It can be difficult for voters to evaluate the qualifications of judicial candidates. Unlike state legislators or mayors or county officials, judges are rarely in the public eye.

That’s why the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) periodically conducts and publishes its Judicial Advisory Poll. The poll asks lawyers who are familiar with judges and judicial candidates through their practice to evaluate them in a number of categories. Over the years, the poll has become a trusted and valued resource for voters in judicial campaigns.

In previous ISBA polls, Judge Wexstten has received consistently high marks, including an exceptional 96.6% rating in 2000. In 2002, he was the only 5th District Appellate Judge candidate rated as “Highly Recommended” by the Illinois State Bar Association Evaluation Committee.

The ISBA is expected to conduct and publish a new poll for the February 5th primary election. Results will be available here and on the ISBA’s web site, www.isba.org.

Prior to becoming a judge, Jim Wexstten earned the highest rating (AV) for attorneys from Martindale-Hubbell, a national company that evaluates attorneys on legal ability, faithful obedience to ethical standards, and professional reliability and diligence.

2008 Illinois State Bar Association Poll recommends Wexstten over Cates

A survey of hundreds of downstate lawyers by the Illinois State Bar Association recommends Appellate Court Judge James Wexstten over his opponent, Metro-East class action lawyer Judy Cates.

The lawyers who know the two candidates best recommended Judge Wexstten, with his 20 years of judicial experience, while rating his opponent, who has never served a day as a judge, as "not recommended." Wexstten was rated higher in every single category on which the two were rated.