Aaron Jaffe

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Aaron Jaffe
Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board
In office
2005–2015
Appointed byRod Blagojevich
Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County
In office
1985–2004
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
In office
1971–1985
Constituency4th district (1971–1983)
56th district (1983–1985)[1]
Personal details
Born(1930-05-16)May 16, 1930
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.[2]
DiedSeptember 10, 2025(2025-09-10) (aged 95)
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceSkokie, Illinois
EducationUCLA
University of Illinois
Alma mater
Profession
  • Attorney
  • judge
  • public official

Aaron Jaffe (May 16, 1930 – September 10, 2025) was an American attorney, judge and Democratic politician from Illinois. He served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1971 to 1985 and on the Circuit Court of Cook County from 1985 to 2004. Jaffe later chaired the Illinois Gaming Board from 2005 to 2015.[1][4][5]

Early life and education

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Jaffe was born in Chicago and attended Chicago public schools.[3] He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Illinois before earning a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1953, the same year he was admitted to the Illinois bar.[3] He moved to Skokie, Illinois, in 1959.[3]

Political career

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Active in Democratic politics in Niles Township, Jaffe served as a local Democratic committeeman in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[6] He won election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1970 and served through 1985. He represented the 4th district through the 82nd General Assembly and, after redistricting, the 56th district in the 83rd and 84th General Assemblies.[1] Contemporary coverage described him as a lawyer and college instructor and noted his roles as a Democratic National Convention delegate in 1972 and 1976.[7] Jaffe entered the House in the same 1971 freshman class as Michael Madigan and departed in 1985 to become a judge.[8]

Judicial career

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Jaffe was appointed to the Circuit Court of Cook County in 1985, elected in 1986, and retained in 1992 and 1998.[4] He served in multiple divisions: Domestic Relations (1985–1991), Law Division – Jury Section (1991–1993), and Chancery (1993–2004).[4] He retired from the bench in 2004.[9]

Illinois Gaming Board

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In 2005, Governor Rod Blagojevich appointed Jaffe as chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board; he was subsequently reappointed by Governor Pat Quinn.[10] During his tenure, Illinois implemented video gambling statewide following legislative authorization, and Jaffe frequently emphasized vetting and enforcement to keep criminal elements out of the industry.[11][5] In 2013 he publicly opposed elements of a proposed gambling expansion bill, citing oversight concerns.[12] Jaffe served as chairman until 2015.[5]

Death

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Jaffe died on September 10, 2025, at the age of 95.[13]

Publications

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A 700-page oral history and profile of Jaffe's legislative, judicial, and regulatory work was published in 2016: Judge Aaron Jaffe: Reforming Illinois: A Progressive Tackles State Government, 1970–2015 by Charles M. Barber (AuthorHouse).[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Illinois Blue Book, 1995–1996". Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  2. ^ "Cook County Court Oral History Project: Judge Aaron Jaffe (Transcript)" (PDF). Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. May 14, 2004. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Illinois Blue Book, 1979–1980". Illinois Secretary of State. p. 75. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Cook County Court Oral History Project". Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. June 21, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Armentrout, Mitchell (August 2, 2019). "'Tough' new Illinois Gaming Board chairman faced with gambling expansion". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  6. ^ "Skokie Newspaper Index: Aaron Jaffe". Niles Township History Project. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  7. ^ "November for Upstate House". Illinois Issues. Northern Illinois University Libraries. November 1976. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  8. ^ "Madigan Fight for Gavel Recalls 1975 Illinois Speaker Vote". WMAQ-TV. January 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  9. ^ "The Gavel (Illinois Judges Association newsletter), June 2005" (PDF). Illinois Judges Association. p. 1. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  10. ^ "Crime Commission Wants Gaming Board Chairman Re-Appointed". CBS Chicago. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  11. ^ "The bad bet: How Illinois bet on video gambling and lost". Chicago Sun-Times. January 16, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  12. ^ "Head of State Gaming Board Opposed to Gaming Bill". Illinois Public Media. Associated Press. April 25, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  13. ^ Harrington, Adam (September 14, 2025). "Aaron Jaffe, former Illinois legislator, judge, and gaming board chairman, dies at 95". CBS News. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  14. ^ "Judge Aaron Jaffe: Reforming Illinois". Princeton Alumni Weekly. September 28, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2025.