The Illinois State Bar Association is not recommending an area judge be retained to the bench this November.
Judge Robert Adrian was not recommended for retention in the State Bar Association’s election year Advisory poll.
Adrian received a score of 29.55% by respondents who said “yes” to the “meets requirements” for retention to the bench, resulting in Adrian receiving the third lowest rating among the 117 candidates across the state of Illinois up for retention this year.
Adrian told KHQA that the poll was “meaningless” and was “only used to attack certain judges.”
Adrian was removed from criminal cases in Adams County in the Eighth Judicial Circuit in January by Chief Judge of the 8th Circuit J. Frank McCartney after the fallout of reversing the conviction of 18 year old Drew S. Clinton for criminal sexual assault in October of last year. The overturn of the conviction drew international scrutiny and local protests calling for Adrian to be removed from the bench.
Candidates are reviewed on meeting the requirements of office, integrity, impartiality, legal ability, temperament, court management, health, and sensitivity in the Bar Association’s poll. Candidates must receive at least 65% “yes” responses to the question of whether the candidate meets the acceptable requirements for office to be recommended.
The poll results pertaining to Judge Adrian came from 46 respondents in the 8th Judicial Circuit which covers Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Mason, Menard, Pike and Schuyler counties.