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Heckuva job, Brownie
Monday, Oct 26, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller * By far, the stupidest thing Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown told her county’s ward and township committeemen last week…
Yep, the court clerk actually believes that nonsense. Brown is a machine politician, and the machine way too often prefers its office holders to be less than bright. Not saying, just sayin… * But Clerk Brown did say something quite smart as well…
You can bet the next time somebody is scrootened by the feds, somebody is gonna bring this Brown thing up. * Brown, by the way, had just $36,985.57 in her campaign account at the end of the third quarter. The party will be refunding her $25K check, but I really doubt she’ll be able to raise much more money from here on out. Plus, she’ll have to start from scratch and circulate her own petitions without any help from the party structure, so the odds could be against her even getting on the ballot. We’ll see.
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- Same as it ever was - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:38 am:
This sets an important precedent. The next time a Derrick Smith comes up on charges, there will be no excuse to support that person.
Innocent until proven guilty? Come back and see us after the trial.
- Same as it ever was - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:39 am:
Conversely, that could also unfairly work against someone like a LaShawn Ford. This decision they just made will create an even bigger mess at some point.
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:43 am:
This is an interesting case. I think Brown has a point in that she isn’t the first candidate to be under the scrutiny of the Feds. Heck, I think Joe Berrios all but admitted that he was as well.
In this case, I think the difference is that the committeemen believe that it’s a matter of time until the shoe drops on Brown and/or her husband. Nobody wants to be standing next to her when it does.
- @MisterJayEm - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:43 am:
“On Friday, Democratic leaders took away Brown’s endorsement for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk…”
And on Monday morning, carbon paper futures were trading at an all time low.
– MrJM
- Red Ranger - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:43 am:
Robert’s Rules of Order deals with parliamentary procedure; Im certain she meant to say “the Restatement (Second) of Contracts addresses the rescission of a valid contract”
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:44 am:
Also, I think its important to note that its not just the investigation, but lying about not being under investigation that the party really used to justify this decision.
- lake county democrat - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:45 am:
In a way the Dems are lucky the federal investigation arose with enough time to do something - if this happened a month before the primary, I wonder if Brown would have won reelection simply on name recognition. Heck, still might, but this gives the party time to gear up.
- Interested - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:46 am:
She really is pathetic…
- Just Me - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:56 am:
Not only is Dorothy Brown pathetic, but what is more pathetic is that the party organization chose someone to run instead who isn’t even a lawyer to run the county court system and until last week had no interest in the office. Clearly they were more interested in someone who would protect the status quo instead of create a functioning office.
The party isn’t interested in good government, the party is interested in helping their friends and maintaining their grip on power. Disgusting.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 11:58 am:
“scrootened” is an all-time Daleyism.
- The Way I See It - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:06 pm:
The single worst elected official in America. Good riddance.
- Elo Kiddies - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:08 pm:
11:44 has it right. This isn’t so much about being scrootened by the feds as it’s about misleading the Central Committee aboit being scrootened by the feds. They will stand together, but they will not be lied to.
- Chicagonk - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:09 pm:
@JustMe
Exactly. More of the same from Cook County Democrats and Berrios.
- Colin O'Scopey - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:20 pm:
=the party organization chose someone to run instead who isn’t even a lawyer=
Name the last lawyer who ran this office? It’s a clerical position, hence the name “Clerk of the Circuit Court”.
I suspect, “Just Me” that you are probably a straw man for “Just” Jacob Meister.
- Just Me - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:30 pm:
Colin — Do you have any carbon paper I can borrow? I have to go make a filing at the court and I ran out.
- Huh? What? - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:30 pm:
Maybe the legislature needs a parliamentarian. She might be available.
- k3 - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:33 pm:
And we wonder why people hate politics and politicians. Unbelievable.
- nyny - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:42 pm:
Anyone think D. Brown will now clean house? If I am a sponsored employee of any of the committeemen who voted to remove Dorothy, I am going the other way if I see Dorothy coming my way. Fred Moody????
- John Lester - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:46 pm:
If this was any other Pol maybe they stick by there side till the hammer drops , if it even does. But Brown has been looked at for awhile and most people feel it was only a matter of time before she was indicted. The cash gifts for her Birthday, the pay to wear blue jeans, and now the land deal . These veterans of investigations in Cook County can sniff a future indictment like a blood hound .
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:56 pm:
You can overcome things like this if you are in an office where you can deliver for people, like the mayor’s office or the governorship or an aldermanic seat. You’ve also got to have charisma, a la Edwin Edwards of Louisiana.
- Colin O'Scopey - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 12:57 pm:
@Just Me
I will run down to my lawyer’s office and get some since you think only a lawyer can modernize the office.
- Lobo Y Olla - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:09 pm:
@ Just Me
Dorothy Brown is an attorney licensed to practice law in Illinois. Sworn in May 9, 1996.
So she has that going for her.
- Snucka - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:20 pm:
Just a hunch, but I think Fred Moody will land on his feet.
- Colin O'Scopey - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:22 pm:
=The party isn’t interested in good government, the party is interested in helping their friends and maintaining their grip on power.=
But in the case the party endorses you, then “nevermind”. In that case, the party is AWESOME!
- 100 Miles West - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:26 pm:
Rich, perfect use of scrootened, but were are the alligators?
