Fifth Hit Piece Against Judicial Candidate Mary McClellan about Sanctions

It’s a long time until the March Primary Election, so I am perplexed why all the negative messages are being rolled out so early.

Again Monday, the anonymous Political Action Committee calling itself McHenry Judicial Ethics PAC has published another unfavorable article on McHenry County Clerk Mary McClellan, who is running against three men for a countywide Judge’s post.

Here is its content:

This is what is on the second page of the post:

Sanctions


“Generally speaking, it is extremely rare for a judge to order sanctions against assistant state’s attorneys…”, said Sally Daly, a spokesperson for the Cook County state attorney office.

In 2015, those rare sanctions were filed against Mary McClellan, who at the time was an Assistant State’s Attorney for Cook County. U.S. District Judge John F. Grady stated that the attorney “acted in bad faith” during a civil rights cased filed against the Chicago police.

Furthermore, the same judge said the office “obstructed” access to files while the lawsuit was argued in court and did not appear to follow its own policies for retaining documents.

Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.

The case revolved around a family attorney who was filing for records of an arrest in 2008. The family claimed that false charges were levied against them. The family was found not guilty and then they sued to the city.

The family attorney petitioned the Cook County office for the paperwork around the 2008 arrest. Mary McClellan, who was representing the office on the case, said the paperwork was destroyed.

But it was not.

The family attorney was able to petition the court to look for the paperwork himself. The attorney reported back to the court that he found them in “about 15 minutes.”

It was concerning that the family attorney was able to find these files so quickly, after repeated statements by Mary McClellan that the files did not exist. The judge sanctioned McClellan for “recklessly adhering to the position” in court that the case files did not exist.

The taxpayers ended up paying $130,000 to resolve this incident. While this is a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars, what is more concerning are the actions of Mary McClellan. Steven Lubet, a law professor at Northwestern University School of Law, expressed, “The judicial process depends on transparency and the production of documents, so it’s extremely important for all parties to comply with discovery requests. It’s an essential element of justice for documents to be produced when requested.”

Either Mary McClellan didn’t know where the files were, which shows incompetence. Or she knew where they were and she was not being honest.

Either way, U.S. District Judge John F. Grady found enough wrongdoing that he took the rare step of sanctioning Mary McClellan.

Mary McClellan was not able to deliver an essential element of justice as an attorney. Will she be able to deliver justice as a judge?


Comments

Fifth Hit Piece Against Judicial Candidate Mary McClellan about Sanctions — 33 Comments

  1. War is peace.

    Freedom is slavery.

    Ignorance is strength.

    Corrupt lawyers are running for judge on an integrity platform.

  2. Here’s an idea for what they should do next: Mary marched in the Settlers’ Days parade as a judicial candidate.

    Her campaign quarterly disclosures through the end of September show no expenditures in 2017.

    That parade, like all parades, had an entry fee.

    I wonder if the County Clerk’s office paid for it. A quick FOIA from someone would answer the question.

  3. I agree with Cal.

    It’s senseless to speak of McClellan’s ethics.

    I don’t believe that she has any.

    Judging from her track record, both as assistant state’s attorney and county clerk, the one thing that she doesn’t lack is hubris.

    We can only hope that in her case it leads to nemesis!

    If she was half as smart as she is arrogant, she might have the makings of crappy lawyer.

    As it stands, she is merely a crappy human being.

  4. Brian Schroedr, it doesn’t matter. Who paid for her entry in the parade?

  5. The parade was on October 8, and the entry fee was $75.

    According to the entry form, the organizers would e-mail the placement for the participants about a week prior, so McClellan more than likely entered before 9/30, in which case the expense should have been on her disclosure form.

  6. I opted out of receiving these hit pieces.

    I wasn’t seeing who they were coming from and it is pretty low average to throw dirt at someone and not say who you are.

  7. Oh, I’m willing to bet she will make a very fine judge indeed.

    The Misfits are scared it seems.

    See you at your swearing in Mary.

    Go Mary, Go Mary!

  8. She’s just the ticket to make sleazoid judges like Berg and the schlemiel look good!

  9. Billy Bob:

    Laws, ethics, standards … these are for the little people.

    Not august personages like Mary McClellan.

    She has the audacity to demand “Personage to Person” telephone calls from her Clerk’s rat’s nest.

  10. Mary McClellan has done a great job in the clerk’s office.

    I have witnessed her dedication and hard work.

    Each of these attacks are misconstrued and slanted to give a different spin.

