Judge demands Enyart apology
Tuesday, Oct 9, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I told you over the weekend that a St. Clair County judge has accused Democratic congressional candidate Bill Enyart of pushing her during a Saturday parade. She now wants an apology and says all will be forgiven…
Immediately after the press conference, [St. Clair County Associate Judge Laninya Cason] was a guest on the Dana Show, a radio broadcast emanating from St. Louis that is heard on KFTK, 97.1. Cason told conservative host Dana Loesch that if Enyart will make a “proper” apology, she is willing to drop her efforts to have him charged.
“I don’t want him to have a criminal record,” she said, “but I won’t be bullied.”
Enyart’s campaign, however, says the candidate apologized during the parade, so no further apology is necessary…
“He did apologize immediately when he accidentally bumped into her, as witnesses have attested,” Bresler said Monday. “This is political campaign silly season.”
* There’s also some to-do being made about this photo of the judge wearing a Plummer sweatshirt the day of the parade…
* The explanation…
As for Cason wearing a Plummer sweatshirt, Cason said only wore it because she was cold and asked a Plummer supporter if she could wear one temporarily.
The Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct urges judges not to get involved in politics beyond handing out their own political literature and speaking about their own campaign. […]
Asked whether such a public association with political candidates might violate the judicial ethics code, Cason said, “No. Absolutely not. We are running on the same ticket. So we can support each other.
…Adding… As some commenters have noted, that sure looks like a Plummer t-shirt worn over a sweatshirt. So, her explanation appears bogus.
Frankly, I’m a little surprised that this hasn’t gone national. It’s tailor-made for Drudge. “White Democrat allegedly shoves black Republican woman.”
Maybe things will heat up during tomorrow night’s candidates’ debate.
* Related…
* VIDEO: Judge Laninya Cason demands apology from General Bill Enyart after alleged altercation
* 12th candidates differ on future plans for ‘Obamacare‘
* Cason files amended JIB complaint against opponent: Cason, who switched political affiliation from Democrat to Republican after a falling out with party leaders earlier this year, claims her opponent Associate Judge Zina Cruse has engaged in an additional 15 ethical violations since her original complaint accused Cruse of improperly presiding over cases in which her campaign manager, Belleville divorce attorney Charles Courtney, represented one of the parties.
* Editorial: Judge Cruse could have avoided ethics question
- Lincoln Parker - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:35 am:
===As for Cason wearing a Plummer sweatshirt, Cason said only wore it because she was cold and asked a Plummer supporter if she could wear one temporarily.===
Sounds Fish. That is clearly a Plummer t-shirt over a sweatshirt. Don’t see how that would help keep anyone warm.
- Robert the Bruce - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:35 am:
Is that really one sweatshirt? Strange color theme. It looks to me like a Plummer t-shirt worn over a sweatshirt that one would wear to advertise rather than to keep warm.
- OurMagician - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:37 am:
Unique looking sweatshirt, maybe it’ll catch on.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:41 am:
I am embarrased for ALL parties involved.
If Plummer makes this an issue during the debate … himself … Jason Plummer saying something directly about this incident … then what little class left in this entire race will be gone.
I can not tell you how happy neither one will be representing me, directly, in Congress. I do feel bad that the district will elect a back-bencher with no chance of advancement once their colleagues MEET either of them.
And to be clear; the fact the Enyart is IN this situation is what makes it bad. Set-up, not a set-up, over-zealous “republican” judge …
Rich, you are right … taylor-made for Drudge.
Where are these “tapes” by the way… (rhetorical)
- East Sider - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:43 am:
Parade organizers everywhere should spare us all and just ban politicians from their parades.
- CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:44 am:
Looks like “Judge” Cason will be bye bye bye after JIB gets a look at her get up. THe Canons of Ethics don’t a * for being cold.
Perhaps Jason Romney-Plummer will get her on at the lumber yard after the saw dust settles.
- unreliable sources - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:48 am:
Let’s see… running for judge but wearing Plummer sweatshirt. Even though judges are supposed to stick to their own races.
Running as a Republican but walking in parade, with Democrats. And walking beside guy running against Plummer.
Laughs off “bump” and continues walking / joking with Dems until parade is over.
Still wearing Plummer shirt outside police station later. Where newspaper just happens to be waiting to take her photo.
And happens to have a crowd and the media outside police station a day later for a press conference.
Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
- nieva - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 9:50 am:
I am not a Enyart fan but if this had been anything other than a bump they would have him arrested. It appears she made much to do about nothing.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:03 am:
1. It was a set-up.
2. Unless I hear otherwise from a higher legal authority, judges are allowed to endorse other candidates during election cycles when they appear on the ballot.
3. Wearing the t-shirt is tantamount to an endorsement, so I don’t have a problem with it. However, she should drop the fabrication about being cold. Again, it was a set-up, but the kind of desperation I’ve come to expect from the GOP.
