Newspapers Slam Court's Decision On Emanuel
CHICAGO (CBS/WBBM) -- Both of Chicago's major newspapers are criticizing Monday's Illinois Appellate Court ruling against Rahm Emanuel.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports
Podcast
In a scathing editorial, the Chicago Tribune said the appellate judges who ruled against Emanuel had displayed "startling arrogance and audaciously twisted reasoning," and had arbitrarily "invented a new definition of 'residency.'"
The Tribune referenced a strong dissent by a third justice, Bertina Lampkin, which called the conclusion that residency has a different meaning for candidates than for voters "a figment of the majority's imagination" and "a standard that the majority just conjured out of thin air."
"The Supreme Court must set this right, and fast," the Tribune editorialized.
The Tribune said it would be a "gross miscarriage of justice" if the Supreme Court does not take up the case, and says Justice Ann Burke should not recuse herself, even though her husband, Ald. Edward Burke (14th) is a Gery Chico supporter.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times called the appellate ruling "a disservice to voters."
The Sun-Times also quoted Lampkin's dissent, and her comment that the ruling "disenfranchises … every voter in Chicago who would consider voting for him."
"if this ruling stands, two appellate court justices, employing a rather narrow reading of state law and city ordinance, will have decided that you, the voters, cannot choose Emanuel to be your next mayor — tough luck, folks," the Sun-Times wrote.
"We can only hope that the Illinois Supreme Court will order an injunction keeping Emanuel's name on the ballot and then reverse the lower court's decision as soon as possible," the Sun-Times editorialized.
