agencies are in compliance with the Supreme Court holdings in Brady and Giglio and the corresponding Illinois court rules, according to interviews with experts and the OIG’s report.

A significant obstacle is a lack of clear understanding concerning what constitutes impeachment material. According to the SAO’s policy, only sustained or pending allegations of dishonesty should be considered for disclosure, but this ignores the history of the CPD’s failure to hold o cers to account—including supervisors like Burge and Watts, who are now associated with dozens of overturned wrongful convictions, says Joshua Tepfer, an attorney who argues postconviction cases with the law firm Loevy & Loevy and the University of Chicago’s Exoneration Project.

“THESE LISTS HAVE DEVELOPED SPORADICALLY, INCONSISTENTLY, AND OFTEN AT THE BEHEST OF PROSECUTORS RESPONDING TO CREDIBILITY CRISES WITHIN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.”

Officers should also be added to the disclosure list if a judge makes what’s called an “adverse credibility finding,” a ruling

In another tack, the OIG recommended that all Rule 14 violations be reported to the SAO on request, including those that were later overturned in arbitration. The CPD disagreed, writing that the current “process of review” should

remain in place. However, neither agency reckoned with the history of the department’s historically low sustained complaint rate— which hides true patterns of misconduct behind legal loopholes to close cases without discipline—or with the fact that nonsustained complaints and investigations could still be considered impeachment material.

The OIG’s report identified serious issues with the department’s recordkeeping practices, though, finding that the CPD does not maintain an accurate list of all officers with histories of sustained Rule 14 violations, nor did it keep track of the SAO’s requests for impeachment information. While the SAO was only aware of 13 o cers with sustained Rule 14 violations, the OIG found that there were more than 110 o cers with similar histories, whom the department should have disclosed to prosecutors.

“The gaps in recordkeeping create risks around whether this information is being appropriately disclosed, not only to criminal defendants but to civil litigants as well,” said Inspector General Deborah Witzburg in an interview with the Reader

Tepfer routinely makes his own discovery and FOIA requests to police departments, either for case records or impeachment evidence, because he’s come to expect that the a rmative disclosures required under Brady and Giglio won’t happen. But he says a solution to the historic and continued noncompliance is for police complaint and disciplinary records to be open and accessible to both prosecutors and defense attorneys and for the CPD to keep records about cases in one, streamlined place.

After eight years in o ce, Foxx has stated that she is not seeking reelection as the Cook County state’s attorney. Whether her successor is a fellow progressive prosecutor or one who is “tough on crime,” it will be up to them to determine how the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the nation meets its Brady obligations. v

This story is part of “A Catalog of Infamy,” a series from the Invisible Institute and the Reader on Brady cops and practices at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s O ce, Chicago Police Department, and suburban police departments. This reporting was supported by the Fund for Investigative Journalism.

m letters@chicagoreader.com

2024 ELECTIONS

What’s on the ballot?

The Reader’s look at a handful of key races ahead of Chicago’s primary election on March 19

By MAIA MCDONALD

Illinois’s primary election is less than a month away, with early voting in Chicago already underway and several key races drawing attention from prospective voters.

The Reader rounded up a few of the top contests ahead of the March 19 election.

Congress

While there are several races during this year’s primaries for Illinois’s many congressional districts, two of note include the Sixth and Seventh District races. Representative Sean Casten is facing opponents Mahnoor Ahmad and Charles Hughes

to keep control of the Sixth District, while the Seventh District race features longtime incumbent Representative Danny K. Davis, who is facing challengers Nikhil Bhatia, Kina Collins, Melissa Conyears-Ervin, and Kouri Marshall.

Casten, a Democrat, has represented neighborhoods in the Sixth District like Alsip, Bridgeview, Tinley Park, Orland Park, and more, plus a host of other northwestern suburban communities and small parts of the southwest side, since 2019. In recent months, Casten has faced criticism for his reluctance to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, leading to protests outside his o ce and home from local pro-Palestinian activist groups.

Ahmad, a pro-Palestine Democrat known for

her criticism of President Joe Biden’s support of Israel, has said, “I think ultimately, right now we need to call for a cease-fire because we can’t bomb our way to peace.” Casten’s other challenger, Hughes, is supportive of a twostate solution, a peace treaty, and stopping U.S. military aid to Israel, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times

Casten has maintained that he wants peace in the region. He recently voted against a Republican-backed bill that would have sent more military aid to Israel but, noticeably, did not include any humanitarian aid to injured and displaced Gazan civilians.

In the Seventh Congressional District, several would-be politicians are looking to unseat Davis, who has represented large swaths of

Chicago’s west side, as well as all or parts of several suburban communities and south-side neighborhoods including Bronzeville, Chinatown, Englewood, and others, for more than a quarter century.

Among them is Conyears-Ervin, who currently serves as the city treasurer of Chicago and, in late 2023, reportedly violated the city’s ethics code by firing two of her aides— whistleblowers who alleged Conyears-Ervin misused taxpayer resources and pressured political employees in the interest of her allies, according to the Chicago Tribune There’s also Collins, a local activist for gun violence prevention and a former national organizer with the Medicare for All campaign. Collins came close to unseating Davis when she received nearly 46 percent of the vote during the 2022 primary election, up from nearly 13 percent when she ran against him in 2020.

Cook County State’s Attorney

With Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s announcement last year that she would not seek a third term, Chicago will have its first newcomer to the o ce in nearly a decade. Eileen O’Neill Burke, a former appellate court judge who served as assistant state’s attorney for ten years, and Clayton Harris III, a former prosecutor and current University of Chicago lecturer with experience as assistant state’s attorney, both seek to replace her in the Democratic primary.

Burke is looking to attract voters unhappy with Foxx’s progressive reforms through a “tough-on-crime” approach, one that seeks to tackle gun violence, theft, carjackings, and other violent crimes, WBEZ reported. She has defended her role in a 1994 murder case, where she served as a prosecutor and helped in the wrongful conviction of a young Black boy accused of committing the crime. The conviction, which reportedly involved a coerced confession, was later thrown out.

Her opponent, Harris, also hopes to curb robberies and gun-related crimes, he told the Hyde Park Herald. His campaign seeks to bolster funding for the o ce’s response to sexual assault and domestic violence, combat hate crimes, and find alternatives to incarceration. Harris says he’ll pick up where Foxx left off while diverging and “forging my own path.”

Early voting began in all 50 wards on March 4. KIRK WILLIAMSON

Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court

Mariyana Spyropoulos, a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner, is looking to best incumbent Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez, elected in a historic 2020 win as the first Latine to hold the office. Spyropoulos has drawn eyes with her steep campaign donations—the $875,000 she loaned her campaign on Valentine’s Day was nearly 18 times the amount Martinez had on hand at the end of December, the Tribune reported.

Spyropoulos, whose platform focuses on fighting corruption and misconduct, digitizing court files to save money and further the court’s technology development, and expanding expungement summits, has also received several key endorsements. With the support of the Cook County Democratic Party, the Chicago Teachers Union, Reverend Jesse Jackson, several suburban mayors, and Teamsters Local 700, Spyropoulos could potentially unseat Martinez, whose use of machine politics and sometimes questionable actions as city clerk could jeopardize her chances at a second term.

During her tenure in the office, Martinez has developed a reputation for employing oldschool political maneuvers in the service of herself and her allies. Several of her employees helped the campaign of a rival of Alderperson Rossana Rodríguez when she ran to keep her spot as representative of the 33rd Ward, the Tribune reported.

There’s also her (and her office’s) role in other controversies. Dozens of Martinez’s employees resigned or were fired after they were found to have scammed the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program. An Injustice Watch investigation uncovered her office’s role in erroneously adding felonies to records of people who hadn’t earned them. And she hired a lawyer who mishandled widespread abuse and sexual misconduct among Evanston lifeguards as that city’s top human resources manager. She also flipped her position on the benefits of the Freedom of Information Act after being elected and was accused of using pay-to-play tactics ahead of the March primaries.

Recently, Martinez opened an expungement center at the Leighton Criminal Court-

house to provide the community with a centralized location for expungements. She also “automated the second largest unifi ed court system in the world which had previously only used paper,” Martinez told the Daily Herald

Illinois State Senate

When Cristina Pacione-Zayas resigned from her post as Illinois state senator of the 20th District in June to become Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first deputy chief of staff, the Cook County Democratic Party appointed Natalie Toro to replace her. Now, Toro is hoping to beat out opponents Graciela Guzmán, Dave Nayak, and Geary Yonker to serve out her first full term as senator.

Before her appointment, Toro worked as a kindergarten teacher at Goethe Elementary School, and, though she lacked any experience in politics, she garnered the support of several alderpeople as well as Martinez, who serves as the 33rd Ward’s Democratic committeeperson, as reported by WTTW. Furthering Toro’s connection to the Democrat establishment are her campaign donations, including the nearly $1.5 million she’s received from the Illinois Senate Democratic Fund, the party’s campaign arm, in the past year, according to campaign finance figures.

Defending her post won’t be easy as Toro faces four challengers, including progressive Guzmán. Guzmán believes her experience as a policy advocate and legislative organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union and “overcoming poverty and navigating systems for her immigrant community” have left her well-equipped to lead the 20th District. Along with the time she spent as a coalition manager at the Protect Our Care Illinois coalition, campaign manager for the Healthy Illinois Campaign, and chief of sta to Pacione-Zayas, Guzmán aims to reform the Illinois health care system and address the cost of living in the district, she told the Sun-Times

Referenda

Chicago voters will also have the opportunity to vote on several referenda, of which the most contentious and debated remains Bring Chicago Home, which supporters say will create a dedicated funding stream

for homelessness prevention. The campaign, a major part of the mayor’s campaign platform, would revamp the real estate transfer tax, a one-time tax on properties when they are sold, to “create a substantial and legally dedicated revenue stream to provide permanent a ordable housing,” according to the Bring Chicago Home campaign website.

In late February, a judge ruled the referendum likely violated the law, granting a preliminary victory to powerful real estate groups, who’d argued the referendum was vague, unconstitutional, and simultaneously asked voters to approve a tax cut and tax hike.

(In reality, the measure proposes replacing a flat tax with a progressive tax.) Cook County circuit judge Kathleen Burke has not clarified the rationale behind her ruling, but the City of Chicago has already filed an appeal with the First District Appellate Court, the TRiiBE reported. For now, Chicagoans can still vote on the ballot initiative, though votes won’t be counted unless an appeal is successful.

There’s also CBA South Shore, a proposed community benefits agreement for the areas in direct proximity to the Obama Presidential Center, currently undergoing construction in the city’s Jackson Park neighborhood. The Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition and its supporters are asking voters in two precincts of the Seventh Ward to decide

whether or not to urge Alderperson Greg Mitchell and Johnson to approve a community benefits agreement to protect residents from encroaching gentrification and displacement due to rising costs precipitated by the project.

Woodlawn voters approved a similar measure in 2019, and the Woodlawn community benefits agreement ultimately earned the support of the City Council in 2020—but it excluded South Shore at the request of former Alderperson Leslie Hairston. The March nonbinding referendum is in support of an ordinance that calls for more than $60 million in investments for housing and development in South Shore and for a vacant lot at 63rd Street and Blackstone to be reserved for a ordable housing, a leftover ask for the Woodlawn community benefits agreement, according to the coalition website.

Support for the agreement has been split, with the Obama Foundation not actively opposing Woodlawn protections, though still resisting the community benefits agreement. Additionally, the Chicago City Council has seemingly left the matter to Mitchell, who has not publicly supported the measure—and did not know that voters in his ward would be voting on it at all until asked about it by WTTW in mid-February. v m letters@chicagoreader.com

KIRK WILLIAMSON

by Kevin Huizenga

Drawn & Quarterly, paperback, 144 pp., $25 95, drawnandquarterly.com/books/curses-paperback

Reconsidering Curses almost 20 years after its debut

Does Kevin Huizenga’s breakout hit withstand the test of time?

By MICCO CAPORALE

In 2006, Curses was Kevin Huizenga’s breakout hit. Then in his late 20s, the Illinois-born cartoonist had been making indie comics in semi-obscurity since his teens, and this collection—culled from old zines and anthologies—was being celebrated for Huizenga’s observations of the mundane. His strips combine a Tintin -like aesthetic with an alt-90s midwestern bohemian tendency to wax philosophical on the absurdities and anxieties common to suburban living. Most feature Glenn Ganges, a white midwesterner

whom reviewers never fail to call an “everyman.” His name is both ordinary (Glenn Beck, Glenn Greenwald, Glenn Danzig . . . ) and exceptional (not only is the Ganges River an ecologically significant waterway, but it’s also a sacred part of Hindu mythology). Many of the meandering tales have Ganges encountering something mythical or mysterious amidst suburban sprawl.

What can be said about an everyman can be said about Curses: it’s fine, like a slice of homemade bread without much tooth. When it debuted, it was one of Time’s top 10 comics that year, with the reviewer calling special attention to Huizenga’s sensitive, humanizing portrayal of Jeepers Jacobs, a “religious-minded ‘red state’” conservative. Interestingly, despite several appearances, Ganges’s wife, Wendy Caramel—a Black woman with the surname of a brown candy—gets less development and interiority than the religious-minded conservative obsessed with Ganges’s soul. Now the book is being rereleased by Drawn & Quarterly with over 30 pages of bonus material—mostly panel sketches, deleted scenes, old comic covers, and errant character drawings. Butter for the bread.

A recurring problem in the collection is Ganges’s inability to have a child with Caramel. In “Lost and Found,” Ganges’s mailbox swells with flyers that have missing person notices on one side and carpet-cleaning ads on the other. Ganges wonders how people can just disappear, then notes how quickly the flyers go to landfills, then considers all the kids his sperm has never become, then the lives of the Sudanese refugees living in his neighborhood, then the Sudanese kids that never became refugees but instead child soldiers. At the end, he tells his wife they should get their carpets cleaned.

In “28th Street,” an adaptation of the Italian folktale “The Feathered Ogre,” Ganges sets out to break the curse keeping him and his wife childless by stealing a feather from a devil/ ogre who lives in the basement of a megamall called Eden. It’s located along one of the most congested four-lane highways in Michigan.

“The Curse” tells how Ganges, Caramel, and their newborn su er a new curse: being kept awake by incessant noise from droves of starlings, an invasive bird species unleashed on North America by a rich white guy obsessed

with promoting British culture. (Since Curses ’s initial release, researchers have shown this long-held belief about who brought the starling might be a tall tale.)

Huizenga is at his strongest in these moments, when he provides glimmers of his imagination and makes stream of consciousness–style connections between disparate pieces of information that hint at something larger. But almost 20 years later, the hints feel too shy. Many of the stories rely more on text and less on drawings, and the images are politely matter-of-fact. Part of me wonders why Huizenga resisted the opportunities for parody and a personal stamp when drawing things like strip malls (think how businesses are named in the backgrounds of Bojack Horseman or Bob’s Burgers); there’s something chilling about how his images— populated by businesses like JoAnn Fabrics, State Farm, and Shoe Carnival—haven’t aged. As much as it’s an indictment of how capitalism tediously calcifies our landscapes, it also makes the material feel as timeless as those businesses.

One thing I couldn’t shake was that the rerelease was hitting shelves just over a month after the final episode of The Curse , the hit dramedy from Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie about a couple who tries to gentrify an Indigenous community using their green HGTV show. Parallels between the two are loose. While Curses focuses more on Christian ideology and storytelling, The Curse incorporates more Judaism—but both toy with mysticism and non-Western spirituality, too (most obviously, the idea of curses). Both feature struggles with getting pregnant as well as a sense of living alongside but not in community with refugees. Each includes a prominent cameo by an oversized cigar store Indian, too. But The Curse is so ambitious, brilliant, and brutal in the details it captures about modern living—Huizenga’s ability to capture details about well-intentioned people struggling to make sense of themselves within larger systems being what, historical-

ARTS & CULTURE

ly, he’s been celebrated for—that it makes the intellectual and imaginative scope of Curses feel small and quaint.

Comparing the two is pretty apples and oranges—after all, one’s a comics anthology, and the other’s a televised serial narrative. But The Curse represents a significant change in cultural appetite that raises a “Why now?” about the Curses reissue. The latter is an an-

thology that represents a continuation of a very specific Seth-style mock autobiography that was a flagship of Drawn & Quarterly’s beginnings. Seth, of Palookaville fame, was one of the first of many 90s breakouts of liberalish middle-class white guys who’d been making comics as they slowly grew out of “alt” scenes. These guys read some Crumb but didn’t draw as riskily, though they demonstrated a great love and studied understanding of comics history. Of that tendency, Curses is up there! The narratives are adequately playful, the drawings nicely refined; there is texture, but no tooth. It is a fine book. v

m mcaporale@chicagoreader.com

Kevin Huizenga

SAMMY HARKHAM

DRAWN & QUARTERLY

ARTS & CULTURE

VISUAL ART

Into the desert with Joe Gallo

“Lust in the Dust” is less about sin and more about saints.

By S. NICOLE LANE

When I asked Joe Gallo how long he’s been making art, he asked me how far I’d like for him to go. “That goes pretty far back,” he said.

Gallo was ten years old when he asked his uncle if he could borrow his camera. He never gave it back.

From there, Gallo’s journey with self-taught photography grew. He liked the immediacy of the medium and having a di erent approach to making an image than, say, drawing or painting.

Throughout his art career, he worked in advertising, design, and broadcast television, but he never stopped taking photographs.

For his personal portfolio, his exploration of certain subjects led him to Cherish, a burlesque dancer who he remembers owned a bookstore in Logan Square and performed with an eight-foot python snake at the Beat Kitchen.

Gallo’s original intention was to create a portrait series of carnival burlesque dancers. But soon he was wrapped into Cherish’s world and began to document performers across Chicago. By networking with the dancers, he learned about the Miss Exotic World Museum, located in Helendale, California, on a former chicken ranch in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

Once a year, the museum hosted the Miss Exotic World Pageant, a three-day festival with workshops, dance classes, costume-making classes, and performances.

Situated between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, in the hot 100-degree sun, it was a perfect middle ground for performers to meet up and dance. It would end up growing as a pilgrimage for burlesque dancers, where performers would take the stage well into their mature age.

R“LUST IN THE DUST”

Through 3/23 : Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 10 AM- 4 PM by appointment, art@epiphanychi.com, Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland, epiphanychi.com/joe-gallo-lust-in-the-dust applaud, but it wasn’t gawking. It was really kind of a nice time,” Gallo said.

Many of the images have characters walking out of the frame, appearing off-center or gazing down toward the photographer. Sparkles features a performer onstage with her backside turned toward us, adorned with a glittery G-string. A photographer stands in front of Gallo with a flash attached to their

a former west-side church where the Black Panther Party operated its Free Breakfast for Children program and where Fred Hampton held his last meeting. Now it’s an events venue with free music, several galleries, and happy hour specials. The Center has been revitalized, featuring a saints and sinners theme throughout the space that invites the taboo and the sacred.

“It was the Burning Man of burlesque.”

In conjunction with Gallo’s exhibition is Marilyn Artus’s “Burlesque Diva Dia Muertos”; Artus is a former burlesque promoter.She created sculptural skulls that are situated beneath Gallo’s photos and feature the names of the patron saints of burlesque, like Dixie Evans—the ringleader of Miss Exotic World—and Dorian Dennis, aka Double D.

Gallo photographed the performers with a more behind-the-scenes look—when they are reapplying makeup, or mid-twirl, or walking back toward their car with a suitcase.

You can see these photographs at the Epiphany Center for the Arts in the West Loop,

Both exhibitions highlight the memory of the women, a resting place where they are forever dancing.

The photographs themselves are like film stills. You aren’t sure what year it is or the location, you just know it’s dusty and hot, and there are a lot of sequins involved.

The crowd was mostly dancers themselves and mostly women. Since many older women were there, and they “still had all the moves,” as Gallo explained, the younger dancers were able to learn alongside the legends of their craft.

When Gallo began taking photos of burlesque, the art form was going through a revival. When he made his way to Miss Exotic World, the event had been going on for a decade. He attended in 2003, where he described a stage surrounding a swimming pool. By 2005, he said the crowd was really growing as burlesque became more popular.

“It was the Burning Man of burlesque,” he said. “I realized, ‘Wow, this is an old art form. This is really important.’”

Judges were the winners from the last pageant and gave each winner a plastic trophy, an honorable prize since it was bestowed in the presence of the art form’s legends.

Tempest Storm is one of the superstar subjects in the exhibition; known as the “Queen of Exotic Dancers,” she was popular in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. She had a di cult early life and was married at 15. One day, after six months of marriage, the Georgia girl decided to leave for Hollywood to start her career.

camera—the scene seems like a scrabble for the perfect shot.

This sense of movement is present in many of the images, much like the sexy, savvy dance moves that the performers encapsulated. However, when I asked Gallo what the atmosphere was like, he said most participants were quiet. There wasn’t any hooting or hollering; there was a sense of respect for the art. “I mean, it wasn’t the opera, everybody would

Although she retired in 1995, she would go on to participate in Miss Exotic World until 2010, and Gallo was lucky enough to photograph her. The movement in this photograph, in particular, is alluring and swanky. Her flaming red hair and purple outfit elicit elegance with the desert sky behind her. She just oozes the word “legendary.” Without even knowing who she is, you know this isn’t her first rodeo.

After 2005, Miss Exotic World built an additional stage, began maintaining archives in the actual museum, and created a legacy for the festival.

The women in the photographs are saints in their own right, paving a path for future burlesque dancers and the eventual permanent location of Miss Exotic World, now in Las Vegas (where you can see Storm’s G-strings on display). v m letters@chicagoreader.com

Joe Gallo, Tempest Storm (top) and Dirty Martini (bottom), both circa 2003/2005 COURTESY THE ARTIST

Andrés Lemus-Spont centers relationships

At Building Brown Workshop, fabrication is all about problems and possibilities.

By REEMA SALEH

Since 2016, Andrés Lemus-Spont has directed Building Brown Workshop, a design and fabrication studio on the southwest side that serves artists, architects, and communities.

“I don’t put much stock in inspiration. I like problem-solving more than I like conceiving of things,” Lemus-Spont said. “Pairing myself with someone who has a completely di erent approach and is willing to imagine things completely ungrounded from reality—that jumpstarts me into this creative process.”

As Building Brown’s founder, he has worked alongside people and organizations to implement their visions—including outdoor sculptures, art installations, theater sets, and workspaces. His journey to design and fabrication started while studying architecture in college. Working with now-defunct Redmoon Theater and artist Theaster Gates in his studio pulled him toward making community-engaged and fine art instead.

“I got very good at working alongside artists to implement their vision and help them develop crazy ideas that they don’t totally

“I don’t put much stock in inspiration. I like problemsolving more than I like conceiving of things.”

know how to do,” he said. “I also do a lot of work with architects. I think with both those types of clients, I speak their language when it comes to the creative things they hope to manifest.”

For Lemus-Spont, the artmaking process is more of a problem-solving exercise than anything. When an artist comes up with a project they have yet to fully figure out, he wants to get involved in the whole process and deter-

mine how to make it work. Thinking through all the possibilities has driven the company’s approach. It also means Building Brown is willing to take on riskier projects.

“The challenging thing in fabrication is that there is this inertia from the people doing the building where they learn how to do their work, and asking them to go beyond that is challenging. It’s more risky than it’s often worth,” Lemus-Spont said.

One of his workshop’s favorite pieces, House of Kapwa, emerged from that approach. Designed by Andrea Yarbrough and Alexx Temeña, the installation at Oakwood Beach suspended a giant wooden ring in the air to make a space of rest and shared collectiveness in nature. When they first began looking for a partner to help build it, other organizations told them it was impossible. But when they came to Lemus-Spont, he told them they could make it happen together.

social wellness enterprise in Bronzeville, and Borderless Studio, he helped design meditative greenhouse spaces that let people seclude themselves during acupuncture or more private therapeutic services.

“Artists of color don’t have access to a lot of resources or support from institutional sources because of historical inequalities. So we just make it work,” he said. “We find ways of making budgets work. We find ways to leverage connections because we have to make our art happen.”

Alongside fabricating, he also worked as a teaching artist for students from kindergarten through high school for several years. With his partner, fellow artist Marya Spont-Lemus, he cofounded ¡Anímate! Studio, a shared community arts practice fueling creative workshops on joy and criticality in public space.

challenges them and helps them find a voice for their creativity.”

For five years, they took the FrankenToyMobile to parks, libraries, and public spaces across Chicago, hosting over 100 workshops before they retired the project in 2019. For them, art is for everyone, and ¡Anímate! is about exploring the intentionality that comes with it.

“Both my spouse and I come from very working-class roots, where art is a luxury and often not accessible. I think part of the reason I studied architecture is that I didn’t realize art was a possibility. It wasn’t anywhere near my radar,” Lemus-Spont said. “My entrance was through a profession that happened to include creativity and making, and it was only through that I could see how one could be an artist.”

In 2021, Mobilize Creative Collaborative, the art collective he cofounded with other artists using bicycle-based mobile spaces, received a $100,000 grant from the city as part of its arts recovery initiatives. Over the past two years, they hosted drop-in workshops across Chicago parks and block parties with DIY visual art and music production. By bringing creativity to the places people care more about, the collective became a vehicle for intergenerational conversations and community building.

Bringing their creative practice to public spaces meant becoming a more visible artist to young people. During their workshops, Lemus-Spont remembers countless times when young people came up and told him they had never met an artist before or one who looked like him.

“The idea is not complex, but fabricating that out of wood is challenging. Whoever else was looking at this was going, ‘Oh, we’ve never done this, so we’re gonna say this isn’t possible, and we’re gonna put it on you, the artist, to do something di erent,’” he said. “When an artist comes to me with something challenging, I think of it as a puzzle. How can we find ways to make this work?”

