News Index :   Court System Information

Date Posted	April 25, 2008
News Title	Circuit Court Judges & Associate Judges
Posted By	Illinois Fourth Judicial Circuit
CHRISTIAN COUNTY • Ronald D. Spears, Resident Circuit Judge • Bradley T. Paisley, Associate Judge CLAY COUNTY • Wm. Robin Todd, Resident Circuit Judge • Sherri L.E. Tungate, Circuit Judge CLINTON COUNTY • Dennis M. Middendorff, Associate Judge • William J. Becker, Associate Judge EFFINGHAM COUNTY • Kimberly G. Koester, Resident Circuit Judge • James R. Harvey, Associate Judge • James J. Eder, Associate Judge FAYETTE COUNTY • S. Gene Schwarm, Resident Circuit Judge JASPER COUNTY • Daniel E. Hartigan, Resident Circuit Judge MARION COUNTY • George C. Lackey, Resident Circuit Judge • Michael D. McHaney, Associate Judge • Ericka A. Sanders, Associate Judge MONTGOMERY COUNTY • Kelly D. Long, Resident Circuit Judge • Douglas Jarman, Circuit Judge • James L. Roberts, Associate Judge SHELBY COUNTY • Michael P. Kiley, Resident Circuit Judge Allan F. Lolie, Associate Judge ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ JUDGES' BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE WILLIAM BECKER Education: • Norhwestern University (1972) B.A. English • Washington University (1975) J.D. Law Practice & Professional Information: • Heyl, Royster, Peoria, IL (1975-1979) • Bruegge and Becker, Breese, IL (1979-1991) partner • Clinton County Public Defender; Marion County Conflict Public Defender (1980-1982) • Heyl, Royster, Edwardsville, IL (1991-2001) partner • Admitted to practice: Illinois, U.S. District Court S.D. Illinois, U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit, United States Supreme Court Judicial: • Associate Judge Fourth Judicial Circuit (February 16, 2001-present) Professional Organizations & Activities: • Illinois Judges’ Association (1991-present) • ISBA (1975-present) • ISBA Bench Bar Section Council (2008-present) • Faculty IICLE Jury Selection Seminar (2006) • Faculty Tort Immunity Seminar AOIC (2009) • Illinois Evidence Bench Book Project (Peer Reviewer) AOIC (2008-present) • Faculty Judicial education Conference Civil Evidence AOIC (2010) • Lecturer and Panelist at various ISBA, ITLA, IICLW, law firm seminars on various aspects of civil litigation, professional liability, and trial practice (1993-2001) _______________________________________________________________ JUDGE JAMES J. EDER Education: • University of Notre Dame – B.A. 1976 • University of Illinois College of Law – J.D. 1979 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Private practice with Haskell & Perrin, Chicago, IL, 1979 – 1981 • Private practice with Taylor Law Offices, P.C., Effingham, IL, 1981 – 2001 Judicial: • Appointed Associate Circuit Judge on July 27, 2001 Professional Organizations & Activities: • Fourth Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council Steering Committee • Illinois Judges Association • Illinois Bar Association • Effingham County Bar Association ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE DANIEL E. HARTIGAN Education: • Villanova University, - B.S. in Business Administration 1973 • DePaul University School of Law – J.D. 1977 Law Practice and Professional Information: • Admitted to Illinois Bar 1977 • Appellate Court Law Clerk – Justice James E. Boyle, 2nd District, IL – 1977-1978 • State’s Attorney Jasper County, IL – 1980-1984 • Private Practice of Law – 1978-2006 Judicial: • Elected Resident Circuit Judge of Jasper County – 2006 Professional Organizations & Activities: • Illinois Judges Association • Illinois State Bar Association, Assembly – 2000-2006 ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE JAMES HARVEY Education: • Eastern Illinois University – B.S. in Management 1971 • John Marshall Law School – J.D. 1975 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Partner in general private law practice of Schniederjon, Weber, Harvey & Stephens 1975 – 1987 Judicial: • Associate Judge since 1987 ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE PATRICK J. HITPAS Education: • St. Joseph’s College – B.S. Cum Laude 1969 • St. Louis University School of Law – J.D. 1972 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Admitted to Illinois & Missouri Bars 1972 • Assistant Circuit Attorney, St. Louis, MO 1972 – 1974 • Meyer & Kauchen, Belleville, IL 1974 – 1976 • State’s Attorney Clinton County, IL 1976 – 1980 • Private Practice of Law 1974 – 1992 Judicial: • Appointed Circuit Judge, August 1992 • Elected Circuit Judge, November 1992 Professional Organizations & Activities: • Illinois Judges Association • Illinois State Bar Association • Illinois Education Conference 2004 (Faculty) • Illinois New Judges School 2005 – 2007 • Topic Editor – Illinois Civil Benchbook 2008 ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE MICHAEL P. KILEY Education: • Graduate of University of Illinois (BA) 1973 • Graduate of John Marshall Law School (JD) 1977 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Private Practice: Dove & Dove Law Firm, Shelbyville, IL, 1977 – 1992 Shelby County State’s Attorney, 1984 – 1992 Shelby County Assistant State’s Attorney, 1977 – 1980 Special Assistant Attorney General, State