Bar Bouts News 1997
The Daily Herald (Chicago, Illinois) - Mon, Jan 27, 1997 - Page 75
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About DuPage: Law Enforcement
The chief judge is also responsible for the assignment of judges throughout the DuPage County judicial system.
Several associate judges, three or four, have already been told of switches in their assignments, but the number of judicial changes is considered very small compared to past years.
Appointment: DuPage Judge Bonnie Wheaton has been appointed to the American Law Institute, a prestigious 3,000-member organization that works to simplify laws and improve the administration of American justice.
Wheaton, who is currently assigned to the county's Chancery division, is the only DuPage County resident that is a member of the institute.
Fight night: The second annual "Bar Bouts Casino Night" featuring different levels of boxing matches between Chicago-area attorneys has been set for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Hollywood Casino, Aurora.
Reservations are $55 and funds go to support the DuPage County Legal Assistance Foundation, which provides free legal advocacy to low-income families and homeless residents each year.
More information can be obtained by calling the DuPage County Bar Association at 630-653-7779.
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Associate Judge Selection Now in Hands of Illinois Supreme Court
Two finalists have been chosen by DuPage County's full circuit judges as candidates for an associate judgeship position that will open up with the retirement of Judge Donald Hennessy.
John Demlingof Glen Ellyn and Bruce Kelsey of West Chicago were chosen from an initial list of 29 candidates. The Illinois Supreme Court will conduct a secret election, among the same judges who chose the finalists, in the next several weeks to choose the winner.
Friday-night fights: The fight card is almost finalized for the DuPage Bar Association's "Bar Bouts/Casino Night" Jan. 24 at Hollywood Casino, Aurora.
Matches are to include State's Atty. Patrick Provenzale versus Stuart Brody, a private attorney; former Assistant State's Atty. Frank Scarpino versus Chicago attorney Mike Gillespie; John Feldman, vice president and counsel for International Insurance Co., versus Steve Imparl, a private attorney; and a Sumo wrestling match between Wheaton attorneys Donald Ramsell and Christine Ory.
DuPage County State's Atty. Joseph Birkett, a former Golden Gloves champ, is still looking for an opponent.
Tickets are $55. Call the bar association at 630-653-7779. Funds go toward the DuPage County Legal Assistance Fund.
A child remembered: The Grace Tomassi Memorial Fund has been opened for people who want to show their support in memory of the 5-year-old Bartlett girl killed this month in an automobile accident in Carol Stream that injured her mother.
Contributions made to the fund are to go toward charitable organizations chosen by Grace's parents, Randall and Therese Tomassi. The fund has been opened at St. Paul Federal Bank, 451 S. Schmale Rd., Carol Stream.
A memorial service for Grace will be held at 3 p.m. Jan. 24 at Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington.
Step up: Assistant DuPage State's Atty. Phil Collins has been named first chair in the Juvenile Court courtroom of Judge Joseph Bongiorno.
New posts: Glendale Heights Police Chief Edward Dennis has appointed three new police commanders. Sgt. George Barrick takes over support services, Sgt. Gary Harrison takes over investigations and Sgt. Roger Mabbit takes over patrol.
Back to school: A DuPage County murder case under appeal has been designated by the Illinois Supreme Court to be heard outside of the 2nd Appellant Court's home in Elgin, at the College of Law, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
The People vs. Eric Robles, a case in which a son was convicted of helping to murder his mother and father in their Bartlett home in 1993, will be argued at the school at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 11.
The hearing will be held at the school at the request of law school officials.
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Glen Ellyn Attorney to Take Seat on the Bench
John Demling, 45, of Glen Ellyn has been elected DuPage County's newest associate judge, the Illinois Supreme Court announced Thursday.
Demling, who was elected in a secret ballot by the county's 14 full judges, will take the bench in March, following the retirement of Judge Donald Hennessy.
Demling, a managing attorney for an insurance company with offices in Chicago and Glen Ellyn, is a graduate of Chicago Kent College of Law.
Much of his recent legal experience has involved insurance defense work and surety and construction law.
Bar Bouts: What could be more fun than cracking a lawyer in the head? A good time was had by all at the DuPage Bar Association's Bar Bouts boxing matches last week, though some took home sore shoulders and bruised egos.
The card for the event, which benefited the DuPage County Legal Assistance Foundation, listed Steve Imparl versus Joe Fieldman, both private attorneys; Assistant State's Atty. Daniel Brown (son-in-law of Chief Judge Michael Galasso) versus Brian Cronin, a private attorney (who is no relationship to the political Cronin clan of Elmhurst); Assistant State's Atty. Gene Ognibene versus Michael Gillespie (a private attorney and son of defense lawyer Terry Gillespie), and Assistant State's Atty. Patrick Provenzale (whose stepfather, Sheriff Richard Doria, served as his corner man) versus Frank Scarpino, who recently left the DuPage prosecutor's office.
DuPage States' Atty. Joseph Birkett had two exhibitions (as they say in the WWF)--against Judge Andrew Hayton, who wore manacles and jail apparel, and against Kevin Golden, a 6-foot 9-inch Cook County prosecutor and former DePaul basketball player. Birkett has never forgiven himself for not recruiting Golden for DuPage County, just for the sake of the prosecutors' basketball team.
The biggest betting event of the evening--which was held at Aurora's Hollywood Casino--was between private attorneys Don Ramsell and Christ Ory, who each put up $500 and donned Sumo-wrestler garb for a laughathon match.
Ory won the bet, but the proceeds, like all the other funds raised, went to the legal assistance foundation, said Terry Ekl, bar association president.
Hearts and flowers: Chief Judge Galasso is making some practical preparations for Valentine's Day, which he suspects may set a county courthouse record for weddings. Friday is always wedding day at the county courthouse, with three judges available to perform civil ceremonies in the afternoon. But this year, with the most romantic day on the calendar falling on a Friday, Galasso suspects the three regular judges may need help. The last time there was a conjunction of Friday afternoon and Valentine's Day, Galasso said, 60 couples came through the turnstiles, compared with the usual dozen or two.
New team: George Kallas, a prosecutor in the DuPage County drug prosecution unit, is leaving to help form a new criminal defense law firm along with Tim Martin, a former DuPage prosecutor, and Joseph Luby, a former Cook County judge. Luby, Martin and Kallas will hang their shingle in Clarendon Hills.
Jail in good shape: Sheriff Doria has announced that the county jail has been accredited for the fourth time since 1985, meeting 100 percent of the standards of the American Correctional Association. Doria praised the efforts of warden John Smith and his staff.
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