Why are clear appellate decisions important?

Hello, my name is Judge Kenton Skarin, and I am running for Illinois Third District Appellate Court in November 2024.

Today I want to explain why appellate decisions that follow the law matter.

Appellate decisions guide future cases.  Litigants, lawyers, and judges rely on the cases decided today to understand the law tomorrow and for years to come.

If an appellate court acts politically and writes bad opinions to match, it is inherently unpredictable.  Unpredictability forces parties to roll the dice in the next case to find out who wins.  That is the opposite of law.  It is unjust, and it is very, very expensive. People deserve an appellate court that will provide clear, impartial decisions based on law, so they can resolve their own disputes with confidence that the law is clear.

My commitment is that I will always try to apply the law clearly and without regard to political preference, so that my decisions can guide cases thereafter.  I am asking you to vote for me in November 2024 so I can do this.

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