Funk to assume judgeship in December

[October 23, 2008]  BLOOMINGTON -- Attorney Thomas W. Funk, a Lincoln native, has been selected by the circuit judges of the 11th Judicial Circuit to fill the Logan County associate judge vacancy that will be created when Associate Circuit Judge Thomas M. Harris Jr. is elected resident circuit judge of Logan County to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David L. Coogan.

Funk was selected from among 13 applicants for the position.

"We are gratified by the strong pool of applicants for this position and are confident that the citizens of Logan County will be well-served by Judge Funk," said Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Robb. "Mr. Funk received a 92 percent ranking for high standards of integrity and ethical conduct in the Illinois State Bar poll of his fellow attorneys. He has practiced law in Logan County since 1984 and has broad experience in the criminal and family law areas. This experience should assist him as he transitions from advocating on behalf of clients to serving as a fair and impartial judge."

Funk, a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and the Indiana University School of Law, began his career as a Logan County assistant state's attorney. He also served as an assistant public defender for Logan County and has been the city attorney for the city of Mount Pulaski since 1997. He has been a sole practitioner in Lincoln since 1989.

He serves on the board of the International Disaster Emergency Service and served on the board of Christian Homes from 1992 to 1999. He is a member of Rotary and was president of the club from 1998 to 1999. He is a member of the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court, which determines whether applicants for admission to the Illinois Bar meet the character and fitness requirements of the court. He is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Logan County Bar Association and the Christian Legal Society.

He is married to Karrie and has three children: Abigail, 9, Julianne, 8, and Noah, 6.

Funk will be sworn in as associate circuit judge in early December, after Coogan retires on Nov. 30 and Harris assumes the resident circuit judge position.

[Text from file received from the Office of the Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit]