Illinois judge testifies in his own libel suit
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GENEVA, Ill. (AP) — The chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court has testified in his multimillion dollar libel case that a suburban Chicago newspaper damaged his reputation and career prospects by falsely accusing him of a crime.
But a defense attorney contended Chief Justice Robert Thomas wasn’t harmed by articles written by former Kane County Chronicle columnist Bill Page.
A lawsuit filed by Thomas, a former Chicago Bears kicker, seeks $7.7 million in damages after Page wrote in 2003 that Thomas softened his position in a disciplinary hearing for former Kane County State’s Attorney Meg Gorecki after her supporters backed a judicial candidate he favored.
Thomas testified Tuesday that Page’s columns “went completely over the line and accused me of a crime.”
“Bill Page has hung a ‘Justice for Sale’ sign around my neck,” Thomas said.
Thomas, who was elevated to chief justice last year, also said he wasn’t yet in Springfield for the judicial session when the first column ran in May 2003 because his father was hospitalized, and the court had yet to deliberate on the matter.
Page has said he relied on confidential sources.
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