- Snucka - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:33 pm:
Rich– Do you think Frank Z. gave her the GWB treatment in the closed-door session? “She’s doing a heckuva job!”
- bored now - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:42 pm:
well, she might present enough signatures to technically be on the ballot, but i seriously doubt they will withstand the coming challenge. she knows that…
- Gooner - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:49 pm:
One interesting note — the party of course nominated the next available loyal Democratic African-American female. This is Chicago after all, and the ticket must be “balanced.” However, it will be interesting if Dorothy gets enough signatures to get on the ballot. If she does, name recognition alone on a down-ballot race might be enough to create real problems for both Brown and Harris.
The party may have to make a significant investment in this one to get Harris the nod, when at least one more candidate should be on the ballot.
Oh, and Brown not understanding law? Of course not. After 16 years, she seems to have very little understanding of anything relating to the courts.
- James - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 1:55 pm:
She is a reliable source of patronage, particularly for the very strongest committeemen. There are many patronage jobs in the Circuit Court Clerk’s office. She “divides the pie”, creatively, knowingly, predictably, and in such a way as to help solidify the rankings within the Cook County Democratic Party power structure. This is her primary underlying function–to the committeemen. Others could learn to do it, but why switch unless there is a compelling outside reason. The mere possibility of her being indicted while on the Democrats’ palm cards in March, is enough to make the party want to swap horses now.
- Amalia - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:01 pm:
who are the top staffers in her office? has anyone left recently?
- Orzo - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:26 pm:
Dorothy Brown was never particularly beloved by the party. She ran against them and won the office, and didn’t help herself by running several times for other offices, at once showing disdain for party regulars and demonstrating her lack of interest in the job she actually held. They knew she was incompetent and ethically challenged, but were afraid of trying to dump her and failing. Now they are given a golden opportunity, and they jumped on it. Alderman Harris (or Meister, for that matter) will be a vast improvement.
- Just Observing - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:13 pm:
Not only might Dorothy Brown collect enough sigs to remain on the ballot, but she may actually win.
- After Further Review - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 4:29 pm:
Prior to Brown (who was admitted to the Illinois Bar about two years before she was elected Circuit Court Clerk), the last lawyer to serve as Clerk was Aurelia Pucinski who is now a serving as an Appellate Court Justice after years as a Circuit Court Judge.
- After Further Review - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 4:32 pm:
@Precinct Captain:
Dorothy Brown moved to Chicago from Louisiana and she practices politics like she never left home.
- Michael Westen - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 5:01 pm:
John Lester-
Can’t speak to any of the other “scandals” but
“the pay to wear blue jeans, and now the land deal”
is one of the bigger urban legends in Chicago politics. If you actually read the Inspector General Report you’d know that nobody was forced to pay anything. All the money-every penny-went to charity and was accounted for. “Jeans Day” is a common fund-raising technique for charity used by Fortune 500 companies, and other government entities in the Chicagoland area. Not that you would know by the media reporting, but no wrongdoing in the great “Jeans Day” scandal, zero chance of anyone getting indicted for this “scandal.”
On the other matters, I can’t say.
- Ann - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 6:35 pm:
When I started practicing law in the Daley Center in 1979 I thought it was bizarre that I was using carbon paper to write up my own orders. When I retired in 2014, it was just ridiculous.
- After Further Review - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 7:59 pm:
What is doubly ridiculous is that many lawyers carry their own carbon paper to court because Brown & Company cannot be counted upon to deliver the court files, the court forms or the carbon paper to the individual court rooms.
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:27 pm:
she will win — black community will be with her — on the other hand, i don;t know if a divided black community helps the democratic state and national party goals in illinois
- Michael Westen - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:27 pm:
As I’ve pointed out before, per this Sun Times article, the “The Illinois Supreme Court still REQUIRES courts clerks across the state to keep a paper copy of records.” (emphasis added).
So why isn’t anyone mocking the Supreme Court for this outdated “requirement?” Your scorn in misplaced.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/7/71/163341/no-way-to-paper-over-court-clerks-record-keeping-critics
- Gooner - Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 10:31 pm:
Michael,
Why do you equate hand-written orders copies with carbon paper are the only method of keeping a paper file?
Moreover, have you ever looked at one of the paper files?
Nearly all the time you are missing something and often you find random papers in her files.
She’s runs the worst governmental office I’ve ever come across.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Oct 27, 15 @ 8:13 am:
Gooner I don’t recall every saying that. But you make it seem as if Cook County is the only court system that uses carbon paper. I’m sure you know that’s not true. Why you keep pretending it is only you know. Here is a story from the LA Times that talks about carbon paper use in the Los Angeles court system. http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/27/opinion/la-ed-ccms-california-judicial-council-20120327
I’m sure someone as well informed as you also knows that carbonless paper or NCR paper is significantly more expensive, and that in 2013 the County Board turned down a request to provide the funding to eliminate the need to use carbon
paper in the replication of court forms.
Making stuff up doesn’t help your argument.
- Gooner - Tuesday, Oct 27, 15 @ 9:16 am:
Michael,
Are you really suggesting that cost is a factor?
Come on.
If cost mattered she would have modernized that office 12 years ago.
She can’t do the basics.
She can’t walk notices of appeal the two blocks to the App. Ct. in two weeks.
Stop trying to defend a person who runs the worst office anywhere.