Judges are the weakest link in our system of justice, and they are also the most protected. – Alan Dershowitz
Throughout my seemingly single-handed effort to cover our local judiciary, I’ve consistently emphasized the vast impact the men and women in black have upon our daily lives. Though it isn’t always quite this blatant, Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow’s recent school mask ruling is a perfect example of how, for better or worse, a single judge’s decision can turn an entire state on its head.
More often than not, that effect is limited to the felony, family law, or civil courtroom involved. But rest assured, just like tossing a small stone into the middle of a pond will eventually affect the entire surface, the consequences of judges’ regular rulings inevitably touch all of us.
It’s because judges wield this extraordinary power that we, the people, have a reasonable expectation they will generally display well…good judgement! But here’s a case where that certainly wasn’t the case.
In July of 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed attorney Bianca Camargo to fill the 16th Circuit judicial vacancy created by retiring Judge James Murphy. She has since been toiling in the Aurora, Illinois, Branch Court, and as is always the case with a full-circuit appointments (not associate judges), Camargo has to win an election to retain that seat. To wit, she’s currently facing two challengers in the Aurora subcircuit.
Before Camargo became a judge, she was a prosecutor in the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office which is where the problem started.
Seven to eight years ago, after another ASA (assistant state’s attorney) had twins, Camargo regularly babysat them while her friend and that friends’ prosecutor husband worked late at the office. Apparently one thing led to another, and Camargo started having an affair with the husband – in her friend’s own bed – after he ostensibly arrived home to relieve her.
While I find the details of that revelation to be particularly distasteful, the truth of the matter is, not only do people have affairs, but they typically start in the workplace. if Camargo’s poor judgement ended right there, we wouldn’t be discussing this because, while it’s certainly salacious, it’s not news. But this story didn’t end with the affair, because shortly after their dalliance began, Camargo’s brother was hit with some sort of felony ID theft charge, and since it wasn’t his first offense he was looking at some serious jailtime.
But because God clearly protects children and fools, the Kane County prosecutor assigned to that case turned out to be – you guessed it – the very man with whom Comargo was having the affair. And that felony case disappeared faster that a Russian skater from an Olympic medal ceremony.
But that’s not nearly the worst part!
Because there is no such thing as a secret in any judicial center anywhere on this vast third rock from the sun, then State’s Attorney Joe McMahon found out about the inter-office affair and the mystery of the vanishing felony case. But instead of firing both prosecutors and moving to have them disbarred, terrified of the potential bad publicity, McMahon called in his old law firm, Hinshaw and Culbertson, to review the sordid details and make a determination as to what, if any, action should be taken.
Considering the innumerable conflicts of interest involved in attorney misconduct case, in theory, it’s a wise move to call in outside attorneys with no dog in the fight. But McMahon called in his old firm because he knew they’d render his already predetermined verdict. And sure enough! Hinshaw came to the absurd conclusion that the KCSAO had “no duty to report” any of this to the appropriate authorities.
I really oughtta FOIA that “official” report for all the obvious comedic value.
My regular readers are well aware of my reports on a number of McMahon’s troubling improprieties, but after learning about this level of misconduct, I’m convinced I’d have far better luck throwing my lot in with the criminals than I ever would with the likes of Joe McMahon.
McMahon saw this story as a threat to his lofty legal ambitions, so Camargo and her “boyfriend” were neither fired nor disbarred. The male prosecutor’s wife did divorce him and he’s long gone from the KCSAO, but it was Camargo’s unexpectedly amazing reprieve that allowed her to continue to work on the People’s behalf and to eventually be appointed judge.
Talk about a semi-charmed kind of life! Ain’t it funny how we peasants have to endure the consequences of our illegal actions while the folks who mete out those consequences rarely do.
Of course, the Illinois Supreme Court knew nothing about this before the appointment because no one said a word throughout the entire selection process. If you think the blue wall of silence is a formidable one, trust me, it pales in comparison to the “quiet” you’ll find in any judicial center. Nobody wants to get on anyone’s bad side because it might cost them a potential job or a case down the road.
Proof of that theory is Joe McMahon is happily toiling as a full partner for the Geneva based Griffin Walsh law firm. So much for legal ethics and standards, right?
As is always the case, I reached out to Judge Camargo on three separate occasions, but she failed to respond. C’mon! What could she possibly say?
So, now that she’s running to retain her seat in the Aurora subcircuit, my fondest wish is for those fine Aurora voters to send her packing. We all make mistakes, but some should be a little more difficult to recover from than others – particularly when that mistake involves a judge. The kind of incredibly poor judgement that would allow for having an inter-office affair with a good friend’s husband that led directly to a felony case’s disappearance should neither be tolerated nor rewarded.
Author’s Note:
Considering the number of utterly unqualified judges running for the Illinois Supreme and Appellate Courts, this will not nearly be the last column on the men and women in black! Please stay tuned.
