Bertina E. Lampkin
Judge up for retention, on the Chicago ballot November 3, 2026. Incumbent.
Illinois Appellate Court, First District
Ratings
- Chicago Bar Association: Qualified
- Illinois State Bar Association: Yes
- Injustice Watch: Former prosecutor
- Injustice Watch: Notable controversy
Record
Appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2009 and elected in 2016, after 22 years as a Cook County associate and circuit judge, including 12 as a supervising judge in the Criminal Division; she sits in the third division of the First District, hearing appeals from Cook County. Injustice Watch reports that she was the lead prosecutor in the 1983 trial of Stanley Wrice, whose conviction was vacated in 2013 over his claims that Chicago police working under Cmdr. Jon Burge beat him into giving a statement. Claims against her in his civil rights lawsuit were dismissed, she told Injustice Watch she denies any wrongdoing and doubts his abuse claims, and Wrice won a $5.2 million jury verdict against the city in 2020. A judge stays on the bench with a yes from 60 percent of voters.
Background
Senior attorney in the City of Chicago Law Department, defending the city in civil lawsuits (1985-1987); before that, a Cook County assistant state's attorney prosecuting juvenile delinquency, sexual assault, and other felony cases (1974-1985). Law degree from DePaul University (1974).
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