CHICAGO – Several politically connected Illinois judges have been appointed to judgeships after losing elections or dropping out of races, according to a report Sunday.

The Illinois Supreme Court appointed seven judges to the Cook County court system after they were rejected by voters, according to a story published Sunday in the Chicago Tribune. Five Democrats who lost in March have been appointed to judicial posts since then. The other two have been appointed in the last six years.

It’s a controversial practice that the state’s highest court has previously vowed to end.