- UISer - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:06 am:
The fact that she is so willing to drop the charges if he publicly apologizes shows that this whole event is bogus. Plummer wants the image of Enyart apologizing. They know this won’t go anywhere in court.
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:07 am:
So ridiculous. Yeah right, Enyart avoids all the landmines and mistakes in his life and rises to Major General, just so he can start physical altercations with black judges in front of thousands of people.
Anyone who doesn’t think the Plummer camp is ginning this up is naive. That Plummer kid should be ashamed. So should that judge for allowing herself to be used like this.
- Stones - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:08 am:
If she was truly “cold” as she explained she could have turned the T-shirt inside out and not had the issue.
- walkinfool - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:11 am:
Obviously a political stunt. Any judge should keep herself distant from such shenanigans.
- Deep South - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:24 am:
The liberal media are involved in a conspiracy with the Democratic Party to keep video tapes of the incident from being seen by the public. /snark
I’ve seen the first two debates between these two…there is also a Green Party candidate in the race who participates in the debates…and it would seem there will be no winner in November. The losers will be the people of the district….really a very weak field. Still, at this point, I’d say anyone but Plummer.
- Wait a minute - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:32 am:
So it’s all her fault he pushed, brushed aside or bullied her because of what she was wearing? Pathetic. Just like a sexual assult is the fault of a woman for what she was wearing? I don’t care what she had on, it’s not justified. Apologize and move on.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:39 am:
I know Laninya. She is one of the meekest candidates I have been around since I delved into politics. I truly don’t know which side to believe. I don’t want to dismiss her complaint but I also have trouble believing that the former Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard would “shove” a sitting judge who is running for a higher judgeship.
Also, let’s cut the crap on people getting upset that judicial candidates should stay out of “politics”. We elect and retain our judges in Illinois and those races are just as political as any other. Judicial candidates receive partisan endorsements, attend partisan events and participate in partisan rallies, walks, ads, etc. Unless our state changes the way judges are chosen, this will happen every two years.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 10:58 am:
–I truly don’t know which side to believe–
Let’s see — if you were cold, would that T-shirt over a sweatshirt provide warmth?
–Just like a sexual assult is the fault of a woman for what she was wearing? I don’t care what she had on, it’s not justified. Apologize and move on. –
Yeah, just like a sexual assault.
His people say he apologized immediately. What is it you’re looking for again?
- Colossus - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:10 am:
But, Word, if he apologized immediately, it wasn’t on tape and is useless to Plummer.
She got bumped, it wasn’t a deal at the time, it was only a deal once there were reporters there. This is just tomfoolery, not indicative of Enyart’s character or any wrongdoing.
And Rich, I’m also surprised Drudge hasn’t been ALL OVER this. It’s the perfect combination of… I don’t even know how to describe what it is he looks for…
- Cheswick - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:46 am:
The judge filed a judicial ethics complaint against her opponent:
http://www.madisonrecord.com/news/247057-cason-files-amended-jib-complaint-against-opponent
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:46 am:
Cheswick, that story is already linked above.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 11:50 am:
Word - that’s not what I mean. This may be a 50-50 proposition and both sides could be right/wrong.
- just sayin' - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 12:14 pm:
sounds like this Ms. Cason has become a stooge for some tea party wackadoos. they are just using her from what i gather.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 12:26 pm:
Seems wrong to me, but she does look cold. And, I wouldn’t have removed my sweatshirt to put the t-shirt under it either.
- Cheswick - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
Thanks, Rich. I try to pay better attention. That’s what I get for trying to work, eat lunch and practice politics all at the same time. Hey, that reminds me, is the Waitress Practicing Politics still around? Hope everything is okay.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:30 pm:
@YellowDogDemocrat:
Re: Judges making political endorsements
You are right that judges can make endorsements of other candidates when sitting for election and lend their names to support of a particular election ticket.
But I fail to see any place in the Code of Judicial Conduct that says it’s OK for a judge to pass out literature for other candidates, which I believe was where the supposed confrontation took place when the judge handed out Plummer lit and Enyart bumped her trying to hand out his own lit? I guess it could be considered just making an appearance with the political party, but it seems to me that this episode shows these rules of conduct could perhaps be updated for more clarity.
http://www2.illinois.gov/jib/Documents/Download%20Materials/CodeofConduct.pdf
- D.P. Gumby - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:41 pm:
Guess it worked, just like the JIB filing…anything that gets a low level judicial race media attention seems to be the goal of this candidate.
- Bill - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:27 pm:
Wow! The hayseeds are getting really ugly down there. Did somebody spike the corn silk?
- Steve Downstate - Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 7:28 pm:
Thanks, Bill, for calling everyone in the Metro East and further south a hayseed. Yeah, that really hurts. Ouch. Wow. My rural/suburban pride will never recover. No matter what my next door neighbor says about Chicago folk!