While working with Haji Healing Salon, a

In 2015, that work sprang to life in the FrankenToyMobile—a pedal-powered maker space that o ered free, hands-on workshops for youth to repurpose “junk toys” as raw materials for new art. Traveling with their tricycle-turned-studio, they went directly to young people, who began experimenting with new ideas and created objects that expressed their identities.

“For communities that don’t have access to some of the possibility of rich arts programming, it’s essentially taking that stu to them,” he said. “Often, that’s an exercise in inviting people to sort of step outside their usual every day and try something new that

“Seeing someone who looks like you, an artist doing their artwork—not everyone gets to see that. That’s the everyone we do our work for,” he said. “It’s an access question for those who don’t feel like artmaking is for them. It’s our e ort to say, ‘It is for you. It’s for everybody.’”

When he’s pushing past burnout or the struggles of leading a small business, centering people and relationships keeps him on track.

“It can be hard to remember when the dayto-day doesn’t feel like it’s about people or relationships. It feels like it’s about money and deadlines and tasks. But I think of that as all being in service of people and relationships,” he said. “When you think about people as opposed to the work, that’s a much more vibrant picture of where your work can go.” v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

The opening for House of Kapwa THE INDIGENOUS LENS

THEATER

Nejla Yatkin’s Ouroboros combines dance with healing circles

Her new work at Links draws on Middle Eastern traditions while reconnecting with nature.

By JT NEWMAN

So much contemporary dance is codified in Western dance traditions and practices that it is often difficult to find pieces, companies, and artists that embody anything else. And when they do, the work is frequently embedded in the language of “traditional” or “ethnic” dance, with the meaning and context stripped away to make it palatable for Western audiences. The authenticity starts to pull away when the dance enters onto a proscenium stage in a theater setting during an evening program. This kind of work is most of the programming that American dance audiences consume and participate in, in large part.

Ouroboros , by Nejla Yatkin, a world premiere dance and performance experience coming to Links Hall this weekend, is di erent. The moment audiences enter her world (a circular setting onstage, inside a tentlike structure), it becomes a participatory, celebratory space. Her work is worlds away from proscenium-based dance. And attending these performances is the perfect way for audiences to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Yatkin sets the context: “A lot of theater spaces are so masculine in a way—with all the linear structures falling into a box. It is very boxy. I wanted to make [this] softer.”

Ouroboros comes from Yatkin’s experiences as a Turkish and Armenian female dancer who grew up in West Berlin. Yatkin has worked as a principal dancer with international companies (Fountainhead Tanz Théâtre, Dance Butter Tokyo, and Pyro Space Ballet) and American ones (Cleo Parker Robinson and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company). Her experiences growing up inform her work as a choreographer who has collaborated with diverse companies and toured the world. She brings an approach to her work that weaves together multiple linguistic and visual languages (English, German, Turkish, and American Sign Language), live music, movement in the round, and a few traditions from her nomadic ancestry meant to welcome the audience.

“Growing up, whenever visitors came, we

3/8-3/ 10 : Fri-Sun 7 PM; ASL interpretation 3/ 10 ; Links Hall, 3111 N. Western, 773 -281- 0824, linkshall.org, $16 -$ 42

butoh) and language, sound, and movement traditions are the centers from which Yatkin’s newest work spirals out. The title, Ouroboros, refers to the ancient symbol of the snake or dragon eating itself.

Yatkin elaborates, “It is an ancient symbol of the totality of existence and the ever-evolving cycle of creation and destruction. I’m talking about cycles and patterns and going back to ancient Egypt with one of the oldest known symbols to express nature. . . . When I think of the origins of dance, I think of humans in the early days, trying to understand the environment, nature, and themselves in it. So we probably did a lot of observation, breathing patterns, and learning from other species, which we don’t do anymore. And I think of the snake observing a snake, learning its wisdom, and understanding its language. I feel that was part of our history. And so I wanted to go back to how we relate to patterns of nature by mirroring and connecting nature to movement.”

would greet them with rosewater and Turkish delights. That is a way to set the tone and feel welcomed with senses engaged, with [the scent of the rosewater] and then the Turkish delights in their mouth. Saying, ‘You’re already OK, and you are welcome here.’ I wanted to give that feeling of being welcomed and starting on a sweet note.”

She weaves concepts from Middle Eastern dance and healing or women’s circles as a context for the work. “As a woman from the Middle East, I grew up seeing a lot of dance circles, but then, at a certain age, you’re not supposed to dance openly or publicly anymore,” she explains. “I secretly studied modern and contemporary dance. I had that freedom because I lived in Germany, and I lived a double life: inside the house were my parents [and those traditions], and then outside was the German culture. So, I have this thread of the Middle Eastern dance, which are very ancient dances that are healing and are done in temples and women’s circles for helping a woman give

birth, helping people mourn, helping people let go of tension in their bodies by just having ‘the spirit’ come through, in a way.”

Yatkin seeks to reclaim these spaces and traditions. “It comes from an ancient tradition, but then, with occupation, shifting of empires, and movement, it all changed and simplified. Now these are belly dances, which are mostly for entertaining. . . . We’re missing the other part of the dance, which is dancing together in a circle and exchanging body to body in a way where you celebrate your sensuality and your sexuality healthily. I wanted to go back to that. And so, I’m reclaiming Middle Eastern dance, bringing it back into the circle and sharing [it] with people. Often in the West, you see oversexualized ways of Middle Eastern dance, called belly dance, or the very historical and traditional Middle Eastern dance. There’s no fusion of contemporary dance with older cultural traditions like in the U.S.”

This fusion of dances (from Middle Eastern to Western traditions to postmodernism to

Part of bringing circles together in community with each other in the work is Yatkin’s collaboration with other artists, including costume designer Katrin Schnabl, composer Shamou, lighting designer Giau Truong, set designer Delena Bradley, sound designer Sathapat Sangsuwan, deaf artist Susan Elizabeth Rangel, and dramaturg Joanna Furnans, who is also the executive director of the Chicago Dancemakers Forum. Each artist’s work contributes to the layers of the piece and the diversity of experiences inherent in the work.

Yatkin is interested in the multiplicity of meanings and the limitations inherent in language. Audiences can take away as many di erent meanings as there are life experiences. “Perhaps it will spark something in their bodies, minds, or spirits. I want people to feel welcome and see that everything starts with the body and how we connect to people. I’m hoping because I can’t say for sure. After all, everybody will bring their own experience, but I’m hoping that people open up in reflecting how they perceive the world and maybe become more empathetic to others.” v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

Nejla Yatkin in Ouroboros ENKI ANDREWS

Artistic Director: Jonathan Stafford

Associate Artistic Director: Wendy Whelan

AN EVENING WITH NEW YORK CITY BALLET

Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky / George Balanchine — Serenade

Arvo Pärt / Christopher Wheeldon — Liturgy

Caroline Shaw / Justin Peck — Partita

March 20, 2024 / 6:00 PM

MASTERS AT WORK: BALANCHINE + ROBBINS

Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky / George Balanchine — Serenade

Frédéric Chopin / Jerome Robbins — In the Night

Paul Hindemith / George Balanchine — The Four Temperaments

March 21, 2024 / 7:30 PM

March 23, 2024 / 2:00 PM

21 ST CENTURY CHOREOGRAPHY

Caroline Shaw / Justin Peck — Partita

Arvo Pärt / Christopher Wheeldon — Liturgy

Caroline Shaw / Pam Tanowitz — Gustave le Gray No. 1

James Blake / Kyle Abraham — Love Letter (on shuffle)

March 22, 2024 / 7:30 PM

March 23, 2024 / 7:30 PM

Photo © Erin Baiano.

THEATER

OPENING

Science, faith, and Elvis

End Days indulges in familiar debates by way of whimsy.

Deborah Zoe Laufer’s 2007 dramedy, End Days, has intermittent moments of charm woven into a premise that is trying way too hard for profundity and whimsy. (When a show begins with someone dressed as Vegasera Elvis, you know you’re in for a generous portion of the latter.) Theatre Above the Law’s current revival, directed by Tony Lawry, is a shaggy but good-hearted affair that doesn’t overcome the self-consciousness of the script. But the production offers some lovely and amusing interludes of its own.

The Stein family—dad Arthur (Andrew Bosworth), mom Sylvia (Allyson Womack), and teen daughter Rachel (Lena Valenti)—have moved away from New York in the a ermath of 9/11. Arthur, a vice president at a company in one of the towers, lost 65 colleagues in the attack and has become a non-showering, barely eating recluse. Sylvia has found Jesus (literally: he appears bearing coffee and moral support). Rachel is an angry goth, and the Elvis-clad character we first meet is Nelson (George Maychruk), another teenager with a crush on Rachel, who woos her by loaning her his copy of Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time. (Hawking then starts appearing to Rachel; both Jesus and Hawking are played by Katie Luchtenburg.)

The title comes from Sylvia’s belief that the rapture is nigh, and her increasing mania about saving her family wears thin over the course of the play. But the growing relationship between Arthur and Nelson feels just right, as the former helps the kid with his Torah section for his upcoming bar mitzvah—a quiet exploration of faith and community that stands in stark contrast with Sylvia’s evangelical nihilism. Laufer’s science vs. faith debates feel overly familiar, but Rachel’s growing awe at the vastness of the unanswered questions of the universe provides a lovely counter to the character’s own grief and confusion. —KERRY REID END DAYS Through 3/24: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; also Mon 3/18 7:30 PM; Jarvis Square Theater, 1439 W. Jarvis, theatreatl.org, $25 (students, seniors, and industry $20)

Movement and memories

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s Meditations on Being is a mixed bag of short performances.

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s Meditations on Being is a sampler platter of eight pieces that in some way “reflects on what one remembers.” Not all the work on display here necessarily mirrors that mission. The opening poem by executive director and founder Ellyzabeth Adler feels like a hodgepodge of political righteousness rather than reminiscence. But when the artists focus on specific telling moments, memories, and metaphors, they create some powerful impressions.

Confluence, a dance and movement piece by Siwei Xu and Daria Jin, incorporates a “cage” of crimson silken cords, in which a woman finds herself entangled, coming close to escape and then collapsing over and over again—until another person helps her find a way out. Eileen Tull’s Elyse, a tribute to a deceased friend, is a heartfelt exploration of grief and how we perform our way through it—until it catches up with us. A video monologue, Le Miserable, written by Timothy David Rey and performed by John Conrad (cinematography

by Diana Quinones Rivera) presents a crossing guard reflecting on the recent death of a bicyclist and the general dangers of the world, which again works well because it draws on specific images and anecdotes rather than sweeping bromides.

Muelchi, truthful in every word and gesture) has sacrificed everything—friends, college, career—to stay home caring for her father, Robert (Geoff Isaac), a once-brilliant mathematician felled by dementia. She fears she’s inherited Robert’s schizophrenia instead of his genius.

R A tail of friendship

Lifeline’s Skunk and Badger is a charmer for all audiences.

Meditations on Walden as the title suggests, leans on the words of Henry David Thoreau to illustrate ideas about community and individuality. The performers/ creators (Courtney Reid Harris, Kerry Valentine Taylor, Jen Benyamin, and Peyton Hooks) all have charm and earnestness to burn, but Thoreau’s transcendentalist navel-gazing wears out its welcome for me pretty quickly. I would have loved to hear the artists’ own ideas about the evergreen tension we feel between living as individuals hungry for self-actualization, and as social creatures living in communion with nature and other people.

—KERRY

REID MEDITATIONS ON BEING

Through 3/9: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM; Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster, danztheatre.org, suggested donation $10-$30

REvidence of devotion

Proof at Bluebird Arts examines the mathematics of family.

The title of David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play does double duty: it refers to mathematical proofs but also to the question of what constitutes sufficient evidence of devotion to those we claim to love. Catherine (Dana

Arriving on the scene are Catie’s sister, Claire (Talia Langman, persuasively infuriating), and Hal (Callahan Crnich), once Robert’s graduate student, who seems to want to claim for himself whatever evidence of brilliance may be hidden in his mentor’s notebooks. Claire doesn’t care about math and has been noticeably absent during her father’s decline. Now she wants to make up for it by moving Catie to New York where she can be under Claire’s close supervision in case Catie loses her mind. Is Claire loving or just controlling?

Under Luda Lopatina Solomon’s direction, these players seem to be enacting unfiltered reality. What first appeared to be awkwardness between the actors playing Catie and Robert soon revealed itself as the awkward dynamic of a parent being “parented” by a child, coupled with the difficulty a sane person has in dealing respectfully with someone who’s not. Samantha Rausch’s set design captures perfectly the look of a shabby-genteel Hyde Park house, and whoever wrote all those equations on the blackboard deserves credit for stamina, if nothing else. —KELLY KLEIMAN PROOF Through 4/6: Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, 773-975-8150, bluebirdarts. org, $42.75 ($32.75 senior, $12.75 student)

“Sludge and slurry!” Badger (John Drea) frequently exclaims to giggles and muted repeat-backs from the littlest of audience members. Utterly enchanted, the children in this audience seem mesmerized by Badger and Skunk’s (Vic Kuligoski) affixed tails, fuzzy ears, and quippy dialogue. The care put into their costumes, lovingly designed by Jessica Gowens, isn’t lost on even the squirmiest of Sunday-morning squigglers. I count myself among them, of course, as I was endlessly fascinated by the suspender contraption allowing Skunk’s tail to bob around as he moved.

While The Odd Couple buddy plays are not uncommon, they do o en stink. Ironically, this isn’t an issue in Lifeline Theatre’s world premiere adaptation of Amy Timberlake’s 2020 book Skunk and Badger (illustrations by Jon Klassen). Lifeline ensemble member Alan Donahue adapted the work concisely from its 136 pages to a kiddo-friendly 60-minute stage play. Of course, an army of chickens and a couple of adorable puppets doesn’t hurt either.

Director Brian Tochterman Jr. appears to have led this show with gentle humor. Both Kuligoski and Drea charm their viewers as they oscillate between silliness and snark, patience and petulance. These two, along

Ama Kuwonu (le ) and Jared Brown in The Time Machine: A Tribute to the ’80s

DARIN GLADFELTER

THEATER

with Connar Brown, the clucking puppeteer, and Amanda De La Guardia (who effortlessly plays everyone else), bring the enchanting book to life.

There are those who think that children’s theater isn’t something everyone can enjoy; Lifeline’s Skunk and Badger easily proves that theory false. —AMANDA FINN SKUNK AND BADGER Through 4/7: Sat-Sun 11 AM and 1 PM; Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood, 773-761-4477, lifelinetheatre.com, $23

RThey love the 80s

Black Ensemble Theater’s Time Machine is a nostalgic blast.

It’s totally easy to make fun of the 1980s. Shoulder pads you could poke an eye out with. Leg warmers over fishnets. The elevation of Bret Easton Ellis into a literary celebrity. But it was also a time of revolutionary music. The revelatory work of (among others) Michael Jackson, New Edition, NWA, and Public Enemy laid the groundwork for countless hip-hop, pop, and rap icons to follow.

With writer/director Daryl D. Brooks’s The Time Machine: A Tribute to the ’80s, Black Ensemble Theater delivers a piledriving jukebox of classics from the titular decade in a production that’s one of the best in the company’s long history. Long story short: It’s truly worth the price of a ticket just to see Thee Ricky Harris deliver a face-melting take on Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” while a team of backup dancers and vocalists create a vibe with the gusto of an arena concert. The rest of the show is equally fine, from Jared Brown’s take-no-prisoners rendition of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” to Trequon Tate’s blistering take on Kool Moe Dee’s “I Go to Work.”

you need to understand that it has a very specific audience in mind: millennials and/or folks who can appreciate how painfully awkward our media was. If, as the show’s Twihard bingo card mentions, you wore a lot of plaid, skinny jeans, and Converse in high school, you’ll probably fit right in.

Here is what you really need to understand, though. Otherworld could have easily thrown this show together with a ramshackle cast and made it work—it is that funny. But they didn’t. Under Rasmussen’s musical direction, the cast of Twihard really goes, well, hard. Their musicianship is beyond noteworthy, and performers like Rachel Arianna (Bella) even get into operatic stylings. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Edward and James got into a tap-dancing battle, you’re in luck.

It has been a long time since I’ve seen a show that has taken me completely by surprise. I walked into Twihard thinking I had forgotten everything about this cult-classic series. As the show opened, it became quite clear that my knowledge of Twilight had just been hibernating. By the end, I walked out giddy, like my 16-yearold self who just le the midnight release of Breaking Dawn. Now I’m le thinking that I might need to grab my high school Twilight copies from my parents’ house the next time I visit. —AMANDA FINN TWIHARD Through 3/24: Fri-Sat 7 PM, Sun 2 PM; Otherworld Theatre, 3914 N. Clark, otherworldtheatre.org, $30 (limited pay-what-you-can tickets at each performance)

Minor fireworks

West Coast Improv Explosion is mildly amusing.

The showstoppers keep coming at a heart-thumping pace, Christopher Chase Carter’s period-perfect choreography playing out on a set by Denise Karczewski that features a building-sized boombox complete with an AM/FM dial and cassettes that change with each number. Factor in Marquecia Jordan’s head-to-toe detailed costumes and music director Robert Reddrick’s live band, and you’ve got a show that will have you on your feet, regardless of whether you were sentient in the years that made superstars of Chaka Khan, Madonna, Salt-N-Pepa, Sheila E., El DeBarge, and so many memorable others.

The title of the show is an overstatement. Yes, the show does have west coast roots; the particular version of long-form used in the show was developed at the LA-based, Second City–influenced comedy theater, the Groundlings. (Notable Groundling veterans include Laraine Newman, Paul Reubens, and Kristen Wiig.) And yes, the Groundlings long-form format, as performed here, is more fast-paced than the classic Harold, invented by Chicago improv guru Del Close.

—CATEY SULLIVAN THE TIME MACHINE:

A TRIBUTE TO THE ’80S Through 4/14: Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark, 773-769-4451, blackensembletheater. org, $56.50-$66.50

RTwihard embraces the cringe

Otherworld’s Twilight musical parody goes hard.

Thirteen-year-old Amanda, not quite a Twihard herself but an avid reader who loved Twilight, would have died over Otherworld Theatre’s Twihard musical parody. Thirty-one-year-old Amanda thought the show was, as the millennial-mocking youths say, “cheugy”—and in true millennial fashion, still loved every cringey moment of it. Why? Because the musical parody by Brian Rasmussen and Tiffany Keane Schaefer wholly embraces the cringe. To dig into this Panic! at the Disco—coded musical,

Many of the two-person scenes clocked in at less than two minutes. But frenetic improv is not necessarily better improv. There were no great comic explosions in the show I saw; a lot of scenes misfired. The troupe, lead by Groundling veteran Harrison Lampert, made no rookie mistakes—they listened to each other, they didn’t deny the stage reality, they were adept at creating quick, believable, off-the-cuff (if cartoonish) characters— but there were few of those onstage revelations that take both the audience or performers by surprise, and that make improv fun to watch and do. The show was amusing enough, to be sure, but not amazing.

The problem may be these guys don’t get to perform frequently enough. (The show runs only twice a month, every other Wednesday.) It didn’t help that the night I saw the show, the audience seemed to be packed with friends and people so eager to support the people onstage that they laughed at everything the performers did. EVERYTHING. Even the unfunny bits. Ick. —JACK

HELBIG WEST COAST IMPROV EXPLOSION Through 6/19: every other Wed 8 PM; Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse, 888-495-9001, rhapsodytheater. com, $20 v

RFor young students, the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival ‘makes school stu seem real’

The festival, now in its 13th iteration, asks local kids to adapt award-winning children’s books to film.

By EMMA OXNEVAD

Aspiring filmmakers and bookworms alike can showcase their unique interpretations of classic children’s literature at the 13th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival.

Founded by author James Kennedy and librarian Betsy Bird in 2011, the festival invites child filmmakers to reimagine books honored by the John Newbery Medal, the highest award in children’s literature. Kennedy views and writes positive feedback for the submissions, which over the years have included

Lincoln: A Photobiography in the style of Hamilton , a Star Wars–inspired retelling of The Whipping Boy titled The Whipping Droid, and a one-man version of The Giver, among other creative spins.

From there, he selects the top submissions to play at live shows across the country, which are cohosted by Kennedy and a rotating cast of children’s authors; this year’s festival will travel to eight cities, including New York City, Boston, and San Antonio.

Kennedy says he was inspired to create the

festival after his debut children’s novel, The Order of Odd-Fish, failed to win the Newbery in 2009. He jokingly vented his frustration on his blog, writing a “long screed” that poked fun at both the American Library Association—which selects each winner—and author Neil Gaiman, who was awarded that year for The Graveyard Book

“It’s kind of like this mini canon for kids,” Kennedy says of the Newbery winners. “Sometimes the books aren’t that great. And sometimes it’s not their kids’ favorite books, but

they’re the books that tend to stick around.”

Kennedy and Bird, then the youth materials specialist for the New York Public Library, announced the festival by publishing Kennedy’s abridged, 90-second video version of A Wrinkle in Time , which starred his niece, nephew, and their friends. The video went “semi-viral,” according to Kennedy, and was featured on websites like Jezebel, Vulture, and the Mary Sue.

The inaugural festival had live shows in Chicago, Portland, and New York, with Kennedy noting that there was “a lot of interest from the very beginning.”

Bird, now the collection development manager for Evanston Public Library, has steadily promoted the festival through a Fuse #8 Production, her popular children’s literature blog with School Library Journal.

Among other methods, Kennedy promotes the festival through in-person workshops at schools and libraries, where he discusses filmmaking best practices and presents previous submissions.

He says he received about 500 submissions a year before the COVID-19 shutdown but faced a “precipitous dropo ” when hosting virtual live shows in 2021 and 2022. He says that since resuming in-person live shows in 2023, the number of entries has begun to recover.

Kennedy says his favorite submissions are humorous and subversive, noting that they’re “funniest when the genre is the farthest away from the original thing.” He also looks for a “sense of craft,” and often advises kids at workshops to “make something that even a stranger would love.”

He notes, “I think that often makes kids up their game a little bit when they realize it’s out on the Internet.”

Teachers who have participated in the festival say that it allows their students to creatively engage with the Newbery texts.

Maya O’Neal, a visual arts teacher at South Shore Fine Arts Academy, has had her students participate in the festival through Play in a Book, a CPS vendor for in-school arts services.

She says the school combines three di erent grades each year to collaborate on a submission. Her students have previously created a thriller-inspired adaptation of Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night and a comedic version of The Girl Who Drank the Moon , and this year will submit a sci-fi version of A Wrinkle in Time.

THE 90-SECOND NEWBERY FILM FESTIVAL

Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State Sat 3/9, 2–4 PM, reserve free tickets in advance 90secondnewbery.com

The 2023 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, which saw a return to in-person shows JAMES KENNEDY

Her students have attended one regular live show and a virtual show viewing party at South Shore Fine Arts Academy and had their submissions shown both times.

“It makes them feel like they’re celebrities, they’re important,” O’Neal says. “They’re always really shocked.”

Educator Jennifer Sampson says she and her daughter sent in “Wes Anderson-esque” submissions as part of their homeschool curriculum; she later brought the festival to the classroom when she began teaching middle school English at Elgin Academy in 2022.

“It gives kids who might struggle more with writing a paper, analyzing that stuff, a way to think about elements of literature in a way that feels a little bit more comfortable,” she says. “It’s a good gateway drug to literary analysis.”

This year, Sampson’s fifth-grade students submitted an adaptation of Hoot . When asked about the challenges of making the film, titled Hoot: Snow Day, fifth-grader Hannah Hairston noted the di erence in the filming climate compared to the narrative setting of Florida.

“It was literally snowing when we filmed,” she says.

Hairston says Hoot is “definitely [her] favorite book” and that she’s “so excited” to attend her first-ever live show this year.

Sampson says some of her students and their families attended last year’s live show and saw some of their films, which “makes school stuff seem real.”

“It’s really important in education that kids feel like the kinds of things they do can have impact on the wider world,” she says.

“That they’re not all just living in this box and filling out their worksheets. But there is a way in which things they make can matter to other people. “

Sixth-grader Sanya Singh, who helped make a comedic short film on Hatchet last year, says participating helped her better understand the book. She says her favorite memory of the festival was when, during filming, she and her two partners kept laughing during takes.

“Even though we had to keep rerecording, the giggles were fun,” she says. “And then at the end, we saw it all come to life.”

Leanne Ellis—who teaches gifted and talented education and advanced English at Lincoln Hall Middle School in Lincolnwood—first participated in the festival in 2017, when her eighth-grade students submitted a “stunning” rap about The Crossover . She says that her students appreciate the “flexibility and agency” allowed by the project, in addition to being able to track their own growth throughout the years of submissions.

“I think anytime you can provide the students with an opportunity for a real-world audience experience for what they’re doing in school, that’s really valuable,” she says. “I’m always looking for those connections.”

Leila Poladian, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Hall, says she was worried about how the live audience would receive her group’s film on El Deafo, which was featured last year. She says her video ultimately got a “big round of applause” which “gave [her] a lot of confidence” in its quality.

“Creating something that’s four minutes, I think, is better for the mind, honestly,” she says. “Because you’re not just mindlessly scrolling. . . . Also, you’re gaining information about the book, and you’re getting a greater understanding compared to a short video.”

The festival also yields submissions from families, with Kennedy encouraging parent help.

The Falco family of Elk Grove Village has entered films every year since 2021, all of which

have been featured at live shows. Brad Falco says he’s made three submissions with his oldest son, Mack, age six, and one also including his son Archer, age three. He’s gradually given more creative freedom to Mack, with recent films showcasing his drawings via green screen and expressing more ideas on how to incorporate “movie magic.”

This year, they made a film on Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices , featuring poems “mostly involving ninjas,” written by Mack.

“It kind of gets all our creative juices going,” he says. “It’s definitely something I look forward to every year—it seems like they do as well.”

Kennedy says he hopes to expand the festival to more performance arts schools and new cities like Los Angeles, and increase its international presence. He says he’s received submissions from Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey, and France over the years and plans to travel to Provence, France, next fall to teach a weeklong 90-Second Newbery filmmaking workshop.

