Daniel Shanes
Republican | Illinois
Candidate Profile
Leans Originalist
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Daniel Shanes
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
Supreme Court District 2
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
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WORK & MILITARY
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AFFILIATIONS
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POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
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POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
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Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2021)
Robert Dold (2013)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
Judge Shanes has served on the Lake County Circuit Court since 2007. He is currently the Deputy Chief Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit
From His Campaign Website:
- Why Does the Illinois Supreme Court Matter?
- Democracy requires equal justice under law
- The rule of law is essential to justice
- Separation of powers, judicial independence, and judicial restraint
- "Part of the genius of our Constitutional government is the clearly delineated separation of powers between the executive branch, legislature, and judiciary. Vital to judicial independence is that judges be self-disciplined and show restraint. Public policy is debated and determined in the legislative and executive branches of government—in Illinois, the General Assembly and the Governor—not the Courts. Judges are not kings, and regardless of how pressing a particular problem or need might be, it would be an improper use of judicial power to 'fix' the problem by judicial fiat. Judges must have the wisdom and the will to follow policy set by the legislature unless that policy conflicts with the Constitution. The Constitution empowers the courts to police the other branches of government when their actions violate the Constitution’s guarantee of rights for our citizens. The Constitution’s limits on governmental power protect liberty, and one of the judiciary’s prime functions is to protect the Constitution."
- “In the end, it is the courts that give voice to the Constitution. When that voice is silenced, we cease to be a free society.”
- Judge Shanes was an Assistant State's Attorney for almost 12 years
Info From Other Sources:
- Judge Shanes is Highly Recommended by the Illinois State Bar Association.
- One of Judge Shanes' Facebook posts said, "Judge Shanes is always happy to talk about how important our Constitution is! Speaking with a great group of committed citizens in McHenry County he emphasized our need for a Justice to apply the laws as written, and the Constitutional vitality of checks and balances in our government. All Illinoians deserve an independent justice who will not legislate from the bench and protect our Constitutional Rights!"
- Another post said, "We need trusted and experienced judges representing us on the Illinois Supreme Court. It was an honor to participate in teaching new judges in the State of Vermont as they join the judicial system. I have been teaching judges in Illinois and across the United States for more than 10 years, and it is always a humbling and exciting experience to engage with judges passionate about upholding our Constitution and faithfully applying the law in court."
- And another, "I am a judge, not a politician. In the last several months as I've traveled throughout Northern Illinois, I've heard over and over again that Illinoisans want to have faith in Illinois. But for too long, that faith has been tested. Today, on the steps of the Lake County Courthouse, I officially declared my candidacy for the Illinois Supreme Court. Like I said, I'm not a politician. But I have loved meeting women and men of all ages, beliefs, and backgrounds. Democrats, Republicans, and people who hate both parties. Ordinary people, not the elite or political class. I will make sure that their voices are heard on the Illinois Supreme Court."
- Shanes said regarding the inequalities resulting from bail costs, "Different people have different situations. Everyone is unique. A $10,000 bond (which posting $1,000 is required for release from county jail) for one person could be beyond their comprehension, nevermind ability, whereas a $10,000 bond for another person could be a nice night in Chicago," he said. "That's why one size doesn't fit all. That's why, for justice to be fair, for there to be justice, it has to be that everyone is judged by their own situation. When the law applies equally to everyone, if doesn't mean everyone gets the same bond. What it means is that the factors that go into the consideration, the application of the law, is fake to everyone bases on their own circumstances."
QUESTIONNAIRE
VALUES
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
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Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
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Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
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What types of pro bono work have you done?
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ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
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What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
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Why should the voters choose you?
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I voted in these primaries and general elections:
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JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
Justices should not interpret the federal and state constitutions as living documents, but should use a textualist and originalist approach to interpretation.
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What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
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Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
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How should a court address the balance between public health and individual freedoms in the time of a pandemic?
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In light of the case Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a prohibition on sexual-orientation discrimination, which justice’s opinion most closely aligns with your own opinion?
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What role (if any) does a judge have in maintaining the separation of church and state?
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Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
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When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
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How should a judge determine which rights are protected by the Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned?
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What legal principles should a court consider when evaluating parents’ objection to their child obtaining medical procedures or drugs designed to affirm the child’s desired gender?
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What principles should guide a court’s analysis of whether your state’s constitution gives terminally ill patients a right to assisted suicide?
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Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else?
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