Not exactly parallel to the objection to Tony Colatorti’s candidacy for McHenry County Sheriff, but more evidence that Judges lean in the direction of giving voters choices in elections is the Cook County judicial decision just handed down:

Judge Nichole Patton reversed the Cook County Electoral Board’s tossing of an opponent to incumbent Tom Dart’s off the ballot, calling the Board’s, according to the Chicago Tribune, “‘a clear dereliction of duty’ and said the board’s decision incorrectly relied on an interpretation of the law from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board…

“While she was never a sworn police officer, Navarro Gercone had training as a corrections officer, and was once a sergeant, a lieutenant and an assistant chief at the sheriff’s office…

“While she was never a sworn police officer, Navarro Gercone had training as a corrections officer, and was once a sergeant, a lieutenant and an assistant chief at the sheriff’s office.”

Dart argued that opponent Carmen Navarro Gercone was not a certified law enforcement officer

His campaign plans to appeal the Circuit Court decision.

So, there will be two Appellate Court decisions.

The one from McHenry County had Judge Costello upholding the McHenry County Electoral Board’s decision to keep Colatorti on the ballot. In Cook County, the Electoral Board threw the candidate off the ballot.