He says the festival imparts valuable lessons related to problem-solving and project management, in addition to encouraging close reading of the text.

“If people approach it in the right spirit, in the spirit of earnest craftsmanship,” Kennedy says, “it forces you to learn those skills in a way that I don’t think much else in school makes you do.” v

m letters@chicagoreader.com

Stills from past festival entries JAMES KENNEDY

FILM

Get showtimes and see reviews of everything playing this week at chicagoreader.com/movies

NOW PLAYING

RDune: Part Two

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two is an epic continuation of the Dune saga. Set in the immediate a ermath of Dune: Part One, we find Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Jessica Atreides (Rebecca Ferguson) traveling with a band of Fremen, which includes Paul’s friend and soon-to-be love interest Chani (Zendaya). Avoiding Harkonnen ambushes and coordinating an ongoing rebellion against the same forces who’ve murdered their family and taken control of the desert planet Arrakis, Paul is haunted by messianic visions of a holy war, leading him on an inevitably destructive path.

It’s ultimately a bittersweet film, where even the rising sentiment of hope is covered in a bleak sense of inability to fully control our circumstances. Villeneuve strongly excels in creating a visual language—it’s a stunning achievement. Each shot and sequence feels fully realized, taking its aesthetic design from thousands of years of historical lore. Benefiting from such extensive source material, Dune: Part Two succeeds in highlighting a narrative mythology that you could find yourself lost in for years. In an age of ever-increasing runtimes, it’s a rare achievement that the film’s 166-minute length feels earned. It’s a propulsive film that dazzles the viewer with visual effects while poignantly delving deeper into the myriad themes that were beginning to be posed in its first act—ecological collapse, resource scarcity, religion, empires, gender dynamics, and the corrupting influence of power. Simply put, Dune: Part Two is a critical achievement in bringing a previously poorly captured story to screen. —ADAM

MULLINS-KHATIB

PG-13, 166 min. Wide release in theaters

ROrdinary Angels

Sincerity is like comedy—we all seem to need it simply to get through life, but it can be quite a difficult trick to pull off. In a refreshing twist, Ordinary Angels takes the faith-based melodrama and injects it with the kind of empathetic energy that could wring tears from even the most godless among us.

The true story it’s based on—that of the Louisville, Kentucky, community who rallied together to save a young child in need of a lifesaving liver transplant— is indeed so inspirational that Ordinary Angels feels a need to justify the remarkable efforts hairdresser Sharon Stevens (Hilary Swank) made on behalf of the Schmitt family.

Sharon not only raised money a er the Schmitts found themselves broke and in disarray a er the death

of family matriarch Theresa (Amy Acker), she also found a private plane to transport Michelle (Emily Mitchell) to the hospital. But it all would’ve been for naught had the community not pulled together when a liver became available during one of the worst storms in Kentucky history, all so Michelle could make it to the hospital in time for the surgery to save her life.

Why would a complete stranger show such selflessness? The movie feels a need to provide answers by giving Sharon subplots involving alcoholism and an estranged adult son, neither of which were true of her real-life counterpart. Swank elevates the material with a performance that exudes empathy, sharing a remarkable platonic chemistry with Alan Ritchson as Ed Schmitt, a father stubbornly, stoically devoted to saving his family as his daughter’s condition becomes increasingly tenuous.

Both also hail from small-town, working-class backgrounds that no doubt inform their remarkably grounded realism which eschews condescending affectations, and there’s no small benefit to a screenplay from actress Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig, writer and director of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. There’s the added benefit of the 90s setting too, which allows for a much safer depiction of a time when community and religion could be le to themselves and embody the best qualities of both.

—ANDREA THOMPSON PG, 118 min. Wide release in theaters

RA Revolution on Canvas

The documentary A Revolution on Canvas is framed as an effort to retrieve Nicky Nodjoumi’s paintings from the repressive government of Iran. It also, though, functions as a biography of Nodjoumi, and, crucially, of his ex-wife, Nahid Hagigat, whose own artistic career was put on hold to support her husband. The implicit sexism in the marriage is impossible to separate from the oppressive sexism of the Iranian Islamic regime.

Directed by Nicky and Nahid’s daughter, Sara Nodjoumi, and her husband, Till Schauder, the film avoids hagiography and instead becomes a family portrait of the necessity for and limitations of revolution.

The young Nicky Nodjoumi was a vocal critic of the Shah and his government; he was arrested and tortured. A er the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Nodjoumi was asked to

submit paintings for an exhibit at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. His powerful, expressionist images pilloried the new government of clerical repression, and the backlash forced him to flee the country for fear of his life. His wife and daughter were already in the U.S., and as he tried to build a painting career in exile, Nahid set her own artwork aside to make money and care for Sara.

The documentary has a leisurely pace; the camera

lingers on photos which are both memories and references for Nicky’s paintings. The directors give Nicky and Nahid space to reflect on their past, their disillusionment, and their hopes at the upswell of women-led protests in Iran. “The revolution that we did was shit,” Nicky says. The new one, though, inspires him. A Revolution on Canvas dreams of a better uprising, in which Iran can embrace not just Nicky’s artwork, but Nahid’s and Sarah’s as well. —NOAH BERLATSKY 95 min. HBO v

Ordinary Angels (top) / Dune: Part Two (bottom) LIONSGATE / NIKO TAVERNISE/WARNER BROS.

BY MARGARET ATWOOD

DIRECTED BY SUSAN V. BOOTH

An unexpected remix of Homer’s The Odyssey, told by the celebrated and subversive author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale). It’s her turn. Penelope has waited 20 years for her husband to return from the Trojan War. Now, as authorial control shifts to Odysseus’ long-suffering wife—and the 12 faithful maids who have long tended to her—we discover a new perspective on the domestic vigil. This ancient tale told anew by “one of the most admired authors in North America” (NPR) gives voice to those left behind.

NOW THROUGH MARCH 31

MUSIC

CHICAGOANS OF NOTE

Kai Akili, neosoul artist and founder of Forever Noir

“The name ‘Forever Noir’ says that Black people are gonna be here forever. Our art will leave echoes for years to come.”

As told to DMB (DEBBIE-MARIE BROWN)

Born and raised in Chicago, Kai Akili (aka Tyler Martin) is a neosoul musician and recording artist who also works in performing and visual arts, event curation, and fine arts curation. He’s the founder and director of a creative company and independent record label called Forever Noir, which hosts open mikes on the south side and uses professional interviews and music videos to promote the local artists who make up its operations team. Other members of Forever Noir include DJ Stain (aka fashion designer Stan R), Domeríe, Chronicle, Asha Omega, and Bbypnda. PrettyRiot acts as creative director.

Forever Noir advocates for what it calls “healing through expression,” in part by providing shared creative opportunities through arts education programming. Akili says Forever Noir envisions a world where artistic expression heals hearts, uplifts spirits, and unites communities. “We strive to illuminate the path toward healing in marginalized communities,” he says, “fostering resilience, hope, and lasting positive change.”

Igrew up listening to a lot of soul music. I didn’t get into hip-hop until elementary school, middle school almost. That influenced my sound, because I was always more inclined to listen to smooth music over harder rap. When I started learning piano and music theory, I realized—in listening to the music that I loved—that I loved it so much because of the arrangements, the movement in the music. The chord structures were just crazy.

I’m a neosoul artist. I still rap, but neosoul is me blending more of my love for soul music in general—my love for weird cadences and weird pockets sonically and melodically—and building on that, so I can approach artists in

that same way. So I can implement my musicianship with others a little bit more.

Unlike most people who I’m around, I didn’t get started with music until high school. I started playing piano in sophomore year and found I had a natural talent for it. Soon I discovered places like the Hyde Park Art Center not far from my high school. I used to go there for after-school programs and other community restorative-justice-type programs that they had.

Then I’d expand my music and performance knowledge at places like YCA, Young Chicago Authors, where I’d do their open mikes and get a sense of what the Chicago art scene kind of looks like. The art center was where I got a lot of the event-curation background. We were learning not only how to approach arts in a fine-arts perspective but, as I mentioned, doing more restorative justice work. The programs allowed us to find our voice as young creatives.

I was only doing spoken word at some of the open mikes, probably around the age of 16. I started by handwriting a little poetry here and there. I was always going out to YCA’s WordPlay Tuesday, which was strictly for youth, and either trying out pieces or being absorbed by the pieces that were performed.

As I started leaving to college, a lot of people who are either in my grade or the year before were hosting their own open mikes at the Hyde Park Art Center or elsewhere in the city. Playing piano and sharing my poetry helped me get the feel of how to be in front of people and how to speak.

I went to Dillard University in New Orleans to learn jazz. I wasn’t rapping or anything until I got to college. I also went down there to form a band. That didn’t work out, exactly. But in New Orleans I found that there were artists

who needed a stage. I was expecting there to be more established or more comfortable artists, who were performing a little bit more of the same way that I was in high school in Chicago, but I didn’t see that as much as I anticipated. And there were a lot more artists out there that were looking for their first stage.

I cofounded a student organization called Black Tide Entertainment that took over the open-mike scene happening on campus. We hosted the open mikes. Population-wise, Dillard was no bigger than my high school, so it was really easy to get a handle on the culture down there. I ended up joining their student activities board and doing events with them, as well as partnering with Black Tide to bring artists on a stage—and potentially have the chance to open up for our bigger artists that would come for homecoming and our Spring Fest event.

I was the president [of BTE], and we started in 2015 developing more infrastructure around what Black Tide looked like. As a student organization, we had to have a constitution and an executive board. But I saw that as an opportunity to create a music industry within the college network. I realized that people were going to school for mass communications. And we needed those skills. Students believed in what we were doing, and so finding people who would go to school for the things that we needed became easy. People who were in film, we asked to use some of their equipment, and people who were in the theater, we were working with them for di erent events or creating stages that incorporated our music in there too.

We had a connection with a bunch of New Orleans elementary schools, and our job was to connect with them to do creative writing workshops during their recess time or something like that—to teach students how to express themselves. I wanted to bring that part to Chicago as well and have us implement stu at places like the Hyde Park Art Center or places that we all went to in high school.

Iabruptly left back to Chicago around what would have been my senior year because of personal stu happening at home. Black Tide needed to come with me, but the move was jarring. Immediately, I didn’t have as many resources. On campus, I was able to go to the Student Union and have an event; I could go to our humanities building, where the theater was, and do something in there if I needed to. I didn’t have that access when I came back home. Stu had to be paid for.

My first official event in Chicago was an artist showcase at the Promontory called Soulfest in 2018 featuring Søzi (formerly known as Iso), Franchika (at the time a part of a group called YourFriends), the rapper Ausar, Brittney Carter, and myself.

After Soulfest happened, I started connecting with people such as DJ Cymba, who’s a part of Huey Gang, and TheGr8Thinkaz. We took 2019 by storm doing a handful of events prior to the pandemic. One in particular was called Spiritual Trap, which was a way to kind of blend the duality of how Black people are inherently spiritual while embracing newer elements of Black expression, which comes by way of trap music and what we’d consider trap elements.

I quickly learned that events weren’t the best way to turn a profit. When we were in college, we weren’t charging anybody for events because they happened on campus, which we had free access to. So profit wasn’t our number one goal. But it had to be when it came to doing events in Chicago.

In 2018 and 2019, Black Tide was not sure how we wanted to move forward outside of doing events. At the time, it was more of an artist collective. We’d jumped headfirst into doing huge events before realizing that’s not a sustainable model when we get to the winter months, where it’s a little bit colder, or the summer months, where we’re competing with a bunch of di erent events going on.

Black Tide was built on the foundation of creating a legacy of expression by building stages for artists who essentially have never used their voice. But I wanted to build on that a little bit more intensely. And that’s when we evolved into Forever Noir.

We got a little bit more refined with our mission, which is “to heal through expression.” Now we exist as a creative agency and independent record label, specializing in events and curriculum-based art programming. As well as looking into having collectible merchandise and other partnerships and initiatives that kind of further our mission and vision.

In 2023, for example, we had a partnership with the Silver Room running their monthly open-mike series. We funnel talent into there for the featured artists and the hosts. In another partnership with the Silver Room, my company Forever Noir hosted a May open mike at the Museum of Science and Industry, which was a collaborative celebration of the Silver Room’s 25th anniversary and the museum’s 90th anniversary.

Outside of that, though, the way that we

push our initiative best is by creating specific experiences for certain artists or creatives. For example, PrettyRiot’s primarily a poet, host, and radio personality. Working with her in the Silver Room, we were able to create what’s now Behind the Skyline, a poetry night that’s been going on for about four or five months at this point.

Iwant to be able to change how the music industry runs. Right now it sucks putting music on streaming and trying to get paid or make a living from that. I realized that artists that are a part of any label should focus on other ways that the music can be absorbed and experienced. Music is great, but especially now, when artists are more looked at as a brand, music acts as the backdrop—it’s the

MUSIC

started playing piano, seeing how people were moved by it. And before that, looking at poetry and seeing how much I’m moved by other people’s words, right?

I started doing darkroom photography first. That was very intense, because it wasn’t just “take a picture, snap it, delete it if you don’t like it.” You had to be intentional about the shot that you were taking. I fell in love with that attention to detail, the process of developing the product and then seeing how it makes people feel.

There are actual methods to heal—through what we perceive as art, through expression in different ways—and Forever Noir utilizes that knowledge to lead by example, but also to go out and teach, so that people can do that themselves and create. They don’t have to be a high-level rapper or artist to know how to express themselves and heal from that.

“A person, regardless of their past, regardless of what they’ve experienced, can start to write their own story if they look exactly where they’re standing, understand what power they have, and go forward to make their story theirs.”

soundtrack to the stu that people are experiencing in their lives.

There’s so much more that can be done with music itself that I think we would like to capitalize on, as well as creating specific merchandise for artists to be able to connect with their fans, outside of just T-shirts and stu like that. PrettyRiot is a great example. She has merchandise that’s stationery paper with journal prompts, things of that nature, to incentivize writing. We’ll use those prompts as well during our poetry nights, to facilitate conversation. So she’ll write a prompt. And we’ll have a community poem that goes around, and we’ll have discussion around that. It allows us to look a little bit wider and deeper and see how does this artist heal through expression? And how does this artist show what they’re best at, in the best way?

My passion for putting people on a stage comes from seeing, when I’m rapping onstage, how much people are into it. Or before, when I

Our slogan for this campaign, SOULSZN, is “Everything starts right where you are.” It’s really understanding that a person, regardless of their past, regardless of what they’ve experienced, can start to write their own story if they look exactly where they’re standing, understand what power they have, and go forward to make their story theirs.

The name “Forever Noir” says that Black people are gonna be here forever. Our art will leave echoes for years to come, and it’s already done that. It’s the Harlem Renaissance centennial. The future looks like us taking more of a stake in institutions that we’re a part of, such as the Hyde Park Art Center, and places like Chicago Public Schools in general. Being able to partner with them to do di erent courses, host bigger fundraising events, or lean into the nitty-gritty of getting into community engagement and building in that way while having an entertainment focus.

The next Forever Noir event is on March 23 at Jugrnaut. It’s a Women in Music mixer. I’m also working on my debut album; it’ll be releasing sometime next year. The first single from that, called “Frequency,” is out now streaming everywhere. Debut album next year, with an EP dropping at the end of this year called REM. v

m dmbrown@chicagoreader.com

THE SECRET HISTORY OF CHICAGO

Dusty Brown left behind a discography much smaller than his talent

This hardworking blues harpist released just two singles under his own name, but he shared stages with a staggering number of legendary musicians.

By STEVE KRAKOW

Since 2005 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.

Some musicians use formal training to reach the pinnacle of their craft, but others get there without it—that’s probably why people say that artists like Dusty Brown were “born” to play the blues. This underrated harmonica player grew up in a sharecropper’s family in the Mississippi Delta, just like many of the blues legends he’d accompany throughout his career. Music making was a necessity of life for many people struggling to get by in those rough conditions, and the talent Brown developed during those years took him to unimagined heights.

Brown was born Clement W. Triplett on March 11, 1929, in a tiny town called Trail Lake (aka Tralake) near Greenville, Mississippi. He passed away on July 10, 2016, at age 87. His discography is slim, but his long history as a performer makes his importance clear.

When Brown was eight or nine years old— he couldn’t remember for sure—his mother left Mississippi for Chicago. “She asked me if I wanted to come North but I wanted to stay down South and help and make a crop with

my brother on the farm, but I wasn’t much of a farmer,” Brown told Mike Stephenson in a 2005 interview for venerable UK magazine Blues & Rhythm.

Brown took care of that brother’s three kids and worked on the farm, but they eventually gave up on the crop. He started driving a tractor, but he didn’t much care for it. When two of his other brothers left the harmonica they shared unattended in the house, he discovered something he liked to do. “I learned to blow a couple things,” he said.

Brown didn’t get to see much live blues as a lad, but he listened to Louis Jordan and fell in love with his voice. When he was 15 years old, he used to drive blues guitarist Eddie Cusic to house parties and gigs. Cusic, also a native of the Mississippi Delta, was just a few years older than Brown, but he’d already become

a respected musician around Greenville. In the early 1950s, Cusic would teach future star Little Milton some licks on guitar.

In 1946, Brown moved to Chicago. He went to work as a cab driver, initially picking up shifts via a niece’s cousin who shared two cabs with his wife. From the start, Chicago gave Brown lots more opportunities to go to concerts: he caught Cab Calloway at a movie palace, and he saw Sonny Boy Williamson I shortly before his murder in 1948. He met Tampa Red at Red’s residency at a hotel on 22nd and Calumet, and he went to a Muddy Waters gig where the master was backed by just a drummer.

Most significant, Brown befriended harmonica idol Little Walter, who lived in the same building as Brown’s mother. “Walter left so much out there for other harmonica players to learn from,” Brown told Blues & Rhythm

“He had a fast mind, he was always ahead of himself, that’s why he could think and play like he did.” Walter also took Brown for his first meal in Chinatown, though he didn’t have a driver’s license and had to stick to side streets.

Brown got his start in Chicago playing with guitarist-singer Joe Little and his drummer, and within a month he’d become Little’s bandleader instead. (Brown also refers to Little as “Little Joe” and “Baby Joe Little,” and some sources identify this person as Little Son Joe, best known as Memphis Minnie’s last husband.) Throughout the 1950s he gigged mostly on the west side—including at the Casbah or Kasbah on Lake near Kedzie (where he took over from Freddie King), at Mel’s Hideaway, aka the Tay May Club, at 1400 W. Roosevelt (where he got let go to make room for Magic Sam’s band), and at Charlie’s Lounge at 1811 W.

STEVE KRAKOW FOR CHICAGO

4544

World Music Wednesday - New Season! A weekly showcase of world music and dance featuring the best local and touring talent. Full lineup at oldtownschool.org

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 5PM & 8PM

Charlie Parr In Szold Hall

MONDAY, MARCH 11 8PM

Rickie Lee Jones In Maurer Hall

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 8PM

Bernhoft In Szold Hall

SATURDAY, MARCH 16 8PM

The Nields In Szold Hall

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 8PM

Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper In Maurer Hall

MONDAY, MARCH 25 8PM

El Perro del Mar

with special guest NOIA In Maurer Hall

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 8PM

Altan In Maurer Hall

SATURDAY, MARCH 30 8PM

Andrew Sa / Jake Blount In Maurer Hall

THURSDAY, APRIL 11 8PM

Paula Cole In Maurer Hall

SATURDAY, APRIL 13 3PM & 6PM Ladysmith Black Mambazo In Maurer Hall

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continued from p. 32

Roosevelt (where he maintained a three-year residency).

Plenty of players passed through Brown’s band during these years, including Big Guitar Red (aka Walter William Smith), guitarist Hip Linkchain and his bassist brother, Jug, and drummer Bob Richey (who must’ve felt tempted to give himself a colorful nickname too).

Brown also claims to have given Tyrone Davis his first singing gig at around this time. The future soul star came out to several of Brown’s gigs and talked shop with him, then finally gathered his courage and joined the band for a few numbers onstage at a North Lawndale club near Ogden and Sawyer where Brown played on the regular. As Brown tells it, after that Davis came out to sing every Sunday.

Brown also sat in with a staggering list of greats, among them Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bobby Rush, Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Reed, and Eddie Taylor—often at jam sessions at a club near California and Roosevelt that for at least part of its life was called Walton’s Corner. He liked to keep an eye on the harp-blowing competition—Junior Wells, Little Addison, Good Rockin’ Charles—and he started taking younger players under his wing.

As busy as Brown stayed as a performer during this stretch, he had less success as a recording artist. He’d been turned away by Vee-Jay and Chess when powerful local DJ and promoter Al Benson recorded him in 1955 for his own Parrot Records label, which had also released music by the likes of Sunnyland Slim, Von Freeman, J.B. Lenoir, Ahmad Jamal, and the Flamingos. Brown’s single “Yes She’s Gone” b/w “He Don’t Love You” came out that year, with Joe Little on guitar, Johnny Sturdivant on drums, and Henry Gray on piano.

Parrot had launched a few hits (it often distributed big-selling records through Chess and its subsidiary Checker), but Brown’s wonderfully raw 78 wasn’t one of them. Brown told Blues & Rhythm that he thought his single had been blackballed because of Benson’s troubles with the local musicians’ union. Parrot never released the two other tracks Brown recorded at that session, “Rusty Dusty” and “Hurry Home”—they appeared only on later compilations.

Parrot folded in 1956, so a small new local operation called Bandera Records released Brown’s second and final studio recording under his own name in 1959. “Please Don’t Go” b/w “Well, You Know” is a reverb-heavy slab of primordial electric blues that features Jug

and Hip Linkchain (who will definitely appear in the Secret History of Chicago Music soon), Henry Gray, and Bob Richey. “See, those fellas, we could do anything together because we knew what one another would do,” Brown said.

The Bandera single wasn’t a runaway hit either, but both records helped Brown land more gigs at a time when blues clubs were beginning to open on the north side too. In his Blues & Rhythm interview he specifically mentions playing the Club Evergreen, which was at 1322 N. Clybourn.

Brown’s career as a musician tapered off in the 1960s. He was committed to keeping his day job, so he couldn’t play five or even seven nights a week like some of his peers, and gigs were getting sparse for everybody but A-list blues artists. But after fans in Europe discovered Brown’s recordings, he found new kinds of gigs in the 70s.

For his first two decades in music, Brown had performed almost exclusively in Chicago. But in 1972 he toured Europe with pianist Sonny Thompson and drummer Bill Warren in a group led by guitarist Luther “Snake” Johnson. Johnson had moved to Chicago in the early 60s and briefly played in Muddy Waters’s band before leaving for Boston in 1970.

moved into a trailer in Montgomery, Alabama, to look after her ailing parents. He didn’t play music for more than a decade. Once he moved back to the west side of Chicago in the early 2000s, though, he quickly got back into the game. In 2005 he joined a group called the Chicago Blues Harmonica Project—which brought him together with old cohort Little Addison and fellow harp ragers Omar Coleman, Larry Cox, Russ Green, and Harmonica Khan #1—to

Brown had been turned away by Vee-Jay and Chess when powerful local DJ and promoter Al Benson recorded him in 1955 for his own Parrot Records label.

record the Severn Records release Diamonds in the Rough . Each harpist played lead on a few songs, and Brown chose “I Got to Go” and a remake of “He Don’t Love You.”

The whole group, Brown included, appears on Johnson’s 1972 LP Born in Georgia . They gigged as far as east as Yugoslavia, and the tour went well enough that Thompson, Warren, and Johnson relocated overseas to keep playing for even longer. Brown had to come home because of his day job, though, but he didn’t have a way to tell his bosses he’d be a week late. He got fired after a dozen years of service.

This led to some major life changes for Brown. He moved to Joliet to take a welding job for tractor maker Caterpillar, where he stayed until his retirement in 1991. Somehow he also ran his own club in Chicago Heights, where he’d perform regularly—he opened Dusty’s Lounge at 154 E. 16th Street in 1976 and ran it till it burned down in 1984.

“The club was open every day, but I only had the band in on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, because I was working on my job and running the club too,” Brown told Blues & Rhythm. “It was kinda hard on me.” He remembers the likes of Jimmy Reed, Little Walter, Jimmy Dawkins, and Howlin’ Wolf dropping by to sit in with his group.

After Brown retired in ’91, he and his wife

In 2001 Brown appeared on the compilation Blues and Gospel From the Bandera, Laredo and Jerico Road Labels of Chicago, released by UK label Ace. His four cuts include two unreleased tracks from the late-50s Bandera session. He played the Chicago Blues Festival in 2005.

At that point Brown was 76 years old, and he’d accepted that his chance to become a star had passed him by long ago. “I don’t push myself in music,” he told Blues & Rhythm. “Back when I wanted to do it, I couldn’t get to where I wanted to get then, so I’m not going to kill myself playing no music now. Just now and then suits me.”

It’s too late to help Brown get to where he wanted, but his work still deserves to be heard—and not just by the blues harmonica blowers he’ll surely be inspiring for generations to come. v

The radio version of the Secret History of Chicago Music airs on Outside the Loop on WGN Radio 720 AM, Saturdays at 5 AM with host Mike Stephen. Past shows are archived at outsidetheloopradio.com/tag/secrethistory-of-chicago-music.

