Illinois Supreme Court appoints Jonathan Wright as Circuit Judge in Eleventh Judicial Circuit

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[December 22, 2018]  Justice Rita B. Garman and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Jonathan C. Wright as a resident Circuit Judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Wright is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the election of Justice Thomas M. Harris to the Fourth District Appellate Court as of December 3, 2018.

The appointment takes effect on January 7, 2019, and will conclude on December 7, 2020, when the vacancy will be filled by the winner of the November 2020 general election.

“Jonathan is highly regarded in the community as the state’s attorney and a former state legislator,” Justice Garman said. “He was rated as exceptionally well qualified by the screening committee. He will do a wonderful job hearing and deciding cases in Logan County.”



Justice Garman recommended the appointment to the full Court following a review of applicants by a seven-person screening committee consisting of four non-lawyers and three lawyers who reside in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. The non-lawyer members of the committee were Dr.
Melissa Cox, Dr. David Gerlach, Lynn Paulus, and Kathy Schmidt, all of Lincoln. The lawyer members of the committee were Guy Fraker and Helen Ogar, both of Bloomington, and Judge Elizabeth Robb (retired), of Normal.

"I am honored and humbled by the appointment. I want to thank Justice Garman and the Supreme Court for their confidence in my selection," Wright said. "I really look forward to serving the people of Logan County."

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Mr. Wright has served as the Logan County State's Attorney for six years, winning election in 2012 and 2016. He previously spent several years as an Assistant State's Attorney in the Logan County State’s Attorneys’ Office.

Wright served one term as an appointed Illinois State Representative from 2000 to 2002, choosing not to seek another term.

He has additionally served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and worked for several years in private practice.

Mr. Wright earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth College and his Juris Doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

His professional associations include the Logan County Bar Association, the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association, and the Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association. He has served as an adjunct professor in Criminal Procedure at Lincoln College.

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit includes Ford, Livingston, Logan, McLean, and Woodford counties.

[Sanchon Corbin
Admin Asst - Dir of Communications
Illinois Supreme Court / AOIC]

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