County Courthouse Lockers and Retirement

Two Courthouse news items could have an impact on those relying on Court services in Champaign County and already political issues. One involves access to public lockers for those using the Courthouse who don't have a car or other way to keep banned items they're traveling with. The other is a retirement, in part to help ensure further Republican control of the Sixth Circuit Court.

The News-Gazette and WCCU had coverage of the public locker issue last week. One major concern is that a lot of transportation is arranged through phone apps and communication for those who don't have access to a car. I've noticed a bit of a generational split on unsympathetic folks who grew up without relying on cell phones versus younger folks and advocates for the poor who point out that it's part of basic access to services now. The media coverage mainly focused on the nuts and bolts:

Doors to close on lobby lockers at sheriff's office
Concerns about the safety of the building have prompted the Champaign County sheriff to discontinue a storage-locker service in the lobby of his office at 204 E. Main St., U.

Sheriff Dustin Heuerman announced Friday that as of May 1, the 30 lockers will be removed.

"It's safety concerns," Chief Deputy Shannon Barrett said of the reason for discontinuing the public service. "They are not monitored. We don't know what's going into those lockers."
...
Barrett said Heuerman has looked into other options but hasn't found anything suitable.
"We have been trying to figure out what we can do different. It still comes down to the safety issue. No matter how small (a locker) is, a bomb could be put in there," she said. "He has done everything he can. It comes down to the safety of this building, especially having the jail below us."

Full article available here. In a short segment on WCCU, it was added, "They also said they are reaching out to community leaders and groups to find a solution."

The News-Gazette also had coverage of Judge Difanis' retirement and motivations:

His retirement, just one month prior to the end of his current term, is timed so that his seat can be filled by election instead of appointment, and so he can maximize his retirement benefits.

Judge Jason Bohm, 42, has said he plans to run for Difanis' open seat.

Difanis admits that he timed his announcement in part to help Bohm secure a Republican judgeship...

When Bohm was appointed, he said he would run for the resident judgeship in 2020 as a Republican, a seeming shoo-in in the normally Republican stronghold of Champaign County.

But anti-Donald Trump sentiment in the 2018 midterm elections that put Democrats in five countywide offices, four of which had long been held by Republicans, signaled to Bohm he'll have an uphill climb if he wants to run as a Republican in just Champaign County in 2020.

That full article here. Democrats would probably argue that it is an over-simplification to pin the lopsided results in Champaign County on just anti-Trump sentiment, but it's hard to deny the lopsidedness comparing Champaign votes only (top) to the votes of the full Sixth district (bottom) in the 2018 races:

The News-Gazette also pointed out a couple local Democrats are already looking to seize on that trend:

Jason Bohm, appointed as a circuit judge last year, has already said he plans to run in the March 2020 Republican primary for Difanis' seat.

As a result, two other lawyers have said they plan to run in the Democratic primary for Bohm's seat, a resident judgeship, which means they have to run in only Champaign County.

Assistant Public Defender Ramona Sullivan is one of them; Urbana attorney Ruth Wyman is the other...

Wyman, an attorney for almost 15 years, has a general practice of law and formerly served on the Urbana City Council for eight years.

As with many other political matters, you're bound to hear politicians assure us that their opponents are trying to bring politics into things that should be apolitical. I leave it to the reader to decide whether to chalk that up to one of the most overtly political things a politician can say.

More information on Sixth Circuit judicial candidates and races at ballotpedia here and the Sixth Circuit website here. General information and links on the Courts page (with some 2018 election information still on it).