WINNETKA MUSIC FESTIVAL

JUNE 14&15 2024

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BAND OF HORSES MILKY CHANCE

HALF MOON RUN YOLA RAYLAND BAXTER

MICHIGANDER CAROLINE JONES REBIRTH BRASS BAND

HEARTLESS BASTARDS THE VERVE PIPE

AX AND THE HATCHETMEN GRACE BOWERS MIKAELA DAVIS

ZACH SEABAUGH ELIZABETH MOEN BILLY ALLEN + THE POLLIES

TORS NEPTUNE’S CORE SHANE GUERRETTE + MORE TBA

DOWNTOWN WINNETKA, IL • WINNETKAMUSICFESTIVAL.COM

UPCOMING SHOWS

MAR 29 & 30

LANY WITH JUNIOR VARSITY AND CONOR BURNS

MAR 8 AC SLATER . . . . . . . . . . . THE SHED WITH CID, JACK BEATS AND MPH

APR 2 & 3 BENSON BOONE . . . . . . . THE SHED

APR 11 JEFF ROSENSTOCK . . . . . THE SHED WITH SIDNEY GISH AND GLADIE

APR 20 WAXAHATCHEE . . . . . . . . THE SHED WITH GOOD MORNING

THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT

APR 26 STRFKR . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE SHED WITH RUTH RADELET ON SALE NOW

SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE SALT SHED THE

Recommended and notable shows with critics’ insights for the week of March 7

MUSIC

PICK OF THE WEEK

Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff dons an outlaw cowboy hat on The Past Is Still Alive

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF, NNAMDÏ

Thu 3/14, 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $31, $26 in advance. 18+

I TEARED UP a bit watching the video for “Hawkmoon,” o Hurray for the Ri Ra ’s new album, The Past Is Still Alive (Nonesuch). The Americana band is led by genius singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra, who ran away from home at age 17 and spent time hopping freight trains before establishing their musical career. On “Hawkmoon,” Segarra, who identifies as nonbinary, pays tribute to Miss Jonathan, an unhoused trans rapper and poet they traveled with years ago. Segarra sings that Miss Jonathan was “beaten in the street” the last time they saw her, but the video doesn’t portray traumatic violence. Instead, it shows Segarra and actor-musician Denny Agassi riding through the desert, cheerfully breaking a car window, going to diners, and hanging out on the open

road, all soundtracked by folk rock topped with a fierce guitar solo. “I’ve become the kind of girl that they warned me about,” Segarra sings, and though the video’s borrowings from the iconography of westerns suggest that they’re referring to being an outlaw or a bandit, the context makes it clear that they’re also a dangerous girl because they’re not cis. I’m the father of a trans daughter, and at a time when trans people are being viciously targeted and criminalized, watching Segarra celebrate their queer heroes and friends—and especially queer outlaws—hit me unexpectedly hard. The rest of The Past Is Still Alive—and all of Segarra’s oeuvre—is great too. But for me, “Hawkmoon” is one of those rare songs that feels like a personal gift. —NOAH

BERLATSKY

THURSDAY7

JACK Quartet 8:30 PM, Constellation, 3111 N. Western, $25. 18+

Last time JACK Quartet played in Chicago, in 2020, the group performed Georg Friedrich Haas’s epic String Quartet No. 9 as it was intended: in total darkness. The Austrian composer specifies that you shouldn’t even be able to see the outline of your hand a few inches from your face. JACK followed his instructions to the letter, eschewing stand lights and even the glow of an exit sign to play the commanding 45-minute score entirely by ear and memory.

That’s JACK. Violinists Austin Wulliman and Christopher Otto, violist John Pickford Richards, and cellist Jay Campbell are unfazed by the most flummoxing musical demands. The ensemble returns to Chicago with two wet-ink pieces by its violinists: Wulliman’s The Late Edition (inspired by his searingly brilliant 2023 solo debut, The News From Utopia) and Otto’s Miserere, A er Nathaniel Giles (inspired by the English Renaissance organist’s 1594 piece “Miserere: A Duo on 38 Rhythmic Proportions,” which Otto previously arranged for four violins). Last month, JACK accompanied New York composer Amy Williams at her portrait concert in Columbia University’s Miller Theatre, and here they’ll revisit her brand-new Tangled Madrigal, which also draws upon 16th-century source material—it riffs on the 1555 work Musica Prisca Caput by Italian music theorist Nicola Vincentino, which he wrote on a microtonal keyboard of his own invention that uses 31 pitches to the octave.

The program is rounded out by the closest thing JACK has to canonical selections: John Zorn’s 2003 work Necronomicon , which will appear this fall on the group’s forthcoming release of Zorn’s complete string quartets, and Iannis Xenakis’s 1983 piece Tetras , which JACK recorded in 2009 for a survey of the late avant-garde composer’s complete quartets.

Ever since Chicago’s uncompromising Spektral Quartet (Wulliman’s former group) parted ways in 2022, local new-music fans have been eagerly awaiting an enterprising quartet to fill the space left by that ensemble. For all the classical music happening in our city, it’s home to disproportionately few high-flying string quartets; of them, none make music by living composers their bread and butter. Perhaps JACK will sow some inspiration.

—HANNAH EDGAR

SATURDAY9

Alessandro Cortini Lia Kohl and Whitney Johnson open. 8 PM, Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland, $51.92. 21+

Alessandro Cortini is a real head whose modularsynth collection would make Wendy Carlos weep. Some years ago, when the Italian-born multiinstrumentalist and composer was relocating from Los Angeles to Berlin, he was so protective of his instruments—an assortment of rare, vintage, and custom rigs that includes drum machines, computer monitors, effects pedals, and other odds and ends befitting a rabid appreciator of arcane tech—that he attached a GPS tracker to his shipping container.

TOMMY KHA

MUSIC

Now working from Lisbon, he uses that impressive tool kit to baptize listeners in a luscious, haunting pool of vibrations.

Cortini studied guitar at LA’s famed Musicians Institute, so you know he’s got range, but his compositions are always distinguished by a subtle but delightful hint of menace. Though he’s best known as an on-and-off member of Nine Inch Nails and a Trent Reznor collaborator, he’s also worked with electronic-rock outfits like Ladytron and pop stars like Christina Aguilera. He’s developed an ear for synth-pop, drone, and techno, not just the unsettling, ethereal ambience that distinguished his time with NIN, and he brings that appetite for variety to his solo work.

In 2021, Cortini collaborated with cutting-edge synthesizer manufacturer Make Noise to create a semi-modular synth and effects unit called the Strega (Italian for “witch”), which reflects his unique

taste for elegantly uncanny sounds. At his Epiphany Center for the Arts debut, presented by Reflections and Synth History, Cortini will fill the cathedral with the dark textures of atmospheric music so subtly complex that you’ll wonder where your sudden urge to make a blood sacrifice to the synth gods came from. —MICCO CAPORALE

Otoboke Beaver See also Sun 3/10. Drinking Boys & Girls Choir and Ovef Ow open. 7:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $30. 17+

I’d never claim to know every current music scene top to bottom, but I follow Japan’s noisy underground pretty closely. That’s partly because I’ve toured there a few times and booked or collaborated with lots of Japanese artists. But mostly it’s because I’ve happened upon so many Japanese

musicians with an uncanny ability to tap into whatever is great and intense about their chosen genres. When I came across Otoboke Beaver, their colorful go-go outfits and giddy enthusiasm grabbed my attention, and I quickly discovered they were punk as fuck—worthy inheritors of the lineage founded by the likes of the Boredoms, Melt-Banana, Ruins, and Shonen Knife. This Kyoto four-piece, formed in 2009, give the finger to obvious influences and clichéd decades-old sounds; instead they’re all about being themselves and going for the jugular. They hop manically between prog, hardcore, free jazz, noise, and garagey surf rock (o en in the same song) to create a laser-focused barrage of musical anarchy. Combined with their defiant attitude—“We’re fun and groovy, but also ass-kicking and lethal”—it made me an instant fan.

Otoboke Beaver had to cancel a few tours due to the pandemic, but my prayers were answered

in 2022 when they announced fall U.S. dates—their Empty Bottle show that October became my first “big concert” a er years of nada. They oozed charisma onstage and set a high bar for post-lockdown ferocity. Singer Accorinrin actually flipped the bird at the crowd at every opportunity, o en commanding them to be completely silent (and they did it!), while guitarist Yoyoyoshie chit-chatted with a huge grin. It was a charming, deliriously subversive good time.

Because I loved the ecstatic intimacy of Otoboke Beaver’s Empty Bottle gig, I skipped their next local show, at Thalia Hall in February 2023—I was afraid their power might not translate to a larger stage. But a er revisiting their catchy, constantly morphing, and expertly recorded 2022 LP, Super Champon , I’m convinced these righteous women could rock any hall with their visceral, aggressively fun madness.

—STEVE KRAKOW

JACK Quartet SHERVIN LAINEZ

Alessandro Cortini EMILIE ELIZABETH

Otoboke Beaver MAYUMI HIRATA

Lætitia Sadier MARIE MERLET

REP THE READER!

MUSIC

continued from p. 37

SUNDAY10

Otoboke Beaver See Sat 3/9. Drinking Boys & Girls Choir and Ganser open. 7:30 PM, Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $30. 17+

TUESDAY12

Lætitia Sadier Radio Outernational opens. 9 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, sold out. 21+ French-born, London-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Lætitia Sadier might still be best known as front woman of the innovative, influential avant-pop band Stereolab (a role she shared with the late Mary Hansen). In the time since that group’s 2009 breakup—and through the years since they reunited in 2019—she has remained creatively restless, lending her talents to a wide variety of collaborations as well as a solo career.

“the Choir,” and their voices are especially luminous on the single “Who + What.” “The Inner Smile” deliberately crashes in a passionate breakdown at the difficulty of wholly loving oneself, while “Don’t Forget You’re Mine” presents a vivid picture of chillingly civil domestic abuse. Album closer “Cloud 6” begins with a heavy chord before tripping out into a delirious dream and a tasty keyboard jam, ending the record on a cautiously optimistic note. As always, Sadier’s arrangements are masterful, and her voice shimmers and slides like a bubble of mercury that never breaks, no matter how hard it’s pushed. —MONICA KENDRICK

WEDNESDAY13

Horse Lords, Ka Baird Horse Lords headline; Ka Baird and Honestly Same open. 9 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $18. 21+

played between 2018 and 2023, but unlike so many concert LPs, it’s by no means a placeholder. It confirms something that the band’s fans have known for a while: Horse Lords are most exciting in concert, where the intensity of their attack infuses their instrumentals with white-knuckle tension. The group’s U.S. tour starts in Minneapolis on March 12, but their guitarist, Owen Gardner, will pass through Chicago on Thursday, March 7, to play a duo concert at the Hungry Brain with local cellist Lia Kohl.

Last month’s Rooting for Love (Drag City) is Sadier’s first solo album since 2017’s Find Me Finding You , but she’s hardly been idle. Last year she released What Will You Grow Now?, her latest collaboration with Brazilian band Mombojó (from the northeastern state of Pernambuco) under the collective name Modern Cosmology. The record reminds us that Sadier’s work has always had elements of bossa nova and tropicalia simmering beneath the space rock and electronica.

Rooting for Love sounds subtle on the surface, but it’s underscored by a seething fire that suggests unquenchable hope for a better world—and a willingness to go down with the ship if it sinks. She’s accompanied by a vocal ensemble simply billed as

Exactly four years ago, Horse Lords were set to celebrate the release of their 2020 album, The Common Task (Northern Spy), with a tour that would have ended with two nights in Chicago. Instead COVID-19 compelled the quartet, then based in Baltimore, to cancel all dates. Most of the band’s members have since moved to Germany, and though they’ve played around Europe for the past two years, their current U.S. tour is their first since before the pandemic. World events have le their mark on the group’s working methods; the layered polyrhythms and precisely articulated microtones on their latest studio record, 2022’s Comradely Objects, reflect the fact that its material was honed in Zoom meetings instead of band rehearsals. Their brand-new release, As It Happened (RVNG), consists of edited live recordings culled from gigs

Sharing the bill is Horse Lords’ RVNG labelmate and former midwesterner Ka Baird, who developed their new LP, Bearings: Soundtracks for the Bardos, partly during a series of intimate Chicago concerts sponsored by Lampo in 2022. Baird’s performances, on their own and in the group Spires That in the Sunset Rise, have always had a ritualistic vibe. But Bearings, which is informed by the experience of nursing their late mother through her final illness, is especially ceremonial. Bursts of intense, breathy activity articulated by Baird’s looped utterances and flute playing alternate with passages of near silence, distorted electronics, and instrumental contributions by a who’s who of the avantgarde, and it all conducts the listener on a journey through imagined states of being and nonbeing.

—BILL MEYER

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Dead Rider and Cheer-Accident open. 6:30 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $30, $25 in advance. b

If you aren’t still in thrall to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum from their first go-round, then I can only assume you don’t know who they are—and now that they’ve reunited after 13 years, you have the enviable opportunity to see them for the first time. SGM play “rock,” in a certain sense, but their gloriously strange music overflows that meager container. They like to call it “rock against rock,” and its innumerable forms include saw-toothed tangles of electric violin and guitar, eerie avant-garde chamber miniatures, devil-and-angel doubled vocals, thundercloud drums rattling with scrap-metal hailstorms, and soaring melodies of garment-rending beauty rendered fractal by mosaics of time signatures. In their persons, the impression they create is both playful and sinister: part fae folk, part Mad Max homesteaders, part far-future priests of an occult posthuman religion.

The band named their brand-new fourth album Sleepytime Gorilla Museum of the Last Human Being (Avant Night), and from the beginning their lyrics have shown a baffled fascination with our civilizational death wish. (To quote a track from 2004: “Mankind is a plague / Breathing hell into every corner of the rotting earth.”) We’ve made a world that’s inhospitable even to ourselves, and SGM suspect that human extinction might be the best thing for it. At the same time, they’ve devoted themselves to the sort of absurd beauty that only humans (as far as we know) have ever produced. Thus divided against itself, SGM’s music shrieks at the heavens, coos soothing words into its own ear, and chants to gods yet to be imagined.

This unreconcilable tension o en manifests itself in exultant inversions of order: “Let the corpse hatch,” SGM proclaim in the new “El Evil.” “Let the dog sing.” The song “Salamander in Two Worlds’’ describes a creature “Strong from poison / Alive

Ka Baird SAMANTHA RIOTT

MUSIC

in the arms of death.” The band’s attempts to grapple with apparent impossibility sometimes seem to actually create the convolutions in their maniacally detailed, toweringly theatrical songs.

Last year, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum reunited with the same lineup they’d evolved into at the time of their hiatus in 2011: guitarist and flutist Nils Frykdahl, violinist Carla Kihlstedt, bassist Dan Rathbun, drummer Matthias Bossi, and utility player Michael Mellender. Everybody sings, most prominently Frykdahl and Kihlstedt. The band’s bewildering armamentarium, still intact from their initial run, also includes bass harmonica, trumpet, nyckelharpa, Marxophone, and Rathbun’s homemade Slide-Piano Log, Electric Pancreas, and PedalAction Wiggler.

In a June 2023 video interview, Frykdahl explained that when the band formed in Oakland in 1999, they wanted to combine the energy of rock and metal with the rigor of 20th-century classical music—and Kihlstedt underlined the point by showing off a signed portrait of Béla Bartók handed down from her great-aunt. SGM began most of the songs on Last Human Being in 2010, though they recorded “S.P.Q.R.” (a cover of This Heat) in 2004. “The Gift,” “Silverfish,” and “Hush, Hush” arose post-hiatus from other active groups in the Sleepytime ecosystem: Free Salamander Exhibit (with Frykdahl, Rathbun, Mellender, and founding SGM drummer David Shamrock) and Kihlstedt and Bossi’s Rabbit Rabbit Radio. (Speaking of the Sleepytime ecosystem, I’d also encourage you to look up Charming Hostess, Faun Fables, Idiot Flesh, Book of Knots, and Tin Hat. Just for starters.)

These days Kihlstedt, Bossi, and their two kids live in Cape Cod; Frykdahl and Rathbun have children too, but they’ve stayed in California. Most of the Sleepytime progeny will join the band on tour, making this a family vacation of extraordinary magnitude.

“The last human being” began occurring as a

subject of SGM’s stage show in 2009, sometimes merely discussed but sometimes also physically embodied by dancer Shinichi Iova-Koga, displayed in a cage. A longtime SGM collaborator and founder of the InkBoat troupe, Iova-Koga also plays the last human in the short film accompanying the new album.

“The new record and the film took their inspiration from the story of Ishi,” says Frykdahl. The last known member of the Native Yahi people and the sole speaker of his language, Ishi walked out of the California foothills in 1911 and spent his final years as a subject of anthropological inquiry. Both SGM projects, by positing a “last human being,” imagine that our extinction has in effect already happened— and thus slyly suggest that whatever we are now is no longer human. “The extinction of human culture, in various forms, has been going on for a long time,” Frykdahl says. “There have been many, many ends of the world.”

The songs that foreground the last human being often toy with comical circus music, as though mocking our impulse to study this “ape” that we can’t see is our own lost selves. On the track “Save It!,” SGM lead us closer to this conclusion: “It knows the dance you can’t dance,” they plead. “It thinks the thought you can’t think.”

If any band can teach you a dance you can’t dance, it’s Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Have I forgotten to talk about how much fun they are? The joy in this music may be desperately beating against a dark current, but it’s still joy—and SGM’s live sets are thrilling, funny, and inspiring. This is their first tour since they started working together again, and I have no idea if we’ll see another. Is it really the end this time? Who can know. The fi nal line of Last Human Being , in “Old Grey Heron,” is Rathbun’s heartbreaking farewell to his father: “We love you, please, stay with us one more day.” So let’s all come out to this show like we aren’t promised tomorrow.

MONTORO

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum JENYA CHERNOFF

MUSIC

continued from p. 39

THURSDAY14

Hurray for the Riff Raff See Pick of the Week on page 36. Nnamdï opens. 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, $31, $26 in advance. 18+

TUESDAY19

Divide and Dissolve Chelsea Wolfe headlines; Divide and Dissolve open. 8 PM, Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield, $27-$40. 18+

If you’ve ever been startled by a thunderclap, you know the power of gargantuan sounds to stop you in your tracks and make you take notice of something bigger than yourself. This sometimes holds true for heavy music, and for Australian doom duo Divide and Dissolve, it’s at the heart of what they do. Texas-born multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed and drummer Sylvie Nehill formed the group in 2017 after bonding over their shared Indigenous roots

(Reed is Black and Tsalagi; Nehill is white Australian and Māori), and they use their music to spark conversation, instigate change, and attack white supremacy. It’s right there in the name: they want to divide and dissolve, because dividing and conquering leaves hegemonic power structures intact. Reed plays guitar, soprano saxophone, and sometimes synths, and the band’s music is primarily instrumental (with occasional spoken-word performances by Venezuelan-born artist Minori Sanchiz-Fung). That leaves plenty of space in their ornate neoclassical arrangements and mountainous drones to ponder the staggering centuries-old untold histories of oppressed peoples and imagine a future free of racism, colonialism, and hate. Divide and Dissolve’s dense, atmospheric 2021 record, Gas Lit (their first for Invada, the label founded by Portishead’s Geoff Barrow), is a call for Indigenous sovereignty and repossession of colonized land, air, and sea. On last year’s Systemic (produced by Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson, like its predecessor), they ground a sense of unease in sweeping beauty as they follow the threads connecting Black and Indigenous people and their liberation fights. Nehill has stepped away from touring for the record, so

for the band’s current U.S. run with Chelsea Wolfe, Reed is accompanied by drummer Sage Paden. This kind of music is best heard live, and in Chicago, few venues can present it in its earth-shaking glory better than the Vic.

—JAMIE LUDWIG

WEDNESDAY20

Kodie Shane 7 PM, the Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park, $25-$175. b

Atlanta-born, Chicago-raised Kodie Williams, who makes music as Kodie Shane, grew up in a musicindustry family. Her father, Danny C. Williams, was in Detroit R&B group Rik, Ran & Dan; her aunt is singer Cherrelle, best known for her vocals on the 1984 generational bop “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” (an early Jimmy Jam–Terry Lewis track that also became a 1986 pop hit for Robert Palmer); and her sister Brandi Williams was in R&B girl group Blaque.

When Shane was a teenager, her mother, Hope Williams, opened a recording studio, and the budding artist was discovered there by behemoth

trap manager Coach K (aka Kevin Lee). Soon she became the lone woman in Sailing Team, a collective led by flamboyant mumble-rap graduate Lil Yachty. In 2016, Shane’s breakout hit, “Sad” (featuring Yachty), earned her even more recognition.

Shane is no longer affiliated with Sailing Team, but she’s continued to release a fairly steady stream of quality lovelorn material. There’s a very specific “live fast, die young” thread throughout her catalog, and she amplifies that attitude with her vocals, which can switch from upbeat and edgy to soft, squishy, and sexy. She can completely envelop a track with her dripped-out voice, and she proves it on her latest single, January’s “Pull the Car Around”—a mischievous, lusty floater filled with knocking bass and cracking drums.

I’ve noticed a couple of commenters on Shane’s YouTube videos saying she makes the perfect music to smoke and cry to. In my opinion, her music is better suited for slow winding with a special temporary someone. That makes this Promontory show—which kicks off Shane’s Young Hot & Vulnerable tour—a solid bet for anyone looking for good music, good vibes, and the inspiration to make a bad decision or two. —CRISTALLE BOWEN v

Takiaya Reed of Divide and Dissolve YATRI NIEHAUS

Kodie Shane BRADLEY FENTON AKA COOPZ

EARLY WARNINGS

MARCH

THU 3/21

Maoli, Mishka 7 PM, Bottom Lounge, 17+

Tomato Flower, Babybaby_ explores 8:30 PM, Hideout

FRI 3/22

Haki N Dem, Channel Seven, Jazstarr 7 PM, the Promontory, 18+

Lissie 8 PM, Robert’s Westside, Forest Park

SAT 3/23

Stuck, Cruel, Cel Ray 8 PM, Schubas, 18+

WED 3/27

Snow Strippers, Joeyy, Eera 8 PM, Thalia Hall b

FRI 3/29

Frail Body, Pains, Knoll, Blackwater Sniper, Staghorn, Crowning, Lower Automation, Bird Law 6:30 PM, Subterranean, 17+

APRIL

WED 4/3

Erika de Casier, Contour 8 PM, Lincoln Hall, 18+

FRI 4/5

Brad “Scarface” Jordan 8 PM, Ramova Theatre

Matthew Sweet, Abe Partridge 8 PM, Metro, 18+

SAT 4/6

Anat Cohen & Marcello

Gonçalves 8 PM, SPACE, Evanston b

TUE 4/9

Zai Lamb 7 PM, the Promontory, 18+

WED 4/10

Wilder Blue, Jenkins Twins 8 PM, FitzGerald’s, Berwyn

FRI 4/12

Moon Walker, Wht.rbbt.obj 8 PM, Cobra Lounge, 17+

UPCOMING CONCERTS TO HAVE ON YOUR RADAR b ALL AGES

Early Warnings newsletter: sign up here

SUN 5/26

LCD Soundsystem 8 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 18+

MON 5/27

LCD Soundsystem 8 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 18+

TUE 5/28

SUN 4/14

Jandek 8 PM, Elastic Arts b Veronicas, Jesse Jo Stark 7 PM, House of Blues b

FRI 4/19

YTB Fatt 8 PM, Avondale Music Hall, 17+

FRI 4/26

Bbymutha 8 PM, Subterranean, 17+ Laraaji & Sam Prekop, Laraaji (solo), Sam Prekop (solo) 8 PM, Epiphany Center for the Arts b Stabbing Westward 7 PM, House of Blues, 17+

MON 4/29

Bayside, Finch, Armor for Sleep, Winona Fighter 7 PM, House of Blues, 17+

MAY

FRI 5/3

Bongripper, Pinebender, Immortal Bird, Bleached Cross 8 PM, Metro, 18+

MON 5/6

Obituary, Molder 8 PM, Metro, 18+

TUE 5/7

Alexis Lombre 6 PM, Harris Theater b

FRI 5/10

Cory Henry 7:30 PM, Park West b

SAT 5/11

Devo 7:30 PM, Riviera Theatre b

WED 5/15

Sean Paul 7 PM, Radius, 18+

SUN 5/19

Asleep at the Wheel 7 PM, Maurer Hall, Old Town School of Folk Music b

FRI 5/24

LCD Soundsystem 8 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 18+

SAT 5/25

LCD Soundsystem 8 PM, Aragon Ballroom, 18+

GOSSIP WOLF

A furry ear to the ground of the local music scene

Jimmy Gnecco 8 PM, Gman Tavern

FRI 5/31

Hunxho 7 PM, Avondale Music Hall b

BEYOND

SUN 6/2

The Damned, Dictators 7 PM, Concord Music Hall, 17+

TUE 6/11

Sarah McLachlan, Feist 7:30 PM, Huntington Bank Pavilion b

FRI 6/14

Winnetka Music Festival day one featuring Band of Horses and more 5 PM, Lincoln and Pine, Winnetka b

SAT 6/15

Cosmic Psychos, Nine Pound Hammer 7 PM, Reggies Rock Club, 17+

Winnetka Music Festival day two featuring Milky Chance and more Noon, Lincoln and Pine, Winnetka b

SAT 6/22

Hirs Collective, Human Trials 8 PM, Reggies Music Joint

FRI 8/2

Tinariwen 7 PM, Irish American Heritage Center b

SAT 9/14

Mat Kearney 8 PM, the Vic b

MON 9/30

PJ Harvey 8 PM, Salt Shed (indoors), 18+

SAT 10/5

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Walt Disco 7:30 PM, Riviera Theatre, 18+

TUE 10/8

Air 8 PM, Auditorium Theatre b

FRI 11/22

Snotty Nose Rez Kids 7 PM, Cobra Lounge b v

WHEN RYAN NOLEN began his Footballhead project, he never intended it to play live. In spring 2022, when he and his friend Eric Reyes, aka Snow Ellet, started writing radiostyle pop songs with heavy, fuzzy guitars, he was just looking for an outlet for the material in his head that wouldn’t fit with his main band, Kirby Grip. But when Ryan uploaded Footballhead’s first EP, Kitchen Fly, in July 2022, it clicked with more people than he expected, and before long he was writing and recording for the project at the rate of three songs per month.

