Justice Rita Garman announces formation of Judicial Screening Committee to fill Eleventh Circuit vacancy left by Justice Thomas M. Harris
Committee to be chaired by Lincoln College President Dr. David Gerlach

 

[December 04, 2018] 

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman announced today the formation of a judicial screening committee for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

The screening committee was formed for the purpose of assessing the qualifications of those persons who have applied for appointment to the Office of Judge of the Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit created by the election of Justice Thomas M. Harris to the Fourth District Appellate Court. Under the Illinois constitution, the vacancy will be filled by Supreme Court appointment.

After the committee has received public input, gathered information, and interviewed each of the applicants, it will report its findings to the Illinois Supreme Court, which will make the appointment from among those applicants who have been screened by the committee. The person appointed will serve as a judge of the Circuit Court until the general election to be held in November 2020.

The screening committee consists of seven persons who reside in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Four of the committee members are nonlawyers and three are lawyers.

The nonlawyer members of the committee are Dr. Melissa Cox, Dr. David Gerlach, Lynn Paulus, and Kathy Schmidt, all of Lincoln.

The lawyer members of the committee include Guy Fraker and Helen Ogar, both of Bloomington, and Judge Elizabeth Robb (retired), of Normal.
 

Dr. David Gerlach will serve as chairperson of the committee.

Applicants who are to be considered for appointment to the judgeship, and will be screened by the committee are attorney Timothy Bass, attorney Joseph Foley, Associate Judge Thomas Funk, attorney Brian Lee, Associate Judge William Workman, and State's Attorney Jonathan Wright.

Members of the public are invited to submit comments concerning the applicants by writing to Dr. David Gerlach, Chairperson, Eleventh Judicial Screening Committee, 300 Keokuk Street Lincoln, IL 62656, or by email to [e-mail].

[Lynnette Bruce
Judicial Secretary
to Associate Judge Thomas W. Funk]