By Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

When I was a boy, unschooled local justices of the peace were infamous for working with small-town cops to set up speed traps to fleece unsuspecting motorists. Not a very reassuring introduction to our state’s justice system. Things have improved much since then, yet vigilance and some changes are still warranted.

In 1969, two Illinois supreme court justices were forced to resign for accepting stock in a new bank at bargain-basement prices from a fellow who at the same time was receiving a favorable court ruling from these same justices.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.