In fall 2022 a friend asked him to open a Sleeping Village show for a band passing through Chicago on tour. To accept, Nolen had to find other musicians to help play his songs—and Footballhead the band was born. Nolen and Reyes both play guitar and sing, joined by bassist Adam Siska, guitarist Liam Burns, and drummer Robby Kuntz

“We’re still pretty baby in the grand scheme of things,” Nolen says. “But we’ve recorded an album and got signed to this record label called Tiny Engines last fall. [Now] we’re celebrating the rerelease of the debut record, which just came out on Friday.”

The band initially self-released that record, Overthinking Everything, in June 2023. The Footballhead blueprint has shi ed a bit since Nolen shared it with the full band, but the poppy energy of the songs has not. The group pulls from several different spheres of rock music when writing together, with a heavy emphasis on early-2000s alternative—Nolen says fans of Foo Fighters, pop punk, space rock, and shoegaze will all find something to like.

“We tried to make this first record much more well-rounded,” Nolen says. “There are slow songs on there that might be more reminiscent of Beach Fossils or Turnover. Then there are songs that are modern-alternativebased that you can compare to the likes of Superheaven.”

The vinyl release of Overthinking Everything came about a er Footballhead talked to a few interested labels and landed on Tiny Engines. The band signed a two-album contract that included rights to their debut full-length, and the new remastered version came out March 1.

The band plays an album-release show at Sleeping Village on Saturday, March 9, with local rap group Woes and a couple younger rock bands, New Age Thief and Demo

Division. Nolen says the bill plays homage to music in the mid-2000s, when hip-hop and rock intersected more blatantly—Ludacris, for example, might play a show with Sum 41. “That would be a legitimate bill, and people would come in the masses to see that shit,” he says.

“So I think it’s kind of cool that we’re trying to do that.”

GROPPLER ZORN pianist, vocalist, and bandleader Jeff Sherfey can’t remember exactly when his nine-piece jazz band had their first show, just that it was a few years ago—but he’s certain they played in the courtyard next to the Roscoe Village house he shared with some of his musical collaborators. Groppler Zorn had planned to perform two covers, and while they were in the middle of a Stereolab song, a neighbor started spraying them with a hose. “I thought it was raining a little bit,” Sherfey says. “I even looked back to Alex [Santilli], the drummer, and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s raining.’ I think he looked at me and was like, ‘That’s great.’”

Sherfey was pretty sure the Groppler Zorn set outside his house would turn out to be a one-off; he’d never been in a group that consistently played shows. But another band that played in the courtyard that day, Bora Bora, offered Groppler Zorn an opening slot on a gig they had booked at the Burlington. “That’s when I decided I was gonna start writing tunes for the group and make it a real thing,” Sherfey says. Luckily, he’s been able to surround himself with heavy hitters from various Chicago musical undergrounds, including saxophonist Eric Novak (aka Dissonant Dessert) from Cordoba , flutist Luc Mosley (Chicago Freedom Ensemble, Mucca Pazza), and bass guitarist Annie Fish. “All the musicians I play with in that group, they’re really incredible,” Sherfey says. “My piano teacher said I was in an enviable position, to be surrounded by much better musicians.”

Groppler Zorn have gigged sporadically around town, performing at the Burlington, the Bungalow by Middle Brow, and the Hungry Brain , which hosts their next headlining set on Saturday, March 9. “Expect nine musicians really celebrating the spirit of improvisation,” Sherfey says. Tickets cost $10, and the show starts at 9 PM. —DMB (DEBBIE-MARIE BROWN) AND LEOR GALIL

Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or email gossipwolf@chicagoreader.com.

Air play the Auditorium Theatre in October. MANUEL OBADIA-WILLS

SAVAGE LOVE

SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS

The long game

Swinging before you break up, falling for a third, and more

By DAN SAVAGE

Q: Would it be inappropriate to introduce my girlfriend to the kink and swinger scenes if I plan to break up with her? I’ve been unhappy for a decade, but I’ve been able to fake the funk until pretty recently.

I’ve been failing at that lately, and the lack of sex is making her unhappy, as she has a huge sexual appetite. I’m considering joining a kink/swinger club to satisfy her needs while I’m unable.

I’m honestly turned on by the idea of watching her with someone else and I’ve told her this, but she worries that the reality of seeing me with someone else will be too much for me and it will damage our relationship. Which means, if I do get her to join a kink/swinger club and break up with her six months later, she’ll assume I broke up with her because seeing her with someone else broke me somehow.

I don’t want her to think she made a mistake by going to a sex club with me. The real reason we are still together is that our child— legally her child (and now legally an adult)—is in a special program only offered through the school system in our ritzy suburb. This program is preparing him to live independently.

I’m also working to pay off the credit card debt she built up over the years, so she can actually afford to live on her own once we split. The plan is to have her debt paid off by the time he grad-

uates and then asking her to move out. In the meantime, I’d like her to be sexually satisfied. And while I’m no longer attracted to her, she is a sweet person and I want the best for her. —LONG

OVER AND DONE

a: Well, you could point to the publication of your letter in my column prior to your visit to a kink/swinger club with your girlfriend— provided you can convince your girlfriend to visit that kink/swinger club—as proof that going to the kink/ swinger club didn’t doom your relationship. That will likely be cold comfort to your girlfriend, LOAD, but the existence of this letter demonstrates that the breakup was thoroughly premeditated.

OK, saying something was “premeditated” sounds bad, I realize, but it’s a positive in the context of being dumped by a long-term partner. It always sucks to get dumped, of course, and the realization your ex was planning to dump you for months or years can add to the humiliation and pain. But no one wants to get dumped at the worst possible time (e.g., right before a big family event, or when they’re finishing their dissertation, or when their credit is in the toilet and their kid’s future hangs in the balance). So, an ex who waited until the blow of a breakup would be a little less devastating might have done us a favor, even if it’s hard to admit or even

recognize.

So, LOAD, making sure your girlfriend’s debt is paid off and that her son (your son) gets the best possible start before you end things is absolutely the right thing to do. Good on you. But I’m not convinced the kink/swinger club proposal is coming from the same altruistic place.

Still, if you think convincing her to attend a kink/swinger club with you might actually revive your sex life—if you can convince her that seeing her with someone else would make you wanna fuck her again (and it might)—it’s still a somewhat semi-noble goal and I will allow it.

And hey, if kink or swinger clubs do wind up reviving your sex life, and if your sex life ends up being your only point of conflict (it’s the only problem you mention in your letter) . . . maybe you don’t need to break up after all?

Q: I’m at the point in my life where I’m both a caregiver for my parents and my partner. All three have various physical and mental disabilities, and none of them is going to get any better. It’s exhausting.

I don’t have an open relationship with my partner, although I’d like to practice ethical nonmonogamy. The problem is, he would probably not give permission out of fear I would leave him for someone else, and then where would he be?

I know you’ve gotten lots of letters lately from married people in the same boat, but

we are not married. Never did that. Never wanted that. So, there are no vows here to break, no promise of lifetime commitment to walk back.

I can’t leave him, because he needs me—as his caretaker, as his patient advocate, and as his companion. But I want the opportunity to get needs of mine met that he can’t meet anymore.

It feels so unfair that I have to sacrifice everything right now. I want permission, I guess, to do what I need to do to stay with him and stay sane, without feeling like an awful person.

I should be less of a coward and talk to him about this, I guess, but I’m afraid of hurting him. He doesn’t deserve more pain than he’s in already. Thank you for listening. —AMERICAN CAREGIVER HAS INTENSE NEEDS

a: Ask the average person to describe a “cheater,” and they’ll describe selfish

assholes who fuck other people behind the backs of their loving, faithful, and willing partners they le at home.

And, yes, some cheaters are pieces of shit who betray their partners without remorse and don’t care about the pain they inflict. But that’s not true in every case. In fact, some people who cheat (or, some people who write to sex-advice columnists seeking permission to cheat) care deeply about their partners and want to spare them pain . . . which is definitely the case here.

Do what you need to do to stay married and stay sane, ACHIN. Be discreet and vigilant, and don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re an awful person. You’re a good person in awful circumstances who’s doing her best to take care of the people she loves, herself included.

And everybody else: If you’re lucky enough to have a partner and you’re

still relatively young and in good health, now is the time to have a talk about your expectations if and/ or when—and it’s most likely when—your relationship looks a lot less like it does now and a lot more like ACHIN’s relationship.

Q : My husband and I have been married for 13 years. We’ve always been kinky, but we’ve been monogamous this entire time. For the past few years, we’ve fantasized about having a MFM threesome. We met a new friend last year and we both felt comfortable asking him to be our third.

He agreed, but he takes relationships—especially sexual ones—very slow. He said he would like to have some discussions regarding expectations, boundaries, and desires.

This level of care makes us feel even more attracted to him. Our issue is that we are growing more deeply

Before you meet up, make sure you all bring an umbrella. LEONARDO SANTOS/PEXELS

attracted to him with each conversation.

We talk at least every other day, and we all see each other twice a week at minimum. We feel like we could fall in love with this person.

Are these feelings we should convey to him prior to the threesome? Should we keep this to ourselves and see how the sex goes? What is happening, Dan?!?

—THIS HOTTIE IS REALLY DELIGHTFUL

a: What’s happening here? You and your husband have a crush on your first potential third, THIRD, which is wonderful.

But for now, you need to keep this—the intensity of your feelings—to yourselves. You can tell this guy you’re

into him, you can tell him you’re ready to fuck when he is, but you can’t (or shouldn’t) tell him how hard you’re falling for him.

At this early stage, THIRD, you can’t know whether those feelings are genuine. Also, not blurting out “I love you” on impulse is one way adults let other adults know they have good judgment and are capable of self-regulation.

For now, THIRD, enjoy that feeling, ride that wave and/ or the dick, and wait to see if those feelings deepen after you start fucking.

Q : I was dating my nursing supervisor for eight months when I found out he entered into a monogamous relationship with someone else midway through that

time without telling me. (No wonder I couldn’t get him to commit!)

I was immensely hurt and ended it immediately. I wanted to tell his girlfriend, who had plastered him all over her prolific social media (this is how I found out). I had screenshots of text messages with him that aligned with their trips, family outings, etc. There were even times when he went on vacation with her and immediately came to my apartment afterwards.

There are plenty of unknowns here: she could have known about me, ethical nonmonogamy (ENM), she might not care, etc. However, they appear to have a very traditional hetero relationship. Personally, I would want to know, and I would

want someone to tell me. Ultimately, I decided that I was motivated by a desire for vengeance rather than a duty to warn, and said nothing.

What do you think? Did I do the right thing? —SEEMINGLY NURSING A GRUDGE

a: If you were her—if your partner had been cheating on you—you would want to be told about it. But you’re not her, SNAG, you’re you.

So, it’s not just wanting to be told that you need to take into consideration. You also need to consider what it would mean for you to do the telling.

Do you want to get pulled into their drama? Do you wanna risk a shoot-the-messenger reaction? (A figurative shoot-the-messenger reaction, one would hope,

but in America, one never knows.)

If your affair partner was capable of lying—and lying successfully—to his girlfriend about you, is he capable of lying to your supervisors and his about you? And if you need to produce proof of the affair to protect yourself from professional retaliation, can you produce that proof? Are you willing to produce that proof?

If I were in your shoes, SNAG, I would stay out of it. If he’s a liar and cheat, she’ll figure that out. It was shitty of him to keep seeing you after he made that monogamous commitment to her—and it was shitty of him to hurt you the way he did—but maybe he’s doing his best to honor that commitment now. Whatever the case may be, I think

staying out of their relationship, out of his pants, and out of the vengeance business is the best course of action.

P.S. Most straight relationships are presumed traditional—and presumed monogamous—unless the couple is open about practicing ENM, and most straight ENM couples are not open about it. So, just because this couple doesn’t openly identify as ENM isn’t proof they’re monogamous. You also can’t rule out the possibility that she knows and/or doesn’t care—which would make her tolyamorous. v

Ask your burning questions, download podcasts, read full column archives, and more at the URL savage.love. m mailbox@savage.love

JOBS

Sr. Technical Lead Sr. Technical Lead (Bachelor’s w/ 5 yrs exp or Master’s w/ 3 yrs exp; Major: Comp Engg or equiv.) – CHICAGO, IL. Job entails working w/ & reqs exp incl: QA team leadership, Selenium, Java, JavaScript, JUnit, TestNG, Docker, Jenkins, Eclipse, IntelliJ, Git, SharePoint, Putty, Cucumber, Jira, Agile, WaterFall, Confluence, Appium, Android SDK, Postman, Ready-API, Oracle, SQL Developer, JSON, SoapUl, Rest Assured, Karate framework, WebDriverIO, Qtest, Maven, Gradle, GIT Cl/ CD, JMeter, VB Scripting, Sauce Labs, TFS, Color Contrast Analyzer, Jaws, Web Services, MySQL & Salesforce. Various Worksites: Relocation & travel to project-based unanticipated locations within USA possible. Send resumes to WindyCity Technologies, Inc., Attn: HR, 3601 W. Devon Ave, Ste 306, Chicago, IL - 60659.

Project Leader Project Leader. Chicago, IL. Plan and coordinate technical activities and project designs for architectural projects under supervision of licensed architect.

Work with: Rhino Certified Level 2, Revit Architecture - Autodesk Certified Professionals, Sketchup, AutoCAD, 3ds max, V-ray, Enscape, Maxwell, Lumion, D5 render, Grasshopper with Ladybug and Kangaroo, Dynamo. Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Premier Pro, Excel, Word, Outlook. Bluebeam Revu, Ideate software, IBC, ADA, OSHA, NFPA 13; building system relevant mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structure, fire protection code. Required education: master’s degree in architecture/related AND Required certifications: Rhino Certified Level 2; and, Revit Architecture - Autodesk Certified Professionals. Forward resumes to: alawlor@ studiogang.com or Studio Gang Architects, Attn: Amy Lawlor, Ref. GRP24, 1520 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL 60642

Ops. Manager, Bedford Park. Write SOPs for logistics processes. Maintain databases, track inventory. Manage shipping, receiving of equip. Track service tech productivity, utilization. Prep reports. Multiple openings. Bach in business analytics, supply chain mgmt., or ops mgmt. required. Mail res., cov. Let. To M.

Flaska, Forklift Exchange, Inc., 116 W. Hubbard St., Chicago, IL 60654.

Civil Engineer, Roadway Design TranSmart, LLC, Chicago, IL. Responsible for carrying out a variety of technical tasks related to the planning, design, operations, and maintenance of transportation engineering projects including designing horizontal & vertical alignments of highways; prep. of conceptual plans; designing drainage systems & traffic control plans. Requires a Bach. in civil eng’g or equiv. + 48 mo exp. as a civil eng’r or related. Prior exp. must include performing roadway geometric analysis, plan & profile drafting, creating specifications, preparing cost estimates, & using MicroStation OpenRoads. Must hold an Illinois driver’s license. Travel to worksites throughout Chicagoland area as needed. To apply, email resume to career@ transmartinc.com and use Job code # AKBA1.

Environmental Engineer

1) Bench-scale experiments: a. Perform batch experiments. b. Perform rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCT). c. Perform lab-scale column tests.

d. Data processing on experimental results. e. Conduct routine maintenance on the experimental systems. 2) Envrmtl engg applics: a. Procure parts for large-scale engineered systems. b. Help w/ the deployment of engineered systems on-site.

3) Envrmtl monitoring: a. Conduct field water sampling & passive sampling work. b. Sample preservation & prep’n for analysis. c. Facilitate sampling data entry & organization.

4) Support other Envrmtl Engg activities based on needs. a. Help w/ other system assemblies (e.g., Point-of-entry system) & deployment activities. b. Prep notes & protocols. c. Communicate w/ external labs (e.g., Pace Analytical) for general water quality measurement. d. Procure items needed for lab & engg activities; categorize & organize the orders. e. Help w/ commercial consumer product activities, e.g., assembling & conditioning water test kits. Reqs BS in Chemical Engg w/ 6 mos of rltd exp. Apply to: Cyclopure Inc., 2430 N. Halsted St, 4th Fl, Chicago, IL 60614. Attn: HR. Please submit your resume & cover letter to careers@cyclopure. com w/ Subj: Environmental Engineer at Cyclopure

Client Data Strategy – Specialist Marsh USA LLC (FT; Chicago, IL – Remote wrk may be permitted w/in a

commutable dist from worksite in accord w/ Company policy) Utilize statistical methods to lead the dsgn & automation of perf analysis, data strategies, & data visualization rel. to Affinity insurance prgrms. RQTS: Bach deg or foreign equiv in Actuarial Sci or a rel fld, & 4 yrs of exp in the job offered, or rel occupation. 4 yrs of exp must incl: Utilizing insurance knowl, actuarial & statistical methods to quantify insurance claims liabilities & enterprise risk, predict the total cost of risk & monitor the actual cost of risk against predictions; Utilizing prblm solving, quantitative & analytical abilities to discover meaningful patterns & trends in large data sets & derive actionable insights to solve nuanced business ops prblms & risk mngmnt prblms. APPLY: https:// careers.marshmclennan. com using Keyword R_259727. EOE

Data Scientist , Aftermarket Hitachi Global Air Power US (Chicago, IL; hybrid; remote 2 dys/wk). Dev, implement, & manage aftermarket product line database & sales tools. Dev analytic solutions. Collect & analyze data using Bus Intel platform. Limited domestic travel (less than 10%). Must have at least master’s or equiv in Comp Sci, IT or rltd fld & 3 yrs exp as Data Scientist (or related role) working w/ Data Analytics. In the alt, at least a bachelor’s or equiv. & 5 yrs progressive exp. would be accepted). Must have 3 yrs exp w/: data modeling, database dev, SQL, BI tools (such as PowerBI, Tableau, etc.), Cloud tech (such as AWS, Azure), Adobe and Relational Database (SQL Server, PostgreSQL); data programming, analytical & problem-solving in highly matrixed environ; leading cross-functional data analytics projs; & 2 yrs of exp dev BI dashboards w/ focus on opportunity mapping leveraging Microsoft Dynamic NAV/ JDE/SAP (or equiv ERP or CRM systems). Must have 1 yr exp w/: data modeling using tools such as Visio, Lucid chart, etc., specifically around sales, marketing, and eng data mapping w/in defined install base segment; dev profit recognizing programs leveraging multiple ERP sources to understand overall install base populations; & dev asset lifecycle models & dev BI dashboards to pinpoint areas of high lost opportunity. Apply at https://america. sullair.com/en/careers (Req. # R0043543).

Project Manager(s)

Project Manager(s)

RedMane Technology

LLC seeks Project Manager(s) in Chicago, IL to gather requirements from business users and subject matter experts in order to solve clients’ issues. May require 10-30% domestic US travel. Telecommuting permitted. Email resume to yourcareer@redmane. com; reference job code D7038-00111. E.O.E.

Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Professional Counselor: work w/ adults, children, adolescents. Part of multi-disciplinary treatment team. Psychological treatment to help w/mental health disorders. Meet w/ patients to discuss mental health, assess symptoms, diagnose condition, appl treatment. Studies of behavior patterns & cognitive functions. Observe individuals, record interactions. Master’s degree in counseling psychology. Res: LifePoint Child and Family Therapy. 5101 Washington St, Suite 2J, Gurnee IL 60031

Data Scientist Enova

Financial Holdings, LLC seeks Data Scientist in Chicago, IL. Develop, enhance and test statistical & machine learning models. Applicants may apply at www.jobpositingtoday. com/ Ref# 41205.

Associate Engineer

CTC Trading Group,

LLC seeks an Associate Engineer in Chicago IL to develop and maintain the shared services that unite our data storage systems. Telecommuting is permitted. Applicants may apply https:// www.jobpostingtoday. com/ Ref #26808

Clinical Research

Associate –Northwestern University (Chicago)

Oversee the full life cycle of multicenter randomized clinical trials including study design and implementation; data collection tool development; data quality assessment and ongoing monitoring; regulatory reporting; statistical analysis; interpretation of results and manuscript writing. Engage in both ongoing studies and grant proposal development, including the pursuit of funding for NIH supported data coordinating center opportunities.

Teaching Master-level data analysts and physicians, PhD, and pre-doctoral scientists in data analyses and data interpretation. Managing and analyzing large datasets, such as RNA sequencing libraries. Participating as a co-

investigator on ongoing randomized clinical trials and longitudinal observational studies and planning randomized clinical trials, including participating in Zoom meetings to discuss preparations for NIH and other grant proposals and to discuss data analyses, outcome measures, manuscript development for proposed and completed studies. Must have a Master’s degree in statistics or a related field. Must have one year of experience in conducting sophisticated statistical analysis including longitudinal data analysis and survival analysis

Must have one year of experience providing statistical support and presenting outputs within a clinical research team Must have one year of experience programming with SAS and/or R

Accountant Beavers

Family Confections, LLC D/B/A Affy Tapple, LLC seeks an Accountant. Mail resume to 6300 Gross Point Road, Niles, IL. Systems Engineer Royal Cyber Inc. in Naperville, IL. has openings for Systems Engineer (Define, Develop & Deliver S/W apps); Salary range $120,328.00/Year to $125,000.00/ Year. Req. Bachelor’s or foreign equiv. + 5 yrs. of exp in the job offered or rel. Travel & relocation req’d. Mail resumes to HR Manager, Royal Cyber, Inc.,55 Shuman Blvd, Suite # 275, Naperville, IL 60563 or Email: hr.us@royalcyber.com

Technical Lead Royal Cyber Inc. in Naperville, IL. has openings for Technical Lead (Design, Develop & Manage S/W apps); Salary range $144,560.00/Year to $145,000.00/ Year. Req. Bachelor’s or foreign equiv. + 5 yrs. of exp in the job offered or rel. Travel & relocation req’d.

Mail resumes to HR Manager, Royal Cyber, Inc.,55 Shuman Blvd, Suite # 275, Naperville, IL 60563 or Email: hr.us@royalcyber.com

Structural EngineerManage projects. Lead performance of design calculations & structural analysis. Write structural specs. Coordinate with clients & contractors. Adhere to appropriate standards & codes. Perform site visits. Analyze company’s safety & working protocols. Work is at Employer’s HQ office (960 Rand Rd, Ste 220, Des Plaines, IL 60016). Perform site visits from Client HQ 4x / mo w/in 60 miles of Employer’s HQ with no other travel involved. Min Reqs: Masters in Civil or Structural Engineering or closely rltd field; 2

yrs exp in occupations related to Structural Engineering; 2 yrs exp in: Performing design calculations for structural drawings; Performing quality structural design calculations; Reviewing & prep of structural drawings; Coordinating with mechanical & electrical contractors; Responding to RFI; Analyzing U.S. structural codes including IBC, AISC, ACI, NDS, and AISI; Performing site visits as required for field measurement; 2 yrs of exp in working with: 3D Modeling Software such as RISA 3D or STAAD Pro; Calculation Software such as TEDDS, ENERCALC, RetainPro, or Mathcad; Drawings software including AutoCAD or Revit; & Marking of drawings using Bluebeam. Please send resume to KP&J Architects & Engineers, LLC at info@kpenr.com.

SR. DATA ENGINEER

Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC seeks Sr. Data Engineer in Chicago, IL to design, develop, optimize & maintain data architecture & pipelines that adhere to ELT principles & business goals. Degree & commensurate exp. req’d. Apply online by searching keyword R-79247 at careers. kraftheinz.com/ careers/SearchJobs.

Delivery Lead, Field Solutions AbbVie, Delivery Lead, Field Solutions, Mettawa, Illinois: Resp. for the planning, coordination, & successful deployments of US Commercial field reporting tools & capabilities across organizational brands, & functions. Plan & execute projects within scope, schedule & on quality utilizing MS Office, JIRA, Smartsheet, Clarity, Mural, & SFDC. Dvlp. & maintain project resource & work plans. Operate in an environment which is still evolving, adapt to change & manage ambiguities. Employ leadership exp. drive change. Coordinate w/ IT Bus. Relationship Mgrs., Bus. Consultants, Solution Architects, Tech. Leads, Dvlprs., Bus. Analysts, PMO, bus. stakeholders, & System Integrator(s) to drive the US Commercial tech. field reporting solutions through end-to-end delivery & completion. Demonstrate success in dvlp’g & executing an IT strategy that delivers both near term results, while simultaneously building for the future. Employ exp. w/ Angular, HTML5, CSS, AWS, SFDC Architecture solutions. Work closely w/ Data & System Integrator(s) to ensure alignment of key project activities & milestones

for deployment & solution delivery. Oversee & ensure completion of bus. & project cut-over activities. Act as primary support for Severity Calls, Escalation, Comm., & Problem Ownership. Deliver HCV Sypher Project that incl. Rep, RD/DM, Bus. Planner & HQ Users. Resp. for involvement in Proj. Go Live for Sypher Projects such as Immunology brands, Hepatology & Rheumatology. Design & build dashboards for internal & external use in support of all areas of bus. such as Tech. & PMO 2 & dvlp. end-to-end workflows w/ audience specific outputs (forms, automation, reports, dashboards) utilizing Smartsheet tools. Serve as a liaison between the delivery team, Exec. Sponsor, Account Mngr., & support teams. Must possess Bachelor’s degree or foreign equiv. in Comp. Sci., Eng’g, Info. Systems, Bus., or closely rltd. field plus 7 yrs. of exp. in tech. & soft. dvlpmnt. In the alternative, employer will accept a Master’s degree or foreign equiv. in Sci., Eng’g, Info. Systems, Bus., or closely rltd. field plus 6 yrs. of exp. in tech. & soft. dvlpmnt., or a Ph.D. degree or foreign equiv. in Sci., Eng’g, Info. Systems, Bus., or closely rltd. field plus 2 yrs. of exp. in tech. & soft. dvlpmnt. Must also possess expertise/knowledge sufficient to adequately perform the duties of the job being offered. Expertise/knowledge may be gained through employment, exp. or educ. Such expertise/ knowledge cannot be “quantified” by “time”. Required expertise/knowledge includes: (i) planning, coordination, and successful deployments of US Commercial field reporting tools & capabilities across organizational brands, & functions; (ii) Planning & executing projects within scope, schedule & on quality utilizing MS Office, JIRA, Smartsheet, Clarity, Mural, & SFDC; (iii) Angular, HTML5, CSS, AWS, SFDC Architecture solutions; & (iv) designing & building dashboards for internal & external use in support of all areas of bus. such as tech. & PMO 2 & develop end-to-end workflows w/ audience specific outputs (forms, automation, reports, dashboards) utilizing Smartsheet tools. Employer will accept any suitable combination of edu., training or exp. rltd. to the job opportunity. Apply online at https:// careers.abbvie.com/en & reference 2400031.

