Aurelia Pucinski

Aurelia Marie Pucinski (born April 29, 1947)[1] is a judge on the Illinois Appellate Court for the First District. She previously served as a trial judge and clerk of the circuit court in Cook County, Illinois.[2] Her term expires in 2020.

Aurelia Pucinski
Judge of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District
Assumed office
2010
Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County
In office
2004–2010
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
In office
1988–2000
Preceded byMorgan M. Finley
Succeeded byDorothy A. Brown
Personal details
BornApril 29, 1947
Chicago, Illinois, US
RelationsRoman Pucinski
Alma materCatholic University of America
DePaul University College of Law

Early life

Born Aurelia Marie Pucinski in Chicago, Illinois, she was named for her paternal grandmother. Her father, Roman Pucinski, was a U.S. Congressman from Illinois's 11th congressional district (1959-1973) during her childhood and youth. After his defeat in the nationwide 1972 Republican landslide, he represented the 41st Ward on the Chicago Alderman from 1973 until 1991. Aurelia Pucinski graduated from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in 1968 with a B.A. in History. She then taught at a grammar school in Skokie, Illinois. She decided to become a lawyer, enrolled at the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, and received a J.D. degree from in 1975.[3][4]

Career

After beginning her career in a neighborhood law office (1977-1980), Pucinski followed her father's lead into Democratic party politics. One of her first public efforts was representing citizens who sued the Chicago Board of Education to keep a local school open. She also served as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago and as regional counsel for the U.S. Small Business Administration.[5] In 1984 Pucinski became a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, a position she held until 1988.

Although Pucinski had the support of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Adlai Stevenson III in the Democratic primary for Secretary of State of Illinois in the 1986 election, she was upset by LaRouche supporter Janice Hart, who failed to win in the general election.

In 1988, former Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court Morgan M. Finley was indicted for corruption (for which he would be convicted the following year). Pucinski resoundingly defeated former Chicago mayor Jane Byrne in the Democratic primary to succeed him as Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court, then defeated former Democrat turned Republican Edward Vrdolyak in the general election.[6] As Circuit Court Clerk, Pucinski became Cook County's first official to institute a code of ethics and internal ethics board, as well as led the office into the 21st century by adopting new technology to improve efficiency and respond to law enforcement, attorneys and all citizens, including greatly improving processing of child support payments.[7]

In 1994, Pucinski ran in the Democratic primary for President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. The race was a three-way contest between her, Todd Stroger, and Maria Pappas. Stroger defeated her and Pappas.[8]

In December 1997, Pucinski switched parties to the Republican Party to run for Cook County Board of Commissioners in the 1998 election.[9] She was unsuccessful in her campaign.

In 2004, became a judge on the Cook County Circuit Court. As a trial judge, Pucinski helped handled more than 10,000 Domestic Violence cases (including against the elderly), and later was assigned to hear adoption, election, property tax and mental health cases.[10] Her bench book summarized forms and procedures to handle civil protection orders. She also frequently speaks about elder abuse, including at a Chicago Bar Association panel on third party issues in probate, mental health, guardianship and domestic relations, as well as won the City of Chicago's Luminary Award for developing a program to assist elderly victims of domestic abuse.[11]

Pucinski ran for the Democratic nomination for Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court in 2012, but Judge Mary Jane Theis won that seat, so Pucinski continued as on the intermediate appellate court.[12] She has criticised judicial campaign financing.[13]

Personal life

Pucinski is married and has children.

References
  1. https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/1997/04/29/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E769-4
  2. http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/AppellateCourt/Judges/Bio_Pucinski.asp
  3. https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120131/submitted/301319597/
  4. Sullivan's Judicial Profiles: The Illinois Judicial Directory 2018-2019 (also online at lawyerport.com) p. 691
  5. lawyerport.com
  6. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-03-17-8803010456-story.html
  7. https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/1997/04/29/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E769-4
  8. "Race Took Back Seat in Bid for County's Top Job". Chicago Reporter. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  9. Becker, Robert (11 December 1997). "AURELIA PUCINSKI JOINS GOP". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  10. http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/AppellateCourt/Judges/Bio_Pucinski.asp
  11. lawyerport.com
  12. https://ballotpedia.org/Illinois_Supreme_Court_elections#2012
  13. https://www.chicagoappleseed.org/our-blog/tag/judicial-elections/page/4
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