Burt Odelson, Luke Keller and Lauren Glennon were successful in challenging the petitions and candidacy of attorney, Thomas Laz, a candidate for Resident Circuit Court Judge in the 18th Judicial District (DuPage County). Laz’s removal from the ballot leaves incumbent Resident Circuit Court Judge Liam Brennan the only candidate in the Republican primary.
Thomas Laz filed 726 signatures for the judge’s race. The requirement was 542 in order to be on the ballot. After a review of signatures by the DuPage County Board of Elections Commission staff and the Board, pursuant to objections filed by Odelson & Sterk, Ltd., 170 signatures were found invalid. Mr. Laz was 14 signatures over the 542 needed for ballot access. After a hearing and briefs filed by the parties, the Circuit Court found fraud was committed by the candidate’s brother, David Laz, and invalidated the signatures submitted by him as a circulator. The deletions of David Laz’s petition sheets reduced the number of valid signatures below the 542 required by Illinois law.
Additionally, the Court found the candidate did not use the proper name of the office he sought on his nomination petitions. The office of “Resident Circuit Court Judge” is separate and distinct from Judge of the Circuit Court as used by the candidate on all of his petitions. Thus, all of the nominating petitions were found invalid.
The candidate has not appealed the decision of the Circuit Court.
For any further information, please contact Joyce Romanowski at jromanowski@osmfm.com.