Sr. Lead, Elctrcl Engr – (Chicago, IL), WSP USA: Provide ovrsght

w/ cllctng, cmpilng, & anlyzng data from the physcl wrk site, srvys, blueprints, substation compnts, equipmt specs for procurement pckge dvlpmnt and pricing, IFR/ IFC detailed dsgn and review prcsses, & IEEE, NESC, ANSI, NEC, and NERC stndrds and regs for dsgn work. Reqs: Bach’s (or frgn equiv) in Elctrcl Engg, Elctrncs Engg, or a rltd fld; 5 yrs’ of exp as Elctrcl Engr, Elctrncs Engr, or a rltd. Email resume to julia. savaneli@wsp.com, Attn: Julia Savaneli, Ref: 0437.

Service Manager

Service Manager: Lake Zurich IL. Install, service support during all phases of machine install: single machines & production lines. Repair, maintain, inspect & rebuild machines. Production support. Org & mgmt. of installation. Impl new projects. Sales support. Review machine perf, identify programming changes to optimize prod. Working w/factory crew to fix broken machines. Consult w/ factory staff on new eqpt & modifications to existing eqpt. Write, review software updates to optimize systems. Train new staff & update manuals. HS. 2 yrs of tech exp associated w/fitting or servicing printing machines. Res: Grafotronic, Inc. kg@grafotronic.se

Associate I – Broking – Assistant Vice President Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC (FT; Chicago, IL – Remote work may be permitted w/in commutable dist from worksite) Develop & maintain crop predictive model using statistical techniques to forecast client’s loss ratios by state. RQTS: Bach deg or foreign equiv in Math or a rel fld plus 3 yrs of exp in the offered role or in a rel. position. 3 yrs of exp must include: Working in the agriculture insurance sector w/ MPCI, private products insurance, and the SRA; Working with MPCI data from the RMA & USDA. APPLY: https:// careers.marshmclennan. com using Keyword R_259738. EOE

Multiple Openings Medline Industries, LP in Northfield, IL has multi open’gs: Sr. IS Developer Analyst (Tableau)creating complex Tableau dashboards, security setup, & prformnce tuning complex Tableau dashboards. Apply at: https://medline.taleo. net/careersection/ md_confidential/ jobapply.

ftl?lang=en&job=

INF010119 Sr. Developer Analyst (Front End)document the dsgn & dvlpmnt procdurs & will eval. utility of SW or hardware technlgies.

Apply at: https://medline. taleo.net/careersection/ md_confidential/ jobapply. ftl?lang=en &job=INF010114 Sr. IS Developer Analyst (ETL)Dsgn & implmnt ETL processes, including data capture, data quality, cleansing, testing, & validation methods.

Apply at: https://medline. taleo.net/careersection/ md_confidential/ jobapply.ftl?lang=en&job =INF010115 All post’ns: No trvl. WFH benefit avail.

Data Analyst, Quality Assurance & Compliance Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago seeks Data Analyst, Quality Assurance & Compliance for Chicago, IL location to be responsible for ERP/financial sys data integrity. Bachelor’s in Data Analytics/ Business/Accounting/ related field 3yrs exp req’d. Req’d Skills: 2yrs: grant/research admin; 1yr in audit; Exp must incl review of legal docs related to post-award admin; supporting Time Effort Reporting procedures; tracking & reconciling accounts in audit; performing financial data analysis; ERP/Financial Sys; Excel (pivot table, adv formulas). Opportunity for hybrid work schedule. Background & health screen req’d. Apply online: https:// careers.luriechildrens. org/ REF: JR2024-261

PROJECT MANAGER

Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (Chicago, IL) to be rspnsble for dsgng, anlzng, permttng & preprng drawngs & tchncl specs, cnstrction srvcs & oprtnl spprt for solid wste mngmnt faclties & trnsfr stationst. Must hold Master’s in Civil, Gtchncl, or Envrnmntl Engnrng. Must have 1 yr prev wrk exp in pos off or rel mngng daily cnstrction actvties & prvdng engnrng spprt for muncpl solid wste faclties. Must know (thru acdmc trainng or wrk exp) dvlping, monitrng, & mangng cnstrction cost estmtes & schdls; & craftng numrous tchncl engnrng reprts incl prep of tender bid docs, wrk plans, schdls, & effctve cmmnctn. Resumes to sheirendt@cecinc.com.

Data Entry / Billing

Doula / Special Projects

We’re a behavioral, outpatient, FREE, harmreduction, fun addiction treatment center on the west side, looking for an out-of-the-box thinker and doer who can perform specific, boring duties while on fire in their head. MUST BE GOOD WITH NUMBERS and QUICKBOOKS, otherwise no thank you.

www.anb.today. Contact Nithin at nkalvakota@ anb.today and make mention of this ad. We are BEST PLACE to WORK in Chicago second runner-up this year!

Bookkeeper (Westmont, IL) - BM2 Tranz Inc - Reqs: Bachelors in Finance, HR or Int’l Relations; Must be articulate in Mongolian and Russian languages; must have 24 months exp in bookkeeping & knowledge in HR. Send resume to BM2 Tranz Inc, 62 West 60th St, Apt 204, Westmont, IL 60559.

Health Care Service Corporation seeks Business Analyst (Chicago, IL) to work as a liaison among stakeholders to elicit, analyze, communicate and validate requirements for changes to business processes, policies and information systems.

REQS: This position reqs a Bach deg, or forgn equiv, in Tech or Bus Admin or a rel fld + 2 Yrs of exp as a proj mgr, sys analyst, or a rel position. Telecommuting permitted. Applicants who are interested in this position should submit a complete resume in English to hrciapp@bcbsil.com, search [Business Analyst / R0026599. EOE].

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare seeks Technical Architects for Chicago, IL location to design, facilitate & execute enterprise solution architecture in a matrixed org. Bachelors in Comp Sci/ Eng/IT/IS/ related field +1yr exp req’d. Req’d skills: 1 yr in enterprise/ app/technical/info architecture design. Exp must incl: app delivery in enterprise solutions; lead/mentor virtual team; C#; python; .NET; SQL; architecture frameworks; matrixed org, design methodologies & business functions; UML; BI architecture & agile IT process for cloud; develop, sell & drive architectural solutions; translate & present technology solutions in business environment. Background check & drug test required. May work remotely within commuting distance to Chicago office.

Apply online: http:// jobseeker.nm.org/ REQ ID: EV62348E

HOUSING

ONE BEDROOM Apartment Near Diversey & California ~800sf, 2nd floor (2-flat), satellite & WiFi ready, wood & tile floors. $1,280/mo. + gas/heat. Contact: Chad 630-776-4030

PROFESSIONALS & SERVICES

CLEANING SERVICES

CHESTNUT ORGANIZING AND CLEANING

SERVICES: especially for people who need an organizing service because of depression, elderly, physical or mental challenges or other causes for your home’s clutter, disorganization, dysfunction, etc. We can organize for the downsizing of your current possessions to more easily move into a smaller home. With your help, we can help to organize your move. We can organize and clean for the deceased in lieu of having the bereaved needing to do the preparation to sell or rent the deceased’s home. We are absolutely not judgmental; we’ve seen and done “worse” than your job assignment. With your help, can we please help you? Chestnut Cleaning Service: 312-332-5575. www. ChestnutCleaning.com

AUDITIONS

IDM/EDM ARTISTS WANTED original music only. contact : idm-edm.com

MATCHES

All romantic dates women wanted All romantic fun dates all requests 24.7 Call (773) 977-8862 swm

Gossip Girl at Chicago Public Library YouTube Librarian Mike Jay Dubensky looking for distinctively dressed woman to buy lunch. He is willing to read out loud from Cecily’s novel. Video games? VR? Massage? RSVP vrbreakchicago@ gmail.com.

Sat, Mar 30 • 7:30–9:30pm • Performance Hall

Tickets: $30 General / $10 Students, Seniors, Children 12 & under

This performance brings to the Logan Center stage two powerhouse leading voices in the Contemporary Blues scene. Singer-songwriters and multi-instrumental musicians Amythyst Kiah and Carolyn Wonderland immerse themselves in traditional blues and roots music while imbuing a fresh perspective in the music of their ancestors. See them together on one stage for the first time!

Photo by Mamadi Doumbouya.

Your nonpartisan guide to Cook County’s 2024 judicial primary elections

WHAT TO KNOW

Primary voting

This year’s Illinois primary election is March 19. Early voting in Chicago’s 50 wards and sites around suburban Cook County starts March 4 (and earlier in downtown Chicago and at suburban courthouses). To find your polling place and check your voter status:

• Chicago residents, visit chicagoelections.gov

• In suburban Cook County, visit cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections

Who can vote?

Voters must be at least 18 years old, be a U.S. citizen, and reside in their voting precinct for at least 30 days prior to Election Day. People with felony convictions can vote in Illinois as long as they are not serving a felony sentence in prison or jail. People in jail pre-trial and people on mandatory supervised release are eligible to vote.

3 levels of courts

• Circuit courts are the front line of the legal system. Circuit court judges hear a variety of cases, from traffic tickets to personal injury to child welfare to criminal cases. They serve six-year terms.

• Appellate courts hear appeals of cases initially decided by the circuit courts, usually in panels of three judges. Appellate judges serve 10-year terms. Circuit court judges also can be temporarily assigned to the appellate court by the Illinois Supreme Court.

• The Illinois Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. Its seven justices serve 10-year terms, with three of the justices chosen by Cook County voters. In addition to ruling on cases appealed from the lower courts, the Supreme Court appoints judges to fill vacancies, creates rules that courts must follow, and oversees attorney licensing and discipline.

COOK COUNTY

Find your subcircuit

Cook County is divided into 20 subcircuits, geographic boundaries first created in the 1990s to build a more diverse judiciary. About two-thirds of the county’s circuit court judges are elected from subcircuits. Once elected, they have the same roles and responsibilities as judges elected countywide.

The Illinois legislature redrew the subcircuit map in 2022 for the first time in 30 years and added five new subcircuits. Most subcircuits have at least one seat up in this year’s election.

Check this map to see which subcircuit you live in. If you’re not sure, you can check your voter ID card, scan the QR code below, or visit injusticewatch.org/checkyourjudges

Scan to locate your subcircuit, read more information about each candidate, and create a customized report you can take to your polling station.

EN ESPAÑOL:

Escanea el código QR para ver nuestra guía de elecciones judiciales en español.

Sources: Cook County, U.S. Census, Google Maps

Map by Jonathon Berlin and Mark Friesen

Why you should check your judges

Judicial candidates might be among the most obscure names on your ballot, but these elections come with high stakes. Judges are powerful officials whose choices on the bench touch many aspects of life, from traffic tickets to divorces, lawsuits, evictions, and criminal cases. They have the power to take someone’s freedom, enforce or overturn state laws, and correct or perpetuate injustices.

That’s why Injustice Watch created this guide to judicial candidates running in Cook County’s primary elections on March 19.

Illinois voters elect judges every two years. This year, 69 candidates are running for 45 judicial vacancies in Cook County. Every voter will get to choose candidates to fill one supreme court seat, four appellate court seats, and 11 circuit court seats. You may also have subcircuit races on your ballot

depending on where you live. Judges elected from subcircuits have the same responsibilities as other circuit court judges, but only people who live in that subcircuit can vote for them.

The vast majority of candidates in Cook County run in the Democratic primary; the winners of all but four northwest side subcircuit races will run unopposed in the general election in November.

Our team spent months researching the candidates’ legal experience, community involvement, donors, political connections, conduct, and controversies. We sent each candidate a survey asking why they deserve your vote.

This is a condensed version of our guide, edited for space and clarity. For more detailed profiles, including candidate survey responses, bar association evaluations, and campaign finance, visit injusticewatch.org/checkyourjudges.

Understanding the candidate icons

Current or former public defender: This candidate has served as a public defender, representing clients in criminal cases who can’t afford a private attorney.

Current or former prosecutor: This candidate has served as a prosecutor in criminal or quasicriminal (such as traffic court) cases at the city, county, state, or federal level.

Appointed judge: This judge was appointed to their current role by the Illinois Supreme Court. Appointments to the circuit court last until the vacancy is filled in the November general election.

Democratic Party pick: In Cook County, almost all candidates run as Democrats. Many candidates seek the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party, which backs a slate of candidates to run for the supreme court, appellate court, and countywide circuit court seats. Slated candidates must contribute $45,000 to the party’s campaign fund. The party does not endorse in subcircuit races.

Past controversy: This candidate has been involved in some kind of personal or professional controversy. We report what we found in the “Notable” section and offer candidates an opportunity to respond to our reporting.

About the endorsers

We report endorsements from established labor and political organizations that have a defined process for endorsing judicial candidates. Endorsements from individuals and local politicians can often be found on candidates’ websites.

Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL): An umbrella organization of more than 300 local labor unions in Chicago and Cook County.

Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2: The union representing Chicago firefighters.

Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO): A nonprofit, independent political organization focused on voter education, voter registration, and candidate endorsements.

Personal PAC: A political organization focused on ensuring access to abortion in Illinois.

1ST SUPREME COURT | BURKE VACANCY

JOY VIRGINIA CUNNINGHAM

71, Lake View

Experience:

•Illinois Supreme Court, appointed to succeed retiring Chief Justice Anne M. Burke (2022-present)

•Illinois Appellate Court judge, First Judicial District (2006-2022)

•Senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Northwestern Memorial Healthcare (2000-2006)

•Associate judge, assigned to civil trials (1996-2000)

•Associate general counsel and chief counsel for health care at Loyola University (1986-1996)

•Attorney in private practice focusing on medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability, and insurance coverage (1984-1986)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1982)

Notable: Before going to law school, Cunningham was a critical-care nurse who volunteered at Planned Parenthood. She is the daughter of immigrants: Her mother was from Panama and her father from the Cayman Islands. Cunningham was the first Black woman president of the Chicago Bar Association, among other firsts. But in an Injustice Watch interview, Cunningham stressed her expertise in corporate and business law, and in helping craft legislation. “Having somebody who comes to the table with broad, deep experience in lots of different sectors of practice that represent things that come before the Supreme Court, that is vastly more important, in my view, than being … the first of anything.”

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, IVI-IPO, Personal PAC

JESSE G. REYES

71, Ashburn

Experience:

•Illinois Appellate Court judge, First Judicial District (2012-present)

•Circuit court judge in the chancery division, hearing mortgage foreclosure and mechanics lien cases (2008-2012)

•Associate judge assigned to traffic court, domestic violence, and criminal cases in the First Municipal District and at the Markham courthouse (1997-2008)

•Attorney at the Chicago Board of Education, representing the board in state and federal court (1996-1997)

•Senior attorney, City of Chicago Law Department, representing the city in multimillion-dollar personal injury lawsuits (1985-1996)

•Attorney in private practice handling workers’ compensation and personal injury cases (1984-1985)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1982)

Notable: In 2020, Reyes lost a high-profile bid to become the first Latinx judge on the state’s highest court. He finished second in the Democratic primary to Justice P. Scott Neville. At the Democratic Party’s slating event last August, he said Latinx residents deserve a “seat at the table of justice.” In an Injustice Watch interview, Reyes said he has been “progressive and aggressive” in his quest to ensure access to the judicial system. To that end, early in his judicial career he said he led an initiative to make educational videos on the consequences of drinking and driving in various languages, including Spanish. He also organized forums at the height of the foreclosure crisis to educate homeowners.

Endorsements: Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2

1ST APPELLATE CONNORS VACANCY

MARY LANE MIKVA

71, Near North Side

Experience:

• Illinois Appellate Court judge, assigned by the Illinois Supreme Court (2016-present)

•Circuit court judge in the child protection and chancery divisions (2004-2016)

•Partner at a small law firm focused on employment law (1991-2004)

•Attorney with the City of Chicago Law Department focused on employment litigation and appeals (1987-1991)

•Attorney at several small firms focused on employment and civil rights law (1982-1987)

•Law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Prentice H. Marshall and U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. (1980-1982)

Law school: Northwestern University (1980)

Notable: Mikva is the daughter of Abner Mikva, whom the New York Times called in his 2016 obituary “one of the nation’s leading liberal politicians.” Her father worked for all three branches of government as a Chicago-area congressman, a federal judge, and as a White House counsel under President Bill Clinton.

As a judge in the child protection division, Mikva helped develop programs and materials to encourage teenagers in foster care to delay pregnancy. She’s been active in judicial education, teaching classes on parental rights, procedural fairness and judicial decision making, and courtroom management.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

1ST APPELLATE | CUNNINGHAM VACANCY

CYNTHIA Y. COBBS

73, Orland Park

Experience:

• Illinois Appellate Court judge, assigned by the Illinois Supreme Court (2015-present)

•Circuit court judge assigned to a wide range of divisions hearing traffic, debt collection, and eviction cases and has presided over civil jury trials (2011-2014)

•Rose through the ranks of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, becoming the first African American and the first woman to be named director in 2002 (1997-2011)

•Senior judicial law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Freeman (1990-1997)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (1988)

Notable: In 2020, Cobbs ran an unsuccessful bid in the primary election for the Illinois Supreme Court seat long held by her mentor, Freeman. When the Supreme Court initially appointed Cobbs to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2011, legal experts interviewed by the Chicago Tribune questioned the appointment because she lived in Will County. She moved to Cook County before the 2014 election, the first time voters elected her.

In a case stemming from media requests to review Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s online communications, Cobbs penned a 2020 Appellate Court ruling confirming the personal email and text accounts of public officials are public records subject to the state Freedom of Information Act.

Allowing public officials to “shield information from the public’s view merely by using their personal accounts” would be “anathema to the purposes of FOIA,” she wrote.

Endorsements: CFL, IVI-IPO, Personal PAC

CAROLYN J. GALLAGHER

67, Niles

Experience:

1ST APPELLATE | DELORT VACANCY

CELIA LOUISE GAMRATH

54, Near North Side

•Circuit court judge assigned to the probate division, ruling on wills and the estates of dead people and the guardianship of minors. Gallagher is also supervising judge of the surety section, which oversees companies seeking to offer bonds in civil cases, and previously served in the housing and traffic divisions. (2016-present)

•Attorney focused on commercial litigation who worked at two local firms and then opened a solo practice (1985-2000, 2004-2016)

•Instructor at DePaul University College of Law teaching appellate practice and legal writing (20002004)

•Judicial law clerk for the Illinois Appellate Court (1982-1985)

Law school: DePaul University (1981)

Notable: Gallagher has a complicated history with local Democratic Party officials. She ran and won against a candidate slated by the party in 2016. In 2020, during an unsuccessful run for the appeals court, she distributed a letter accusing a party consultant of sabotaging her career. The consultant denied the allegations. Gallagher also criticized a competitor she alleged was a sham candidate — someone installed in the race solely to benefit the candidacy of the party’s pick.

She sought the party’s endorsement this election but did not get it, and is running against the party’s slated candidate.

“Nobody’s handing me a job,” she said in an interview with Injustice Watch. “I’m not an insider, and no insider has ever appointed me to the bench or anything else. … Nobody can come to me later on when I’ve got a big case and ask me to play ball.”

Endorsements: Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2

Experience:

•Circuit court judge serving in the chancery section, which rules on injunctions, classaction lawsuits, and declaratory judgments; previously ruling on domestic relations and traffic cases (2010-present)

•Partner at Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP, practicing family law and appeals (1998-2010)

•Judicial law clerk for Illinois Appellate Court Judge Thomas Rakowski (1994-1997)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1994)

Notable: The Illinois Supreme Court appointed Gamrath to the circuit court in 2010, and she was elected in 2012 and retained in 2018.

Gamrath has fielded several hot-button cases: She dismissed a lawsuit in 2018 seeking to declare cash bail unconstitutional, ruling that it was beyond her power to do so. Cash bail was abolished last year by Illinois lawmakers. In 2020, she affirmed the Chicago Police Board’s firing of police Sgt. Stephen Franko, who signed off on dubious reports from fellow officers that contradicted the 2014 video of then-officer Jason Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times.

Her husband, Robert Gamrath, is general counsel for the Illinois secretary of state and a former lobbyist who represented clients on city business, according to the city’s lobbying database.

Endorsements: CFL, IVI-IPO, Personal PAC

LEONARD MURRAY

77, South Shore

Experience:

•Circuit court judge serving as supervising judge of the housing section, where he hears cases involving Chicago building code violations (2016-present)

•Cook County associate judge assigned to evictions and civil jury trials (2007-2016)

•Solo practitioner focused on tax law and business transactions (1990-2007)

• Attorney in private practice at several law firms (1980-1990)

•Attorney working in the tax department of a public accounting firm (1974-1980)

Law school: Northwestern University (1974)

Notable: In housing court, Injustice Watch has observed Murray take the time to hear from tenants and offer help connecting them with services. However, some tenants who have asked Murray to allow them to be part of city cases against their landlords have criticized Murray’s demeanor on the bench. Earlier this year, Murray threatened to jail tenants if he found them to be lying about conditions in their Woodlawn apartment building. Last year, a group of North Side tenants staged a mock trial to air complaints Murray wouldn’t allow them to raise in court. Murray,

Continues on the next page

who said he was unaware of the mock trial, told Injustice Watch tenants could sue their landlord independently or filter issues through the city. In 1999, the Illinois Supreme Court suspended Murray’s law license for three months for neglecting seven clients between 1990 and 1997. In considering how long to discipline Murray, the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission took into account Murray’s community service, pro-bono work and the fact that his sister was murdered in 1997. Murray told Injustice Watch he lost focus after his brother, sister, and father died within a short period of time. “My mom was by herself, so I spent time trying to support her and it was hard.” He added: “I’m not proud of it, but it is stuff that happens in life. You pick yourself up and go forward.”

COOK CIRCUIT | FLANNERY, JR. VACANCY

PABLO F. deCASTRO 54, Hyde Park

Experience:

•Solo practitioner focused on criminal defense and civil rights. He is also a panel attorney with the Federal Defender’s Office assigned to represent indigent clients in federal criminal cases. (2012-present)

•Partner at a small law firm focused on criminal defense (2007-2011)

•Associate at Serpico, Novelle, Petrosino and Rascia, focusing on criminal and civil litigation, trials, and appeals in state and federal courts (2000-2007)

•Cook County assistant public defender handling criminal trials (1994-2000)

Law school: Tulane University (1994)

CARL ANTHONY WALKER

60, Chatham

Experience:

•Illinois Appellate Court judge, First Judicial District, assigned by the Illinois Supreme Court (2018-present)

•Circuit court judge, hearing cases in the juvenile, chancery, and other divisions (2006-2018)

•Attorney in private practice focused on real estate, but also handling probate, criminal, and personal injury cases; part-time hearing officer for the City of Chicago (1992-2006)

Law school: University of Iowa (1992)

Notable: As a circuit court judge, Walker oversaw high-profile cases, including whether to jail rapper Chief Keef for probation violations, and citizen protests to Chicago’s 9% “Netflix tax” on streaming services.

In December, Injustice Watch won two court orders to unseal records about Walker’s alleged role in a massive, decades-old mortgage fraud scheme. Walker was not charged and denied any wrongdoing in the crimes perpetrated by his real estate client. But a controversial 2003 raid on his law offices reemerged in an effort to remove him from hearing an appellate case. On Dec. 22, Walker issued a five-page order denying the special prosecutor’s motion to disqualify him from hearing the appeal. “I hold sacred the trust placed upon me to separate personal matters from legal considerations,” Walker wrote.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

Notable: DeCastro represented a 54-year-old Naperville woman who pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor after entering the U.S. Capitol with rioting protesters on Jan. 6, 2021. She was sentenced to 18 months of probation. DeCastro was a finalist for associate judge in 2023, but was not selected.

Endorsements: CFL, IVI-IPO, Personal PAC

CHELSEY RENECE ROBINSON 52, Hazel Crest

Experience:

•Partner and co-founder of a two-attorney firm, where she focuses on family law, criminal defense, contracts, real estate, bankruptcy, and personal injury (1996-present)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (1996)

Notable: Robinson ran unsuccessfully for judge in 2016, 2020, and 2022. She is a legal consultant for the “Judge Mathis” show.

COOK CIRCUIT | GAUGHAN VACANCY

CORINNE C. HEGGIE 48, Glenview

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing traffic cases (2023-present)

•Partner at a small law firm focusing on probate and estate law (2018-2023)

•Of counsel at a women-owned law firm practicing commercial law and consumer financial services litigation (2016-2023)

COOK CIRCUIT | HABERKORN VACANCY

SARAH JOHNSON 43, La Grange

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing small claims and other civil lawsuits (2023-present)

•Attorney at a midsize Chicago law firm, where she defended medical malpractice and product liability lawsuits (2009-2023)

• Attorney at a midsize Chicago firm representing individuals in lawsuits resulting from car accidents on behalf of insurance companies (2006-2009)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2006)

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

COOK CIRCUIT | HUBBARD VACANCY

DEIDRE M. DYER 48, Hazel Crest

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court assigned to the traffic division (2023-present)

• Deputy supervisor in the public corruption, financial crimes, money laundering, and consumer fraud division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (2009-2023)

•Assistant Illinois attorney general in the special prosecutions bureau, dealing with financial crimes (2006-2009)

•Supervising regional counsel for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (2001-2006)

•Assistant Kankakee County state’s attorney (1999-2001)

Law school: DePaul University (1999)

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

COOK CIRCUIT | MARAS VACANCY

ARLENE Y. COLEMAN-ROMEO 65, South Shore

•Associate at a large national law firm focusing on business law, legal and medical malpractice, and civil litigation; promoted to partner in 2008 (2002-2016)

Law school: DePaul University (2001)

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, handling non-jury small claims and consumer debt cases (2022-present)

•Solo practitioner focused on civil rights, labor, and employment, as well as probate law (1996-2022)

•Associate at a small law firm focused on union-side labor and employment law, insurance defense, and labor disputes for the Chicago Teachers Union (1987-1996)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (1987)

Notable: Early in her career, Coleman-Romeo joined local civil rights attorneys representing the Rev. Al Sharpton and other Black activists in a case against the City of Chicago over their right to protest at the 1996 Democratic National Convention.

