Both Ed Diedrich and State’s Attorney Phil DiMarzio are well qualified to be the next circuit judge of the sixteenth judicial district, but Diedrich has more experience and is more qualified to be the next judge in DeKalb County.

Diedrich has been a lawyer for almost 30 years. As a young lawyer, he was DeKalb City Attorney in 1962 and 1963. He later went on to teach law at NIU and to manage his own legal practice in DeKalb. His resume reads like that of a man who is destined to become a judge in this county one day.

DiMarzio is also qualified and has done an outstanding job as State’s Attorney. But Diedrich has many more years of experience, has handled more cases and has seen many changes in the courts since he first became a lawyer in 1959.

To his credit, DiMarzio has offered good, sound proposals to reform court procedures in this county like: Saturday bond hearings to alleviate weekend jail overcrowding, elimination of judges choosing which cases they hear, sanctions being given to lawyers who show up for cases either late or unprepared and tape recording misdemeanor and traffic court cases to make it easier for people to appeal their cases.

However, Diedrich’s experience makes him tough to beat. Diedrich proposes the establishment of night court sessions at least once a week so people who have to go to court will not necessarily have to take time off from work. Anyone who has ever missed work to appear in court can appreciate this proposal.

Both candidates have run good campaigns. Their willingness to debate has been a commendable example to candidates in other races.