According to the Chicago Tribune, Kevin Illia, a former F.B.I. agent, was employed by Chief Judge Donald O'Connell, aka Judge Greylord II, to investigate judicial misconduct in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
[Editors Note: It appears that Kevin Illia was really employed to cover up judicial misconduct, so that Judge Greylord II will not be embarrassed by the corrupt and unlawful actions of the judges in the Circuit.
Why is Kevin Illia paid with taxpayer's money to conceal unlawful activities
in the Cook County court system?]
October 16, 1997 Mr. Kevin Illia Court Services Administrator COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT Daley Center Chicago, Illinois Dear Mr. Illia:As I left our meeting on 10/6/97, you told me that most litigants, who meet with you, are dissatisfied with your response to them. Maybe those litigants, like I, relied on a newspaper article saying your position was created to investigate allegations of judicial misconduct.
If our meeting is typical, you conveyed that you are supposed to pretend judicial misconduct doesn't exist by calling it "bad rulings." I explained that I wasn't complaining about bad rulings. I said that Judge Siracusa connived with the attorneys in my case. Siracusa's recusal order makes it plain that he understood what was wrong, "These letters contain comments regarding the conduct of this case and, accordingly, this Court will recuse itself..."
You were disinterested that attorneys ignore Siracusa by preparing court orders inconsistent with his rulings and that Siracusa knowingly signs those orders. At the very least, Siracusa's conduct gives the appearance of impropriety.
Essentially, you called me a liar. You said that you didn't believe Larry Kienlen told me that the seller's lawyer, who closed on Siracusa's house, told Kienlen that he paid $5,000.00 for Siracusa's new furnace. Kienlen said that Siracusa had problems with his wife. I asked him to explain what he meant. To illustrate, he told me the furnace story. Clearly, Kienlen inferred that Siracusa's wife's desire for an affluent lifestyle is why Siracusa takes "gifts" from lawyers. A week later, after I told him how disturbed I was, Kienlen added that the lawyer appears before Siracusa.
You said Siracusa bought his house 24 years ago as though that confirmed that Kienlen did not make the statements. I told you that Kienlen never said when it happened--just that it did. You agreed that even 24 years ago the conduct was improper. I said Kienlen and I should take a lie detector test, but you declined to take me up on my offer.
Kienlen and Siracusa said they'd known each other for 27 years. The law firm in my case is known to bribe judges and combined with Siracusa's conduct, I believe the story is true. Even without Kienlen's allegations, Siracusa's conduct is improper.
You said the judge and attorneys wouldn't prepare fraudulent orders because they're concerned about their reputations, but you refused to look at the transcript and order which clearly shows they engaged in such conduct. Siracusa recused himself because he knew his conduct was wrong, and that I could prove he'd engaged in other improprieties. Kienlen's firm returned all of my money--it wasn't out of the goodness of their hearts.
Lawyers and Cook County Court judges have appalling reputations. Their bad reputations preceded my case and will continue unless the conduct changes. We have the highest rate of overturned murder convictions. Nationally, our courts are considered about the worst in the country and a joke. In a recent survey of law school graduates, Illinois law firms were rated the least desirable in the country to work at. Pretending that it's not true makes you not credible.
You mistakenly believed that court reporters are assigned to all probate courtrooms. If court reporters were assigned to all probate courtrooms, the judge would have to, frequently, tell the reporters to change the transcript. Otherwise, it would be obvious that what has been going on in my case is not unique.
You showed me the letter accusing Siracusa of being a crook. You asked if I knew about it? wrote it? and said that you were concerned because Siracusa was upset. In probate court corridors, in the law library, and in the Clerk's office, litigants and lawyers talk about Siracusa. One litigant said he got a change from Perivolidis to Siracusa and was moved from one crook to another; that both judges conspired with the lawyers to defraud him (much like what has gone on in my case); and he filed a complaint against the judges with the State's Attorney. One lawyer told me that he thought Siracusa acts sadistic to him to cover up for the lawyers who he lets get away with murder. Kienlen said that Siracusa is on the take. And you're concerned that Siracusa says he's upset? If Siracusa didn't give people reason, no one would say he was a crook.
Eventually, you suggested that I report Siracusa to the Judicial Inquiry Board. I think someone should ensure that he performs his duties. No one could objectively say that this is proper court administration, so I believed it was your job, not the JIB's.
I told you I notified the Circuit Court Clerk that missing from my court file were Notice of Termination for Cause of Kienlen's firm, Notice of Return of Retainer and Siracusa's order recusing himself which refers to the Notice of Termination. The Clerk's office claimed the documents were mistakenly put on the shelf instead of in my file, which is kept in safekeeping, and that they are now in the file.
Since the three documents were filed on different days, but documents filed before and after were in the file, I found their answer to be unbelievable. You dismissed this by saying that documents are missing all the time, and so long as they're found, it doesn't mean anything.
It, obviously, means someone didn't want them in the record. Siracusa and Kienlen and Alvin Meyers, the attorneys who prepared the improper order described in the missing documents, would benefit from their removal. I was told by someone, who checked my file, that the notice of return of retainer isn't in the file and that the original order isn't in the file, only a microfilm copy. I'll have to check the file to ascertain that all three documents are restored.
Before Siracusa recused himself, I already had one change of judge for cause and a number of lawyers. It's remarkable that a litigant should have to go to such lengths to attempt to get a fair judge, honest representation, and to ensure that the record of their case is complete. What about everyone who doesn't know what routinely goes on in Cook County Courts? But of course, that's what the court system is counting on--litigants being ignorant. Now, there is a web site on the internet where cases like mine are being documented for all to see.
It's not just Probate, litigants in other courts are outraged about what goes on. Tax money is being used to pay salaries of court officials who don't provide honest services. You should be concerned about the misconduct which makes people have no faith in Illinois Courts.
Our meeting was more than just disappointing, it confirmed my suspicion that flagrant judicial and attorney misconduct is condoned/excused/covered up at the upper level of the court system. Otherwise, the conduct I described couldn't exist and Illinois Courts wouldn't have a sleazy reputation. Having good reputations is not important to Illinois Courts and lawyers.
Sincerely, Renee Kalish cc: bc
Copyright© 1997 by Citizens for Legal Responsibility®. All Rights Reserved email: clr@clr.org Chief Judge Donald O'Connell page Corrupt, Incompetent, and Unethical Judges page Judges as Criminals page Return to Home Page
October 16, 1997