Laninya Cason

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Laninya Cason

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Education

Bachelor's

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1992

Graduate

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1993

Law

University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Law, 1996


Laninya Cason is a former candidate for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. She ran in the general election on November 8, 2016.

Cason was previously an associate judge on the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. She joined the court on February 3, 2003, serving in the probate division.[1][2] Cason was reappointed to that position for a four-year term beginning on July 1, 2011, and expiring on June 30, 2015.[3]

Education

Cason received a B.S. in finance from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1992. She earned a master's degree in education from the same school in 1993. She received her J.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville College of Law in 1996.[2]

Career

Cason began her career in 1994 as a clerk for the firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson. She became an attorney there in 1996 and a partner in 2002. She also worked as a prosecutor and defense counsel for the City of East St. Louis and as corporation counsel for the Village of Washington Park. She joined the circuit court in 2003.[2]

Elections

2016

See also: Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2016

Illinois held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. Robert P. LeChien defeated Laninya Cason in the Illinois Twentieth Circuit Court (St. Clair County) general election.

Illinois Twentieth Circuit Court, St. Clair County, LeChien Vacancy, General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Robert P. LeChien 50.97% 58,797
     Republican Laninya Cason 49.03% 56,550
Total Votes 115,347
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections, "Election Results General Election - 11/8/2016," accessed April 10, 2017


See also: Illinois local trial court judicial elections, 2016

Illinois held a primary election for local judicial offices on March 15, 2016.[4] Laninya Cason ran unopposed in the Illinois Twentieth Circuit Court (St. Clair County) Republican Primary.[5]

Illinois Twentieth Circuit Court, St. Clair County, LeChien Vacancy, Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Laninya Cason  (unopposed) 100.00% 18,826
Total Votes 18,826
Source: Illinois State Board of Elections, "Primary Election Results: Judicial," accessed June 13, 2016

Selection method

See also: Partisan elections

There are 513 judges on the Illinois Circuit Court, each elected in partisan elections to six-year terms. Upon the completion of these terms, judges who wish to continue serving must compete in uncontested, nonpartisan retention elections.[6]

The chief judge of each circuit court is selected by peer vote; he or she serves in that capacity indefinitely.[6]

The circuit courts are also served by 391 associate judges, who are limited in that they may not preside over cases in which the defendant is charged with a felony (an offense punishable by one or more years in prison). Associate judges are appointed to four-year terms by circuit judges.[7][6]

Midterm vacancies are filled by Illinois Supreme Court appointment.[6]

Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[6]

  • a U.S. citizen;
  • a circuit/county resident; and
  • licensed to practice law in Illinois.

2012

See also: Illinois judicial elections, 2012

Cason ran for election to replace retiring Circuit Judge Milton S. Wharton on the 20th Circuit Court. She was defeated by Zina Renea Cruse on November 6, 2012, receiving 46.0 percent of the vote. She was unopposed in the Republican primary on March 20, 2012.[8][9][10]

See also

External links

Footnotes