Introducing the 26 Associate Judge finalists - Part II

In Part I, FWIW looked at those 2016 Cook County Associate Judge finalists who were either candidates in the recent primary or had been finalists in the 2014 associate judge selection process. This post looks at the remaining finalists.

Sophia Jane Atcherson has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1997. She currently serves as Chief of the Legal Resources Division at the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender. She has also served as an adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School, according to her LinkedIn page.


Jeffry S. Blumenthal is a partner in the Loop law firm of Slutzky & Blumenthal, a firm which, according to its website, has a "practice almost exclusively devoted to Cook County real estate tax collection and enforcement litigation." Licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1979, Blumenthal has also taught legal writing and legal research at John Marshall Law School. According to his firm website, Blumenthal is a co-author, with David R. Gray, Jr., of Chapters 10 and 11 of the IICLE Real Estate Taxation handbook, published in 2008.

George Louis Canellis, Jr. is an Assistant Cook County State's Attorney and has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1996. According to his LinkedIn page, Canellis serves as Supervisor of Felony Review.



Vincenzo Chimera is an Illinois Assistant Attorney General and has been licensed in Illinois since 1984. According to his LinkedIn page, Chimera currently serves as Deputy Chief of Criminal Enforcement at Illinois Attorney General's Office. Chimera also serves as a board member of The Port Ministries, according to his LinkedIn page.

Mark Vincent Ferrante is a solo practitioner with offices in the Loop. According to a biography appended to his firm website, Ferrante has operated his own firm since 1991. He began his legal career in 1983 as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. Ferrante was a candidate for a 6th Subcircuit vacancy in the 2012 primary. In 2005, according to his firm website, Ferrante received an "Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award" from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for his work as trial bar appointed counsel for the plaintiff in a lawsuit involving a stabbing incident at Cook County Jail.

Mohammed Mujahid Ghouse owns and operates the Ghouse Law Office in Bridgeview. He has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1998. According to my archives, Ghouse hosted a fundraiser for Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke, Jr. during the most recent primary season; he was among the hosts of a fundraiser for Judge (and 15th Subcircuit candidate) Chris Lawler during the 2014 primary season.

Robert Wade Johnson is, according to ARDC, the principal of Robert Johnson, P.C., with an office in Chicago's Loop. He has been licensed in Illinois since 1994.

Mary Catherine Marubio is an Administrative Law Judge for Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Since May 2014, Marubio has also served as the agency's Ethics Officer. She joined the agency as Chief of Business Prosecutions - Statewide Enforcement in early 2012, serving as Acting Chief of Health Related Prosecutions - Statewide Enforcement, prior to assuming her present duties as an ALJ in early 2014. She has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1997. Before joining IDFPR, Marubio had her own law practice, serving, among other things, as General Counsel for the Columbian Consulate in 12 Midwestern states. Marubio is active in a number of bar associations, including current service as the Co-Chair of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois Administrative Law Committee. Marubio has also been active as a board member or advisory board member of the ACLU of Illinois.

Lisette C. Mojica is a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney assigned, according to ARDC, to the Juvenile Justice Bureau. She has been licensed in Illinois since 1997.

David Ricardo Navarro is an Illinois Assistant Attorney General who has been licensed in Illinois since 1993, according to ARDC.

Marian Emily Perkins operates the Law Office of Marian E. Perkins, P.C., in Chicago's Loop. She has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 1987. A past president of the Cook County Bar Association, Perkins is also a longtime member of the Criminal Justice faculty at Chicago State University, currently serving as Chairperson of the department. According to her LinkedIn page, Perkins began her legal career in the office of the Illinois State Appellate Defender; she also worked for several years as an Assistant Cook County State's Attorney.

Gregory Gerard Plesha maintains a law office on South Western Avenue in the Beverly neighborhood. He has been licensed as an attorney since 1986.

Marita Clare Sullivan is a senior counsel for the ARDC. She has been licensed in Illinois since 1984.

Jeanne Marie Wrenn is a Senior Director and General Counsel for the National Safety Council. According to her LinkedIn page, Wrenn (now officially listed as Jeanne Wrenn Ritchie, per ARDC) previously served as Ethics and EEO Officer for PACE. She has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 2003.