Endorsements: CFL

NEIL COHEN

COOK CIRCUIT | MITCHELL VACANCY

73, Near North Side

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court (2022-present)

•Associate judge hearing a variety of civil cases and requests for injunctions in the chancery division (2009-2022)

•Solo practitioner handling civil cases, criminal defense, and appellate litigation in state and federal court (1990-2009)

•Senior associate at Chicago firm representing defendants charged with white collar crimes, securities fraud, and racketeering. Also handled appeals and bankruptcy. (1987-1990)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, where he served in several units including criminal appeals, felony trials, and the narcotics division, before becoming a deputy supervisor in the first municipal district (1976-1987)

Law school: University of Miami (1975)

Notable: Cohen has decided many highprofile cases since 2011. He presided over a lawsuit against the City of Chicago, which resulted in a 2022 consent decree requiring the Chicago Police Department to provide arrestees with telephones to reach relatives and lawyers. In 2020, Cohen upheld the Chicago Police Board’s decision to fire officer Robert Rialmo, who killed Quintonio LeGrier and Bettie Jones. In 2018, he issued the decision forcing then-Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios to release public records about how the office calculated property values. During his time at the State’s Attorney’s Office, he led a drug-ring investigation called Operation Camelot. Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions has cited the murder trial that arose from the operation as a classic example of prosecutors incentivizing witnesses to lie under oath. Cohen himself was accused of lying under oath by one of the defendants and of taking the tortured confession of another — allegations rejected by the courts, persistently denied by Cohen, and resulting in no sanctions.

Cohen is married to Susan S. Sher, who was an assistant to the president and chief of staff for first lady Michelle Obama during Barack Obama’s first term.

Endorsements: Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

WENDE WILLIAMS

69, Auburn Gresham

Experience:

•Attorney in private practice focused on criminal defense, personal injury, divorce, and child support cases (2007-present)

•Private defense attorney in Colorado as well as an attorney with the Colorado Public Defender’s Office in Denver (1990-2006)

Law school: University of Denver (1987)

Notable: Williams ran unsuccessfully for judge in 2020 and in 2022. In 1997, the Colorado Supreme Court suspended her law license for 30 days after finding that Williams contacted her client’s co-defendant in a murder case, “indirectly encouraging him” to turn down a plea deal that would have required him to testify against her client.

Between 2014 and 2019, the IRS issued several liens on Williams’ properties alleging she owed more than $280,000 in unpaid taxes dating back to 2000, records show. “I recognize I made a mistake,” she told Injustice Watch in an interview. “I have professional people helping me pay my debts.”

COOK CIRCUIT MURPHY VACANCY

LORI ANN ROPER

58, Calumet Heights

Experience:

•Career Cook County assistant public defender, currently a supervisor in the felony trial division at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. She also spent nearly a decade supervising public defenders assigned to specialty courts, including veterans court, mental health court, and drug court (1994-present)

Law school: Ohio Northern University (1993)

Notable: Roper ran for judge in 2018 and finished last in a four-way race for a countywide seat. She filed to run in the 6th Subcircuit in 2022, but withdrew after a challenge to her nominating petition signatures.

Between 2005 and 2013, the cooperative where Roper lived filed 11 eviction actions against her, claiming unpaid dues. In an interview, Roper said she withheld payments because of “a difference of opinion with the landlord in terms of what they should or shouldn’t take care of.” She said she was never evicted and all the cases were resolved after she paid the money owed. “In retrospect, I probably was being too emotional. I probably should have dealt with them in a different way,” she said.

EDWARD JOSEPH UNDERHILL

65, Logan Square

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing cases in the traffic division (2023-present)

•Attorney at a midsize Chicago-based law firm that specializes in helping foreign companies enter U.S. markets, where he rose to senior partner and chair of the commercial litigation practice group (1985-present)

Law school: Northern Illinois University (1984)

Notable: Underhill ran unsuccessfully for judge in 2016 and 2018, before he was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the circuit court in 2023. He is one of the few openly gay judges on the bench.

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

COOK CIRCUIT PROPES VACANCY

DEBJANI ‘DEB’ DESAI

43, Near West Side

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing traffic cases (2023-present)

•General counsel at the Illinois Office of the Comptroller, serving as chief legal officer and managing the state’s payroll and other accounting functions (2020-2023)

•Special prosecutor at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office handling a case in the circuit court’s child protection division (2020-2023)

•Adjunct professor teaching counseling and negotiations at UIC John Marshall Law School (2020-2021)

•Assistant general counsel, state Department of Healthcare and Family Services, managing litigation and compliance with state and federal laws focused on the elderly, disabled, and low-income populations (2016-2020)

• Administrative law judge at DHFS, hearing cases involving medical vendors, Medicaid managed care, and other providers on claims of fraud, waste, and abuse (2014-2016)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, promoted to prosecuting financial crimes and public corruption cases after prosecuting juvenile delinquency cases and handling civil child protection and child support cases (2008-2014)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2008)

Notable: Desai has been married to Chicago police officer Rishi Desai since 2018.

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

Candidate profiles for the Propes vacancy continue on the next page.

COOK CIRCUIT | PROPES VACANCY

RUSS HARTIGAN 77, Western Springs

Experience:

•Mediator and arbitrator in civil litigation at two firms (2017-present)

•Circuit court judge, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court and later elected, hearing civil jury and non-jury trials at the Bridgeview courthouse (2010-2017)

•Partner at law firms specializing in civil trials, defending municipalities in lawsuits, handling workers’ compensation and personal injury cases, and serving as a mediator and arbitrator (1981-2010)

•General practice attorney with emphasis on civil and federal criminal litigation; civil trials with a focus on personal injury cases, workers’ compensation, and municipal liability; municipal defense cases for Chicago, Evanston, and Berwyn (1976-1981)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1976)

Notable: Hartigan resigned from the circuit court in 2017 due to an illness in his family. He ran unsuccessfully for circuit court judge in 2020 and for the appellate court in 2022. Hartigan has also served as an elected official in several suburbs, including Lyons Township, where he’s a former township supervisor, school board member, and trustee; and the Village of Western Springs, where he was a zoning board member and a village trustee.

Hartigan was accused last year of using his official position on the Lyons Township Mental Health Commission to campaign for judge. A December 2023 memo written by the commission’s outgoing executive director and obtained by Injustice Watch through a public records request alleged three instances of “concerning behaviors” in which Hartigan “produced campaign materials bearing his name and candidacy for judge” at official functions. In an interview, Hartigan said he never did anything to suggest performance of his official duties was tied to receiving support for his judicial campaigns.

Multiple women told Injustice Watch that Hartigan had admonished them to call him “judge” and “honorable” and that they had not seen him make the same demand of men. “As a female I do believe that Russ exhibits misogynistic characteristics,” said an executive at an agency funded by the commission who asked not to be named. Hartigan denied the allegations. “I’ve never singled out women about calling me honorable,” he said.

COOK CIRCUIT | RAINES VACANCY

JENNIFER PATRICIA CALLAHAN 43, Forest

Experience:

Glen

•Circuit court judge, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•Solo practitioner offering criminal defense, working for a civil defense litigation firm, and serving as an administrative law judge for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (2017-2024)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney in various divisions, handling cases in specialty courts for drug offenders and veterans, and prosecuting felonies and misdemeanors (2006-2017)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2006)

Notable: Callahan is married to 41st Ward Democratic committeeperson Joe Cook. Callahan is one of eight judicial candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the state Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January. Endorsements: CFL

COOK CIRCUIT SULLIVAN VACANCY

JAMES S. MURPHY-AGUILÚ

42, Irving Park

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, assigned to the traffic division (2023-present)

•Chief of staff to Clerk of the Circuit Court Iris Martinez, overseeing the office and advising Martinez on policy and hiring (2022-2023)

•Inspector general of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, instituting new policies for internal investigations of employees (2021-2022)

•Deputy chief administrator for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, managing investigators reviewing allegations of misconduct against Chicago police officers (2017-2020)

•Solo practitioner handling DUI and civil rights cases (2013-2017)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, representing the county against civil rights lawsuits, then prosecuting narcotics cases and working on criminal appeals (2006-2013)

Law school: University of Wisconsin (2006)

Notable: Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez chose Murphy-Aguilú to serve as her inspector general and chief of staff — and he and his wife have since donated $2,000 to Martinez’s political campaigns. Murphy-Aguilú told Injustice Watch his contributions were in line with other political appointees in county government who “donated politically to a person they have a vested interest in and a personal interest in continuing to have that job.”

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

COOK CIRCUIT | WALKER VACANCY

CHLOÉ GEORGIANNA PEDERSEN

40, Riverside

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing traffic cases (2023-present)

•Equity partner at Fletcher & Sippel, focused on complex civil litigation and labor matters (2014-2023)

•Chief legal and labor counsel for the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, advising on office public relations and legislative platforms, as well as representing management in collective bargaining negotiations (2012-2014)

•Assistant attorney general for the Illinois Attorney General’s Government Representation Division, focused on civil litigation and labor issues (2010-2012)

•Attorney at Querrey & Harrow, practicing in civil defense including personal injury, contract disputes, and medical malpractice (2007-2010)

•Assistant general counsel to the Illinois House Speaker, drafting and defending proposed legislation (2009)

Law school: DePaul University (2007)

Notable: Pedersen is the niece of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough. In 2012, when Yarbrough was the county’s recorder of deeds, she hired Pedersen as the office’s labor counsel and later promoted her to chief legal counsel. The Chicago Tribune reported Pedersen was making $114,622, which was more than Yarbrough’s annual salary at the time. In 2013, Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard said Pedersen’s hiring violated the county’s anti-nepotism rules and asked Yarbrough to fire her. Yarbrough defended the hire, saying Pedersen had “the best qualifications. … I think most people recognize it’s important to have someone you know and trust as your legal counsel.”

In a written statement to Injustice Watch, Pedersen said her hiring was “consistent with the legal and ethical obligations of the recorder’s office” and approved by monitors overseeing the county’s compliance with anti-patronage rules. She said she was uniquely qualified for the roles because of her experience at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, working with the same public-sector unions that represented employees of the recorder’s office. In December 2013, she announced her resignation from the recorder’s office “consistent with my one-year commitment” to help with transitioning the recorder’s legal and human resources department.

In 2022, Pedersen ran for judge in the 4th Subcircuit against three other candidates, including ShawnTe Raines-Welch, who is married to Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch. Pedersen came in second behind RainesWelch with 27% of the vote. In April 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Pedersen to a circuit court vacancy.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

3RD SUBCIRCUIT | BROSNAHAN VACANCY

LUCY

VAZQUEZ-GONZALEZ

56, Cicero

Experience:

•Solo practitioner focused on family law. She has also been an administrative law judge for the City of Chicago’s Department of Administrative Hearings, hearing cases involving municipal code violations (2017-present)

•Attorney at two small law firms focused on divorce and family law (2009-2017)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2008)

Notable: Vazquez-Gonzalez applied to be an associate judge in 2022 but was not selected.

MARTIN DOUGLAS REGGI

72, Cicero

Experience:

•Solo practitioner based in Berwyn practicing criminal and civil law, including real estate closings and bankruptcies (1985-present)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, drafting appeals and working in suburban courthouses (19801985)

Law school: Northern Illinois University (1979)

Notable: Reggi ran unsuccessfully for judge in 2014 and 2018. He declined to talk to Injustice Watch for this guide.

3RD SUBCIRCUIT | HARMENING VACANCY

PAT HEERY

40, Brookfield

Experience:

•Senior labor counsel for Cook County, overseeing litigation arising from collective bargaining agreements with county employees and handling other labor issues (2017-present)

•Paid-on-call firefighter for the Village of Riverdale (2022-2023)

•Administrative law judge for the Illinois Labor Relations Board, presiding over hearings related to unfair labor practices and other labor relations cases (2016-2017)

•Judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he prosecuted cases against military members for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, served as a special U.S. attorney prosecuting civilians for misconduct on Marine Corps property, then worked as a defense attorney representing military members charged under the UCMJ. From 2016, he advised the command at the Naval Station Great Lakes on military legal matters. (2012-2019)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2010)

Notable: In 2003, at the age of 20, Heery was convicted of two misdemeanors, disorderly conduct and consuming alcohol as a minor. He told Injustice Watch that this experience with the criminal justice system “and knowing how scary it is,” has informed his work as a lawyer. “I’ve been there and I think it made me a better prosecutor and a better defense counsel, and a better non-criminal attorney.”

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

4TH SUBCIRCUIT | FELICE VACANCY

MICHAEL M. CHVATAL

43, La Grange Highlands

Experience:

•Solo practitioner focused on criminal defense and real estate transactions, also representing various suburban municipalities in traffic and local ordinance cases. Administrative hearing officer for the Village of Hillside hearing ordinance violation cases. (2016-present)

•Attorney in a small practice focused on criminal defense in Cook, DuPage, Lake, and McHenry counties (2009-2016)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney in the criminal appeals division and at the Maywood courthouse (2006-2009)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2005)

Notable: Chvatal was appointed by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to two terms on the Motor Review Board, which decides certain disputes between car dealers and manufacturers.

Endorsements: CFL

4TH SUBCIRCUIT | KING VACANCY

PHILIP FOWLER

62, La Grange

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing traffic cases (2023-present)

•Attorney in private practice at more than a half-dozen small to midsize law firms, primarily focused on civil litigation. Most recently he has represented plaintiffs in medical malpractice, personal injury, civil rights, and employment cases. He has also specialized in representing attorneys in disciplinary and ethics proceedings. (19862023)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (1986)

Notable: Fowler spent much of his career working for and eventually in partnership with renowned Chicago attorney Donald Hubert. Together, they represented the City of Chicago in patronagerelated lawsuits during the Harold Washington administration. Fowler’s spouse, Michelle Katz, is a retired assistant state’s attorney and was part of the team that prosecuted former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke for the murder of Laquan McDonald.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

4TH SUBCIRCUIT | MALONEY VACANCY

KOULA A. FOURNIER

49, Burr Ridge

Experience:

•Circuit court judge following her appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, most recently in the conviction integrity unit, which reviews possible wrongful convictions. She also prosecuted felony cases, juvenile cases, and drug cases. (2000-2024)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2000)

Notable: Fournier is one of eight judicial candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the Illinois Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January. Her husband, Harry Fournier, is also an attorney who unsuccessfully ran for judge as a Republican in 2012.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

5TH SUBCIRCUIT | LEWIS VACANCY

YOLANDA HARRIS SAYRE

57, Grand Boulevard

Experience:

•Circuit court judge, following her appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•Legal counsel for the Illinois State Police, where she represented the agency in administrative hearings, advised management on employment matters, and worked with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office on employee discipline and other cases (2021-2024)

•Contract prosecutor for the Illinois secretary of state in license suspension and revocation proceedings (2019-2021)

•Administrative law judge for the Chicago and Cook County electoral boards, where she presided over ballot signature challenges and other election cases (2010-2020)

•Attorney for the Chicago Police Department, where she created training curriculum, trained recruits and officers on the law, and served as an expert witness (1999-2021)

Law school: University of Texas (1994)

Notable: Sayre is one of eight judicial candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the Illinois Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January. She ran for circuit court judge in 2022 and was slated by the county Democratic Party, but lost.

For more than 20 years, Sayre taught police officers about the law and civil rights for the Chicago Police Department.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

7TH SUBCIRCUIT | SOLGANICK VACANCY

DEIDRE BAUMANN

55, Forest Park

Experience:

•Solo practitioner focused on personal injury, civil rights, criminal defense, and employment discrimination (1996-present)

•Associate attorney at a boutique firm, where she specialized in First Amendment issues (1993-1996)

Law school: University of Illinois (1992)

Notable: This is Baumann’s sixth run for the circuit court, after losing in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2022. She’s also applied many times for associate judge but has never been selected.

In 2003, a federal judge rebuked Baumann for failing to appear in court several times during a case in which her client had sued the Village of Melrose Park. The judge said Baumann and her co-counsel delayed the case by three years. In an interview with Injustice Watch, Baumann said the case was “so long ago” she couldn’t explain why she didn’t show up in court.

In July 2023, Baumann filed an emergency restraining order on behalf of West Side residents to stop the city’s plan to use the Amundsen Park Fieldhouse as a migrant shelter. The mayor’s office later dropped the plan.

OWENS J. SHELBY

42, Forest Park

Experience:

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing traffic cases (May 2023-present)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney prosecuting felony cases and handling preliminary hearings. He previously prosecuted domestic violence and child support enforcement cases and worked in the office’s West Side community justice center to address quality-of-life crimes. (2008-2023)

•Assistant counsel to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, conducting legal research on proposed legislation for committees on criminal law, financial institutions, and housing (2008)

•Contract attorney at a local civil rights law firm providing assistance with a class-action lawsuit against the Cook County Jail (2007-2008)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (2007)

Notable: Shelby ran unsuccessfully for judge in 2014, 2020, and 2022 in the 7th Subcircuit, before he was appointed to the circuit court by the Illinois Supreme Court in May 2023. When the Legislature redrew the subcircuits for the 2024 election, his home in Berwyn was redrawn into the 3rd Subcircuit. In August, he moved to Forest Park to run in the 7th Subcircuit again. “The 7th is where I was born, grew up, my kids go to school in the 7th, I volunteer in the 7th, and pretty much my whole life has been in the 7th. It made sense to stay home,” he told Injustice Watch.

Endorsements: CFL, IVI-IPO, Personal PAC

8TH SUBCIRCUIT

COLLINS-DOLE VACANCY

LOVELEEN AHUJA

43, Near West Side

Experience:

• Circuit court judge following her appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•Assistant Cook County public defender handling cases in various divisions, including homicides, child protection cases, and other felonies (2006-2024)

Law school: California Western School of Law (2005)

Notable: Ahuja is one of eight judicial candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the Illinois Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January.

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

10TH SUBCIRCUIT McWILLIAMS VACANCY

CAROLINE GLENNON-GOODMAN

54, Glenview

Experience:

• Circuit court judge following her appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•Assistant Cook County public defender, primarily in the felony trial and homicide divisions, representing dozens of people accused of murder in bench and jury trials, and currently working at the Skokie courthouse (1997-2024)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1996)

Notable: Glennon-Goodman was a finalist for associate judge in 2021, but was not selected. She is one of eight judicial candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the Illinois Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January. Her father, Charles E. Glennon, was a longtime circuit court judge in Livingston County, Illinois, and chief judge of the 11th Circuit Court.

In 1990, while a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Glennon-Goodman testified in the case of a man charged with the murder of her friend and neighbor, Jennifer Amerio. “I was probably the last person to see Jennifer alive,” she told Injustice Watch in an interview. “I think it gives me a unique perspective and a balance. Because I appreciate when victims’ families come in and they are absolutely devastated at the loss of a loved one. Because I’ve been there.”

Endorsements: CFL

10TH SUBCIRCUIT WOJKOWSKI VACANCY

LIAM KELLY

42, Irving Park

Experience:

•Attorney at the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender, where he represents indigent defendants in appeals (2024-present)

•Attorney at various criminal defense law firms in Chicago, focused on felony and misdemeanor cases (2011-2024)

Law school: Southern Illinois University (2011)

Notable: Kelly ran unsuccessfully for a 10th Subcircuit seat in 2020.

Endorsements: Personal PAC

JAMES V. MURPHY

51, Forest Glen

Experience:

•Attorney at a small firm practicing administrative and civil law and criminal defense (2022-present)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, handling more than three dozen murder jury trials. He also served as a supervisor in the felony review unit and the preliminary hearing, central bond court, and grand jury unit. (1998-2022)

•Chicago City Council legislative aide for then-36th Ward Ald. William J.P. Banks (1990-1998)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1997)

Notable: Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx put Murphy on leave in 2021 after suggesting publicly that he offered a misleading bond court statement about the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer. Following an internal investigation, Foxx later apologized publicly for a “breakdown of communication” and brought Murphy back on duty. A probe by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission also cleared Murphy. He told Injustice Watch the media attention and the presumption of wrongdoing made him a wiser and better potential judge. “It gives me another perspective because I do know what it’s like to be accused of something I didn’t do,” he said.

Murphy’s father, James Murphy, was a Cook County circuit court judge at the Maywood courthouse, and his wife, Lorraine Murphy, is a judge in the municipal division in Skokie.

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2

11TH SUBCIRCUIT | COLLINS VACANCY

DAWN GONZALEZ 55, Oak Park

Experience:

•Circuit court judge following her appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•Partner at a midsize Chicago firm, where she handled insurance coverage litigation and tort defense (2018-2024)

• Attorney at CNA, a Chicago-based insurance firm (2015-2017)

•Attorney at four firms, focused on insurance cases (1994-2015)

Law school: DePaul University (1994)

12TH SUBCIRCUIT | DICKLER VACANCY

Democratic Primary

ALON STEIN 47, Northbrook

Experience:

•Manages a four-attorney law firm where he represents individuals and businesses in litigation, real estate tax appeals, contracts, and employment cases. Many of his clients are nursing homes and hospices. (2013-present)

Notable: Gonzalez is one of eight judicial candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the Illinois Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January. She is married to Cook County Circuit Court Judge Peter Michael Gonzalez.

Endorsements: CFL

11TH SUBCIRCUIT | DALEO VACANCY

AUDREY VICTORIA COSGROVE

59, Oak Park

Experience:

•Chief administrative law judge for the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, overseeing a team of administrative law judges who rule on property tax disputes (2024-present)

•Deputy chief general counsel for the Illinois Lottery, overseeing licensing and regulations for retailers who sell lottery tickets (2019-2024)

•Deputy chief legal counsel for the Illinois Department of Labor, where she litigated workplace safety and wage theft cases and served as chief Freedom of Information Act officer (2018-2019)

•Assistant general counsel for the banking division of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, overseeing licensing and supervision of mortgage lenders, banks, and other financial services providers (2017-2018)

•Founding attorney, with her husband, Thomas Cosgrove, of the Cosgrove Law Firm, focused on administrative law, criminal defense, and real estate. She served as an administrative law judge for the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Tollway, Illinois State Police

Merit Board, and Illinois Department of Employment Security, and was a mediator in the Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program. (1998-2017)

•Assistant Cook County public defender, where she worked on felony, juvenile, and traffic cases (1990-1998)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1989)

Endorsements: IVI-IPO

KIM PRZEKOTA

41, Park Ridge

Experience:

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney prosecuting felony cases at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. She previously served in the grand jury and felony review units and prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases at the Skokie courthouse. (2008-present)

Law school: DePaul University (2008)

Notable: Przekota was a Division I college swimmer and water polo player and Academic All-American at Iona College. She is head coach of the Loyola Academy high school girls water polo team. She is married to Wilmette police Sgt. Chris Przekota.

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

•Contract arbitrator and mediator in Cook County and the collar counties, assigned to mediate cases through alternative dispute resolution programs (2013-present)

•Attorney at two law firms, focused on commercial litigation representing health care entities and other businesses (2002-2015)

Law school: University of Wisconsin (2002)

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

Republican Primary MARIA McCARTHY 61, Mount Prospect

Experience:

•Partner at a two-attorney law firm in Oak Brook focused on municipal law (2022-present)

•First assistant in the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office, overseeing the criminal and civil bureaus (2019-2022)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, with a decade as supervisor of the Third Municipal District at the Rolling Meadows courthouse (2003-2019)

•Attorney at a large national law firm defending companies in civil lawsuits (2002-2003)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney in the homicide and sex crimes unit, the domestic violence division, and the traffic division (1989-2002)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (1989)

Notable: In 2022, McCarthy and her law partner Fabio Valentini were appointed as special prosecutors in half a dozen cases involving allegations of misconduct against former Chicago police Detective Kriston Kato. Last year, McCarthy and Valentini filed a motion in two of the cases arguing that the 15-year-old state statute creating a commission to investigate allegations of police torture and refer cases for a court hearing was unconstitutional. A Will County judge later ruled that the statute “skirts very closely to the edge of constitutionality” and dismissed the commission’s referrals on both of the cases. Defense attorneys in some of the cases also filed motions to disqualify McCarthy and Valentini because their time as Cook County prosecutors overlapped with Kato’s time at the police department. Their motion was denied. McCarthy did not respond to requests for comment.