    Mary has won many hard cases when she worked for the State’s Attorney’s office and in private practice.

    I have had the pleasure to work with her and her commitment is second to none.

    Ethics and standards that if anyone of you knew her would not be saying the things you say under assumed names.

    The attacks on the sanctions in Cook County was due to the fact that 6 other attorneys that worked on the case who were all civil attorneys relied on Criminal attorneys who signed affidavits under oath saying the records did not exist.

    McClellan just happened to be the last attorney who was left holding the bag.

    There has been never a better servant to McHenry County than McClellan and her husband and her staff that has worked countless hours and delivered a remarkable product.

    Stand 4 can’t wait to be at the swearing in ceremony with you in support of Mary.

  11. If you had the pleasure to work with her and her commitment, then answer this simple question Iwouldnothirewifeeither.

    What did her husband do before he was hired as her mule?

  12. Why dont you ask him what he did?

    Rather you just attack upon no information.

    My understanding is he is a well versed in logistics.

    Eric since were all getting know each other here what exactly do you do and what qualifications do you have to do what you do? You seem to have a lot of extra time on your hands to post on this blog.

  13. OMG “Stand4Truth is mary and
    “Iwouldnothirewifeeither” is her stupid husband.

    Yes Go Mary and Don’t Return!

    You are one of the cancers on McHenry County Politics.

    John Pletz, All these articles are also on the blog and some in the newspapers.

    I know you wouldn’t vote for this closet Dem of a wreck anyway.

  14. Even if it was true ((Mary) that you were left holding the bag and you were just the poor innocent victimized scapegoat, then why didn’t you even LQQK for the records?

    The fact is, it took years of someone else suing for the right to go around you and find it with in 15 minutes.

    Those arentt the behaviours of someone who cares about justice.

    Rreason number 25 you will never get my vote.

  15. I know things, I happen to know that the scope of discovery was changed by a phone call to the judge on the day of the inspection.

    If you read the record, this is validated.

    The attorney who represented the family was also the defense attorney in the criminal case.

    He had insight and personal knowledge of the actual file that was created in the case.

    This attorney knew that the file he was seeking existed.

    This type of case typically does not create a file.

    Instead this attorney tried to attack the states attorney’s office on a local records retention act violation.

    This type of violation can only be heard in a state court.

    McClellan violated no laws and furthermore supported the integrity of the judicial system.

    McClellan should be commended for her commitment to her integrity and the law.

  16. I can’t wait for the results of the Illinois Bar Association poll on the judicial candidates to be released.

    The resulting spin is going to be pure comedy gold.

  17. Can’t blame herthough Cindy!

    Dontya know she “dreamed of being a judge ever since she was a little girl??

    PUKE.

    KEEP DREAMING MARY.

  18. I think It’s hilarious how you people act.

    Childish!

    You never grew up and probably never will.

    Your no different than the ones who helped crucify the lord Jesus Christ.

    Merry Christmas

  19. Our lords crucifixion is hilarious?

    It’s spelled YOU’RE.

    As in “YOU’RE SICK, MARY”.

    I can just see it now.

    writing up briefs like a grade school dropout.

  20. I am an Electrical Engineer Iwouldnothirewifeeither and a small business owner in DuPage County.

    We moved to Crystal Lake in 2012 due to the excellent school system, and when my youngest graduates, I am leaving thanks to people like your friend.

    Your friend cares more about profiting then serving the people, which means more taxes dollars out of our pockets.

    As for he is a well versed in logistics, are you telling us that he was a truck driver?

  21. Iwould doesn’t know how to spell either. Looks like the same person as (Mary) stand4. She wouldn’t know the difference between we’re and were. Two completely different meanings. So much for logistics. Hardee-har-har.

  22. Please spell check the phrase “progressive wave coming next November 2018” for me. I’ll appreciate it…stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…

  23. I just wish judges could put aside personal involvement, past relationships , and preside over cases with a non biased conduct .unfortunately some judges have there own agenda when it comes to particular cases , if your sitting on a bench in a robe of justice please act accordingly

  24. Here’s a new game we can play.

    How many names on the blog does Mary use?

    My guess is 4, but I’m sure we’ll see her use more in the coming months.

  25. “the scope of discovery was changed on the day of the inspection?”

    Seems like that should have been brought up at the trial court, or at the appellate court, or in an appeal to the Supreme Court.

    But it was a secret?

    A secret that someone would wait until it came up in their second election?

    Makes total sense.

    Totally Believable.

    Vote Mary

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