Candidate profile: Katherine Ruocco
Name: Katherine Ruocco
Age: 53
Hometown: Swansea
Occupation: Principal attorney at Ruocco Law Office LLC
Position seeking: 5th District Appellate Court judge, Chapman vacancy
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Website or social media page: Facebook: Katherine Ruocco for We the People Website: www.RuoccoForJudge.com
Why are you running and why should people vote for you? The good people of the Fifth Appellate District deserve a conservative, fair, impartial, and well-reasoned jurist. My 17 yrs. practicing law in a diverse private sector practice, representing plaintiffs and defendants, has given me vast legal expertise. Additional experience includes: corporate risk management (13 yrs.); trust company attorney overseeing complex trust/probate matters; Accredited VA Attorney (12 yrs. - present) representing veterans at no cost; numerous legal fiduciary roles - VA Fiduciary, trustee, court appointed guardian and conservator; guardian for veterans without families; legal advocate for the elderly and people w/disabilities: village trustee (4 yrs.) – dealing w/contracts, litigation, and legislation; and legal publications author. I have more than 4 times the law practice experience than my primary opponent. I’m an effective communicator, courteous, understanding, and open minded. I’m fair, impartial, and act with integrity. All opinions and considerations would be made in adherence to the letter of the law and the US and Illinois Constitutions.The majority of our Appellate Court judges first reached the bench by appointment. Such broad appointment practice may raise concerns about judicial independence and whether only the well-connected and elite are able to serve. The appointed judge running for election to a different seat (as in this race) remains on the bench regardless of election outcome. If winning election, and switching seats, the new vacancy is then filled by appointment - not election. This cycle then continues. It’s as if our judges are being predetermined for us. I’m the only candidate who has never sought or received a judicial appointment. I’m also the only candidate wholly self-funding and not accepting attorney campaign contributions. I’m wholly independent, and not an insider or politically connected. Being independent and beholden to no one will help rebuild needed public trust in our court system.
What would your goals be, if elected? My first goal is to be a hardworking, fair, impartial, well-reasoned jurist. I would abide by the US Constitution and the Illinois Constitution in any considerations and opinions before me. As justice is only even-handed when one has equal access to the justice system, I would seek opportunities to improve access to the justice system for all individuals. I would also like to play an active role in developing and enhancing programs that help rehabilitate nonviolent offenders who may be alcohol or drug dependent. In order to reduce crime and enhance public safety I believe such offenders should be accountable for their behavior. However, I would like to see a judicially supervised response to promote recovery for such offenders. Existing drug courts have proven to work well, but there are improvement opportunities in these programs.
What issues are most pressing for your constituency? The significant lack of public trust in southern Illinois courts is a major issue. Public trust must be rebuilt. Increased responsiveness and transparency will improve the Court’s relationship with our community, making the court more fair and just for all who appear. Being able to shine a bright light into the Fifth District would be a good start to rebuilding public trust. There are far too many people who fall through the cracks in our legal system, due to inability to afford legal counsel. In many of these cases, simple actions could have saved their home or automobile. Working to create and enhance programs which would make the legal system more fair and accessible for those in need is important. There are many offenders who are dependent on alcohol and drugs. In order to promote public safety, greater effort needs to be made to provide the needed help so that these offenders can become law abiding, gainful members of society.