12TH SUBCIRCUIT QUINN VACANCY

Democratic Primary FRANK J. ANDREOU

53, Northbrook

Experience:

• Cook County associate judge, hearing motions in civil cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, and other significant damages. He previously heard misdemeanor and traffic cases in the Skokie courthouse and the First Municipal District. (2020-present)

•Partner in a small practice focused on commercial litigation, personal injury, and employment issues (2002-2019)

•Associate at a midsize law firm specializing in civil litigation and medical malpractice defense (1999-2002)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney in the criminal appeals, juvenile justice, and felony review units (1995-1999)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1995)

Notable: In 2016, Andreou ran for judge in the 12th Subcircuit but came in third. The winning candidate was thenAssociate Judge Marguerite Quinn, who later put in a good word for him during the associate judge selection process. He’s now running to succeed her after she retired last July.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

Republican Primary

PAMELA CURRAN SMITH

45, Prospect Heights

Experience:

•Attorney at a small law firm, becoming a partner in 2023, focused on contract disputes, forfeiture actions, and personal injury cases (2006-present)

•Workers’ compensation claim investigator for Travelers Insurance (2010-2013)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (2006)

12TH SUBCIRCUIT SCHLEIFER VACANCY

Democratic Primary JAMES “JACK” COSTELLO

42, Arlington Heights

Experience:

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, currently in the public corruption and financial crimes unit (2007present)

Law school: DePaul University (2007)

Notable: Costello ran for judge in 2022, but lost in the primary by 161 votes, less than three-quarters of 1%.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

Republican Primary MATTHEW TAYLOR

56, Hoffman Estates

Experience:

•Solo practitioner focused on municipal prosecutions, real estate, wills and trusts, and some criminal defense. He has served as a village prosecutor for Palatine, Norridge, and Schaumburg, handling traffic and local ordinance violation cases. (2004-present)

•Police officer for the Village of Palatine, where he worked as a patrol officer, investigator, school resource officer, school threat assessment team member, and crisis negotiator (1994-2017)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2004)

Notable: Taylor said his 23 years as a Palatine police officer put him in close contact with people from all walks of life. “The best judges are the ones that listen to both parties and don’t jump in,” he told Injustice Watch in an interview. “Success is getting along with people from all corners.”

13TH SUBCIRCUIT | BETAR, III VACANCY

RALPH E. MECZYK

74, Schaumburg

Experience:

•Circuit court judge, following his appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•Solo practitioner focused on white-collar criminal defense, major felonies, and criminal appeals (1982-2024)

•Cook County assistant public defender (1977-1982)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (1977)

Notable: Meczyk is one of eight candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the Illinois Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January.

Meczyk has represented a number of high-profile criminal defendants, including former Bolingbrook police officer Drew Peterson, who was convicted in 2012 for the murder of his third wife. He also represented former Chicago police officer Anthony Doyle in the Family Secrets trial.

In 2004, Meczyk argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court about whether a police officer’s use of a drug-sniffing dog during a routine traffic stop implicates the 4th Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. The court ruled against Meczyk’s client in a 6-2 decision.

In 1987, Meczyk and a former law partner pleaded guilty to felony charges of filing a false tax return for failing to report more than $35,000 in income to the IRS. Meczyk blamed “horrible bookkeeping” for the omissions, and he received a censure from the state Supreme Court. In 2000, President Bill Clinton pardoned Meczyk, clearing his felony record.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

13TH SUBCIRCUIT | STEFFEN VACANCY

MARY SEVANDAL COHEN

43, Barrington

Experience:

•Circuit court judge following her appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court (February 2024-present)

•In-house legal counsel for PACE, the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority, where she primarily defended the agency against personal injury cases (2008-2024)

•Assistant DeKalb County state’s attorney, prosecuting misdemeanors, DUIs, domestic batteries, and traffic cases (2005-2008)

Law school: University of Iowa (2005)

Notable: Cohen is one of eight judicial candidates running unopposed in the primary whom the Illinois Supreme Court appointed to the circuit court in January.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

14TH SUBCIRCUIT | O’HARA VACANCY

GRISELDA VEGA SAMUEL

49, McKinley Park

Experience:

•Midwest regional counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), supervising a team of attorneys handling litigation and legislative lobbying on behalf of immigrant clients (2018-present)

•Senior director, Safe Horizon Anti-Trafficking Program, which provides legal services to trafficking survivors in New York City (2014-2018)

•Senior staff attorney and legal director, Justice in Motion, which works on migrant and labor issues in North and Central America (2008-2013)

• Staff attorney, Legal Aid Chicago, representing clients in the north suburbs on housing, family law, domestic violence, and consumer rights cases (2005-2006)

•Staff attorney, Columbia Legal Services, representing immigrant farmworkers in Washington state (2001-2004 and 2007-2008)

Law school: University of Iowa (2001)

Notable: Vega Samuel supervised MALDEF’s lobbying efforts to pass the Illinois Immigrant Tenant Protection Act in 2019, which prohibits landlords from evicting residents based on their immigration status.

In 2021, Vega Samuel and a team of MALDEF lawyers filed a suit challenging the redrawing of Illinois’ legislative districts. The suit claimed the remapping process violated Latino voters’ rights by failing to take into account 2020 Census data. The state was ultimately ordered to use the Census data for the new maps by a federal judge.

Vega Samuel moved from Will County to McKinley Park in September 2023 to run in the 14th Subcircuit.

Endorsements: Personal PAC

STEVE DEMITRO

62, McKinley Park

Experience:

•Attorney in private practice focused on personal injury, wrongful death, and criminal cases. He also works as an arbitrator for the Cook County Circuit Court. (2000-present)

•Hearing officer for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, where he heard appeals of cases involving water-related charges, pollution, and other issues (2014-2015)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (1999)

Notable: Demitro dropped out of high school but later earned his GED diploma and a bachelor’s degree. He failed the LSAT twice, but after publishing an article in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin about how the standardized test was a poor predictor of success, he managed to gain provisional admission to John Marshall Law School on the condition that he pass two prerequisite courses. He was finally admitted in 1997 and was admitted to practice in Illinois in 2000. Demitro ran unsuccessfully for judge in 2012, 2020, and 2022.

Endorsements: CFL

14TH SUBCIRCUIT | PIERCE VACANCY

STEPHANIE KATHRYN MILLER

51, West Town

Experience:

•Cook County associate judge hearing adult guardianship cases in the probate division (2019-present)

•Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, serving in traffic court and the pretrial division (2017-2018)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney in several

divisions, including felony trial, sex crimes, and juvenile delinquency (2001-2017)

•Assistant Cook County public guardian, representing children in abuse and neglect cases (1998-2001)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (1999)

Notable: Miller was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to a 6th Subcircuit seat in 2017, then lost in a close primary race for the seat in 2018. Two months later, she was one of five losing candidates selected as associate judges.

15TH SUBCIRCUIT | DEMACOPOULOUS VACANCY

PAUL A. O’GRADY 59, Orland Park

Experience:

•Managing partner at a midsize Chicago law firm, focusing on municipal law, internal investigations, and insurance defense litigation; also has served as a special state’s attorney in Cook, Will, LaSalle and Lake counties (2012-present)

•Partner at a multiservice Chicago law firm (2007-2012)

•Assistant general counsel in Cook County Sheriff’s Office (2002-2007)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney (2000-2002)

•Cook County Sheriff’s deputy, starting as a Markham courtroom deputy and working his way up to chief of staff to then-Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan (1992-2000)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (2000)

Notable: O’Grady was sued in July in his capacity as Orland Township supervisor by state Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island), who alleged O’Grady unfairly shut him out from Orland Township’s annual Pet Palooza. O’Grady said in court documents that he played no role in the decision not to give Rita a table at the event. The lawsuit is ongoing. In October, O’Grady accused Rita of simple assault after an alleged confrontation at the Crystal Tree Country Club.

In an administrative proceeding in the town of Cicero last year, lawyers for gambling company executive Rick Heidner accused O’Grady of having a conflict of interest. O’Grady was a lawyer for the town as it tried to collect taxes from Heidner’s video gaming terminals. But O’Grady and his law firm also worked for Heidner property companies on development deals. O’Grady denied all accusations of a conflict, but he withdrew from representing the town on the gaming tax matters involving Heidner.

ALLEN PRICE WALKER 63, Olympia Fields

Experience:

•Cook County associate judge, hearing cases in the chancery division, including reviews of administrative decisions and cases involving government entities (2012-present)

•Associate and partner at a minority-owned law firm, focused on personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability defense (1994-2012)

•Lawyer at two small law firms focused on corporate transactions, real estate, and personal injury litigation, as well as municipal finance and medical malpractice suits. (1987-1995)

Law school: DePaul University (1987)

Endorsements: IVI-IPO

LUCIANO “LOU” PANICI, JR. 39, Chicago Heights

Experience:

•Attorney primarily representing local governments, prosecuting municipal code violations, and presiding over traffic and ordinance violation cases as an administrative law judge (2009-present)

Law school: Northern Illinois University (2009)

Notable: Panici is the son of a Cook County associate judge and a familiar figure in south suburban government. He is secretary of the Chicago Heights police and fire board, a Bloom Township trustee, and an elected member of the township’s school finance board. Panici’s campaign committee had taken in about $125,000 as of January, the bulk of it from committees supporting or run by local political figures, including Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez, who has political and financial ties to the operation of indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Panici’s committee also took in money from a committee led by Chicago Heights’ top city lawyer and the supervisor of Bloom Township, T.J. Somer, and the committee of state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, a Chicago Heights Democrat. Panici told Injustice Watch that he views himself as a civil servant rather than a political insider and that he isn’t familiar with Gonzalez’s links to powerful figures.

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2

15TH SUBCIRCUIT | TOOMIN VACANCY

JOHN A. FAIRMAN

46, Flossmoor

Experience:

•Associate judge hearing traffic and expungement matters as well as emergency mental health examination and detention requests at the Bridgeview courthouse (2019-present)

•Senior partner at a small law firm handling criminal defense and a variety of civil cases as well as appeals in state and federal court (2007-2019)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney prosecuting misdemeanor and felony cases at the Fifth Municipal District in Bridgeview, then promoted to reviewing and approving felony charges, and represent the state in domestic violence cases (2004-2007)

Law school: Texas Southern University (2003)

Notable: In 2018, Farman ran for Cook County sheriff, but withdrew from the race. In 2009, he ran unsuccessfully for Cook County Board of Commissioners in the 6th District. He was a trustee for the Village of Justice from 2009 to 2010. Fairman was the subject of several eviction proceedings from 2015 to 2018, two for unpaid condo assessment fees and another time for $18,500 in unpaid rent on leased office space. Fairman told Injustice Watch a tenant failed to pay the condo assessments and he intentionally withheld rent of the office space to recover repairs to the property. All of the cases were ultimately dismissed.

16TH SUBCIRCUIT | FLOOD VACANCY

PEDRO FREGOSO, JR.

46, Near West Side

Experience:

•Associate attorney at Ancel Glink, focused on defending municipalities and police departments in civil rights cases and other civil lawsuits (2010-present)

•Attorney in private practice, focusing on commercial litigation against private business (2005-2010)

•Associate attorney in private practice, prosecuting workers’ compensation cases before the Illinois Industrial Commission (2005)

Law school: DePaul University (2004)

Notable: In 2010, Fregoso represented the City of Waukegan and three Waukegan police officers in a civil lawsuit filed by Jerry Hobs, who served five years in prison after being wrongly accused of murdering his daughter and her friend. Hobbs said he was forced to falsely confess while being interrogated for 24 hours “through extreme psychological abuse and physical force.” Hobbs was exonerated after DNA was matched to someone else in 2007, but prosecutors ignored the evidence for years. The case was settled in 2013 for $7.75 million.

Endorsements: CFL

16TH SUBCIRCUIT | GRIFFIN, JR. VACANCY

CECILIA ABUNDIS 48, Archer Heights

Experience:

•Director of the Division of Professional Regulation in the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, responsible for overseeing the licenses of more than 1 million people across more than 75 professions (2019-2023)

•Assistant Illinois attorney general, mostly in the consumer fraud unit, investigating for-profit schools, mortgage lenders, unauthorized immigration “notarios,” and other businesses where fraud is alleged (2006-2019)

•Fellow and staff attorney at the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing (now Law Center for Better Housing), a legal aid nonprofit focused on tenants rights (2004-2006)

Law school: DePaul University (2004)

Endorsements: CFL

17TH SUBCIRCUIT | AGUILAR VACANCY

RIVANDA DOSS BEAL 55, Homewood

Experience:

•Solo practitioner focused on misdemeanor criminal cases and real estate transactions (2021-present)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney, including a decade as a supervisor overseeing preliminary hearings at the Markham courthouse and seven years as a deputy supervisor in the post-conviction unit (1994-2021)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (1994)

Notable: Doss Beal filed to run for judge in 2018, but was removed from the ballot through a petition challenge. Early in her career at the State’s Attorney’s Office, she worked in the community prosecutions bureau (now called community justice centers) to address quality-of-life issues and provide legal education on the South Side.

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

17TH SUBCIRCUIT | FLAHERTY VACANCY

LLOYD JAMES BROOKS 52, Homewood

Experience:

•Cook County associate judge assigned to the chancery division, hearing cases involving delinquent mortgage debt (2021-present)

•Circuit judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court (2018-2020)

•Attorney in private practice focused primarily on foreclosure defense and consumer protection (2000-2018, 2021)

Law school: Northwestern University (2000)

Notable: Brooks was appointed to the circuit court in 2018 by the Illinois Supreme Court, but lost his bid for the seat in the 2020 primary election. He was selected the following year as an associate judge.

Since he was appointed to the bench, Brooks has reported running three limited liability corporations, according to Illinois Secretary of State records, but he has disclosed only one of them on his annual economic interest statements. Illinois’ Code of Judicial Conduct generally forbids judges from managing any business aside from investments and real estate for themselves or for family members. Two of the companies are registered to Brooks and his wife at their south suburban home.

The IRS filed two tax liens against Brooks in 2015 and 2019 for a total of more than $150,000 in unpaid taxes. It is unclear if the debt has been resolved. Brooks did not respond to requests for comment.

Endorsements: CFL

18TH SUBCIRCUIT GOTTAINER EDIDIN VACANCY

JEFFERY G. CHRONES

59, Glenview

Experience:

•Cook County associate judge hearing cases including domestic violence and traffic matters, reviewing search warrants and ruling in mental health proceedings; previously heard cases involving personal injury, property damage and evictions and contract disputes (2018-present)

•Attorney and equity shareholder at a Chicago firm, dealing with employment law, commercial litigation, and criminal defense; also served as outside counsel to Pace Suburban Bus Service handling employment cases (2003-2018)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney in several divisions including felony review, domestic violence, homicide and sex crimes unit, preliminary hearings, grand jury unit, community prosecutions, misdemeanor, and traffic and criminal appeals (1995-2003)

•Assistant Illinois attorney general (1993-1995)

Law school: Western Michigan University (1992)

Notable: His father, Jeffery Z. Chrones, was an associate judge in Cook County from 1983 to 1991.

Endorsements: CFL

SUNIL BHAVE

44, Arlington Heights

Experience:

•Cook County associate judge assigned to the traffic division (2023-present)

•Litigation and appellate bureau supervisor in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, most recently defending state agencies against litigation over Illinois’ administration of cannabis dispensaries (2012-2023)

•Assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago in the federal civil rights litigation division, defending police officers in civil lawsuits (2011-2012)

•Assistant Illinois attorney general representing state agencies in appellate cases (2007-2011)

•Law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge James J. Brady, Middle District of Louisiana (2006-2007)

•Appellate staff law clerk, Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District (2005-2006)

•Assistant public defender in the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office (2004-2005)

Law school: Saint Louis University (2004)

Notable: As an assistant attorney general in 2017, Bhave represented Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans against County President Toni Preckwinkle over reduced funding for the judiciary. Bhave won a temporary restraining order for Evans, then a settlement that resolved the case.

Bhave has published four law review articles proposing legislative fixes to public problems, although none of his proposals have been carried out. The articles considered: the constitutionality of police conducting warrantless searches of arrestees’ cell phones to protect against “flash mobs”; deterring “dowry deaths” in India; expanding Brady rights to enable the criminally innocent to sue police who withheld evidence; and expanding legal protections to migrant farm workers.

Endorsements: Personal PAC

18TH SUBCIRCUIT LINN VACANCY

Democratic Primary

JOHN HOCK

43, Des Plaines

Experience:

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney in the post-conviction division, representing the state in criminal appeals (2022-present)

•Assistant Lake County public defender in Waukegan, assigned to criminal and juvenile cases (2013-2022)

•Associate at a midsize Chicago law firm primarily focused on insurance, contract, and business law (2011-2013)

•Assistant Will County public defender (2009-2011)

•Associate attorney and law clerk at a small law firm in Jacksonville, Florida, primarily focused on employment and contract law (2006-2009)

Law school: Florida Coastal School of Law (2007)

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

Republican Primary

LYNN TERESE PALAC

49, Arlington Heights

Experience:

•Solo practitioner handling criminal, civil and family law (2015-present)

•Attorney at two small local firms (2009-2015)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney working on various kinds of cases, including felonies (1999-2009)

Law school: DePaul University (1999)

Notable: Palac sued the Chicago Fire Department in federal court in 2018 on behalf of five female paramedics who alleged rampant sexual harassment by male colleagues. City officials settled the case in 2021 for $1.825 million.

19TH SUBCIRCUIT | SENECHALLE, JR. VACANCY

BRIDGET COLLEEN DUIGNAN

47, Beverly

Experience:

•Attorney in private practice representing victims of medical negligence, sexual abuse, construction negligence, and wrongful death (2007-present)

•Assistant counsel to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (2007)

•Associate at law firm where she focused on workers’ compensation and employment law (2005-2006)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2004)

Notable: Duignan represented former Chicago Park District lifeguards who alleged sexual misconduct and hazing by supervisors, and passengers involved in a Blue Line CTA train crash at the O’Hare station in 2014. She’s negotiated several settlements on behalf of injured workers and people who died after being misdiagnosed.

Endorsements: CFL, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, Personal PAC

RISA RENEE LANIER

49, Beverly

Experience:

•Career prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, rising through the ranks to her current role of first assistant state’s attorney, where she serves as second in command to State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and oversees the operations of the office. Her past roles have included overseeing criminal prosecutions, helping supervise the felony review and domestic violence units, and prosecuting misdemeanor and felony cases. (2000-present)

Law school: Rutgers University (1999)

Notable: Lanier ascended to the top of the State’s Attorney’s Office during Foxx’s tenure, and she played a central role in several of the Foxx administration’s controversies and high-profile cases. Lanier was involved in the firestorm over a prosecutor’s statement about the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer in 2021. Foxx and her spokesperson suggested that Assistant State’s Attorney James V. Murphy III offered a misleading version of events in bond court when he didn’t spell out that Toledo dropped the gun just before the shooting. Murphy faulted Lanier, then third in command, and other office leaders who he said did not offer guidance on what to say before the hearing, despite receiving videos he did not have and an email describing the shooting in similar terms. A probe by attorney disciplinary officials cleared Murphy, who is running for judge this year in the 10th Subcircuit. Lanier told Injustice Watch she saw the email and videos of the shooting before the court hearing but “had no dealings with” the court statement. Foxx told Injustice Watch Lanier had “nothing to do with” what happened and pointed to her former second-in-command, Jennifer Coleman, now a Cook County associate judge, who was forced to

resign for her alleged failure to oversee the statement.

Lanier and a colleague penned an internal 2019 memo exposed by the Chicago Tribune that documented a prosecutor’s alleged intimidation and insults toward a witness in a murder case. Foxx’s office didn’t disclose the memo to defense lawyers, and attorney Matt McQuaid alleged that violated rules about the sharing of evidence. Lanier and Foxx said Lanier wasn’t involved with decisions about how to handle the memo after she wrote it.

Lanier was responsible for prosecuting the enduringly controversial Jussie Smollett case, and made the decision in 2019 to drop the charges that the actor staged a fake hate crime against himself. She noted that she made the decision in consultation with her supervisor at the time. The case was later refiled by a special prosecutor and Smollett was found guilty in 2021. Lanier didn’t answer directly whether she thought dropping the charges was the right call, but she said she has always brought integrity and careful thought to decisions like that one. “It was one of those experiences that you do grow from, that you do learn from, and that you do have an opportunity to self-reflect,” she said.

Lanier said voters should look beyond the controversies of the Foxx administration at her 20-plus years of service and record of prosecuting violent crimes. She noted that she successfully prosecuted Shomari Legghette for the 2018 slaying of Chicago police Commander Paul Bauer. “As a prosecutor, I’ve had the same mission through three different state’s attorneys,” she told Injustice Watch. “No matter whose name was on the door, no matter who the elected official was, what has been important to me is the actual work, the actual impact that we have on the community, the actual impact that we have on public safety.”

Foxx emphatically expressed her support for Lanier and suggested criticisms of her had racist and sexist undertones. “I think she’s one of the finest attorneys that this office has produced,” she told Injustice Watch.

Endorsements: Personal PAC

DAVE HEILMANN

61, Oak Lawn

Experience:

•Partner at a large national insurance industry defense firm, where he currently focuses on employer-side labor law and collective bargaining, including serving as labor counsel for the chief judges of DuPage and Kane counties. (1987-present)

Law school: DePaul University (1987)

Notable: Heilmann has written musicals and comedies for community theater and television. He has spoken publicly on the impact of humor on health and businesses. He co-founded the Oak Lawn Park District community theater, which was renamed the Erica Heilmann Theatre in honor of his late wife, who died of cancer in 2018.

20TH SUBCIRCUIT | BUDZINSKI VACANCY

NICKOLAS PAPPAS

56, Uptown

Experience:

•Solo practitioner with a general practice including criminal defense, civil litigation, employment, domestic relations, probate, real estate, federal civil rights, and immigration (2007-present)

•General counsel for a teleradiology practice, where he focused on contracts and litigation (2012-2015)

•Contract attorney for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, ensuring a new state law that put child support obligations on hold for incarcerated parents was being followed (2011-2012)

•Attorney at a midsize Chicago law firm focused on insurance defense and criminal defense, as well as defending Cook County in civil lawsuits (2004-2007)

•Assistant Cook County state’s attorney serving in various divisions, including felony trial, felony review, juvenile justice, and the Bridgeview courthouse (1996-2004)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (1995)

Endorsements: Personal PAC

MICHAEL J. ZINK

45, Lake View

Experience:

•Partner at a small firm that specializes in housing and eviction cases. He joined the firm after law school and became an owning partner in 2012. (2004-present)

Law school: DePaul University (2004)

Notable: Zink’s campaign website asserts that he “directs his practice towards tenants’ rights and independent landlord support.” But Cook County court records show Zink almost exclu- sively represents landlords in eviction cases, and his clients include large corporate investors and property owners with records of housing code violations and unfair treatment of renters. In October 2023, for example, Zink filed an ap- pearance in 43 Cook County Circuit Court cases — all were evictions where Zink represented the landlord. In an interview, Zink said much of the work he does for tenants never reaches the pub- lic court docket because he counsels tenants and negotiates with landlords to avoid eviction, and sometimes seals eviction case files to protect the identities of tenants. “What I’ve done quite a bit, in recent years especially, is try to keep tenants out of eviction court,” he said.

Court records show Zink’s clients have included several large and controversial landlord companies accused in court documents and news reports of egregious housing code violations and predatory practices. “I can’t help what’s in the media about some of our clients,” Zink said. “What I’m trying to do is get things done, and keep the tenants happy, frankly.”

Endorsements: CFL, Personal PAC

JOHN POULOS

52, Lincoln Park

Experience:

• Chicago police lieutenant, since February 2024, assigned to the administrative support division. He was previously a sergeant in the human resources division. (2016-present)

•Police officer assigned to the 4th District in South Chicago and 7th District in Englewood (2001-2002, 2010-2016)

•Private attorney practicing divorce, family, and real estate law (2007-present)

Law school: UIC John Marshall (2007)

Notable: On his third application to the Chicago Police Department, Poulos failed to disclose a previous arrest, according to a 2007 internal affairs investigation. Investigators also found Poulos was part-owner of a sports bar in Lincoln Park, a violation of department policy. Investigators recommended Poulos be fired, but the head of the department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs recommended a 60-day suspension. However, Poulos was on disability leave from 2002 to 2010, so the discipline was never carried out, and human resources failed to notify internal affairs of his return, records show.

In 2017, after Poulos shot and killed two Black men in separate incidents, the police department tried to fire Poulos for the previous violations. The Chicago Police Board dismissed the charges, saying too much time had passed. Both shootings were deemed justified by police oversight agencies, but the families of the men he killed sued the city, ultimately costing taxpayers a combined $1.95 million.

In 2019, then-police Superintendent Eddie Johnson assigned Poulos to the unit tasked with approving or denying requests from immigrants applying for a U visa, a special form of temporary legal status for crime victims who cooperate with police. Poulos was one of two sergeants responsible for a recent spike in denials of U visa certifications, Injustice Watch found in 2022. Experts said some of the denials signed by Poulos and his colleague appeared to violate state and federal immigration law. Poulos declined to be interviewed.

NADINE JEAN WICHERN

48, Lake View

Experience:

•Supervising attorney and, since 2015, chief of the civil appeals division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, overseeing litigation in areas of administrative review, environmental, tax, labor and employment, and civil rights (2011-present)

•Assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago Law Department, where she represented the city in appellate cases (2005-2011)

•Assistant Illinois attorney general in the civil appeals division (2001-2005)

•Law clerk for U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge William J. Bauer (2000-2001)

Law school: DePaul University (2000)

Notable: In 2020 and 2021, Wichern supervised a team of attorneys in the state Attorney General’s Office who filed emergency motions and injunctions to fight challenges to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

Endorsements: Personal PAC

Check out our comprehensive judicial election guide

To locate your Cook County subcircuit, read more information about each candidate, and create a customized report you can take to your polling station, scan the QR code or visit injusticewatch.org/checkyourjudges.

Research and reporting: Grace Asiegbu, Carlos Ballesteros, Alejandra Cancino, Maya Dukmasova, Kelly Garcia, Dan Hinkel, David Jackson, and Missy Scavongelli

Editing: Jonah Newman and David Kidwell

Injustice Watch is a nonprofit journalism organization that examines issues of equity and justice in the court system. Since 2016, we’ve created comprehensive, nonpartisan guides for each Cook County judicial election. We don’t endorse candidates. Instead, we research candidates’ histories and experience and publish our findings so voters can make informed decisions.

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