Chicago Election judge charged with battery for punching another judge in face

The Chicago Tribune reports:

An election judge was charged with battery Tuesday morning after punching another judge at a 42nd Ward West Loop polling place, according to Chicago police.

The female judges, whose party affiliations were not immediately known, were quarreling over "procedures" when one punched the other in the face, said Central District Capt. Joseph Vaclavik.

The judge who was punched, believed to be in her mid-50s, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for evaluation, Vaclavik said.

The other, in her late 30s, whose name was not released, was charged with misdemeanor battery, Vaclavik said. He could not elaborate on the procedural matter that sparked the fight.

The incident occurred about 9 a.m. at the polling station at the headquarters for Local 134 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, 600 W. Washington Blvd.

The brawl between the twojudges was the culmination of a clash that had been raging for years, fellow poll workers said.

"It was just a silly thing, but very disturbing," said one judge, who declined to give her name or the names of the two judges involved.

Witnesses say the fight stemmed from a clash of personalities, not politics.

A third judge, identified as Shanon Craig, injured her hand while attempting to break up the fight and was taken to a hospital.

"It was a pretty good scuffle," said precinct judge Menard Haskell. "Reminded me of 'Friday Night Smackdown.' "

The Chicago Way of politics.