of Illinois, 1982 – 1984 Judicial: • Resident Circuit Judge, Shelby County, IL, Fourth Judicial Circuit of Illinois Elected, 1992 – Retained, 1998, 2004 Professional Organizations & Activities: • Illinois State Bar Association Member • Member & Past Chair of Bench & Bar Section Council • Past Member Judicial Advisory Poll Committee • Past Member Civil Practice & Procedure Section • Shelby County Bar Association Member & Past President Other: • Member of Special Supreme Court Committee to Study Courtroom & Judicial Security ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE KIMBERLY G. KOESTER Education: • Effingham High School, Graduated 1981 • Miami University – B.A. 1985 • Washington University – J.D. 1988 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Assistant State’s Attorney – Vermillion County • Private practice with law firm of Sebat, Swanson, Banks, Garmon & Townsley • Jasper County Public Defender • Jasper County State’s Attorney • Private practice in Effingham, IL Judicial: • Elected Resident Circuit Judge of Effingham County – 2006 ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE KELLY D. LONG Education: • University of Illinois – B.S. in Accounting 1966 • Washington University – J.D. 1969 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Admitted to the Illinois Bar – 1969 • Private Practice 1969, 1981 – 2002 Professional Organizations & Activities: • Illinois State Bar Association • Illinois Judges Association • Montgomery County Bar Association ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE BRADLEY T. PAISLEY Education: • Taylorville High School with honors 1987 • University of Illinois, B.S. Psychology, cum laude, 1991 • St. Louis University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1994 Law Practice and Professional Information: • Admitted to Illinois Bar, 1994 • Admitted to United States District Court, Central District of Illinois, 1994 • Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District, 1994-1995 • Private Practice, 1995-2007 • Christian County State's Attorney, 2004-2007 Judicial: • Appointed Associate Judge 2007-present Professional Organizations and Activities: • Illinois State Bar Association, Bench and Bar Section Council member • Illinois Judge's Association, member of multiple committees, including court security, pension and benefits, associate judges, and The Gavel • Faculty member for CLE conferences for judges and lawyers ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE JAMES L. ROBERTS Education: • Eastern Illinois University, B.A. History 1983 • Southern Illinois University School of Law, J.D. 1986 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Assistant State’s Attorney 1986 – 1988 (Tazewell & Montgomery Counties) • Private Practice – Adams & Roberts, P.C. 1989 – 2000 • Montgomery County State’s Attorney 2000 – 2006 Judicial: • Appointed Associate Judge 2006 ________________________________________________________________ CHIEF JUDGE S. GENE SCHWARM Education: • Brownstown High School • University of Illinois, B.S., 1978 • Washington University, St. Louis, MO, J.D., 1981 Law Practice & Professional Information: • Admitted to Illinois Bar – 1981 • Private practice of law in Vandalia, IL, 1981 – 1994 Judicial: • Appointed Resident Circuit Judge, Fayette County, May 1, 1994 • Elected Circuit Judge, 1996 • Chief Judge, Fourth Judicial Circuit, 2001 – Present Professional Organizations & Activities: • Chairman, Conference of Chief Circuit Judges, Sept. 2006 – Present • Chairman, Court Reporting Services, Executive Committee, 2005 – Present • Co-Chairman, Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council • Chairman, Illinois Supreme Court New Judge Mentoring Committee • Chairman, Fourth Circuit Juvenile Justice Council • Chairman, Fourth Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council • Illinois Supreme Court Legislative Committee • Illinois Supreme Court Court Improvement Program Core Team • Education Conference Faculty • Illinois Judges Association ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE RONALD D. SPEARS Education: • Taylorville High School • University of Illinois, B.A. with High Honors, 1974 • Southern Illinois University School of Law, J.D. Summa Cum Laude, 1977 Law Practice & Professional Experience: • Law Clerk for United States District Court Judge J. Waldo Ackerman, 1977-79 • Officer in the law firm of Miley, Meyer, Austin, Spears & Romano, P.C, 1979-93 • Appointed Circuit Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court, August 1, 1993; elected to the position in 1994 and retained by election in 2000 and 2006. Military Experience: • Retired as a Colonel from the Illinois Army National Guard in May, 2006, with more than 34 years of service. • Served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corp and was assigned as Staff Judge Advocate of the Illinois Army National Guard and was certified as a Military Judge. Professional Organizations and Community Activities: • Illinois Judicial Conference Committee on Education. • Mentor Judge for Newly Appointed Judges. • Faculty member for CLE for judges and attorneys. • Illinois Judges Association, 1st Vice President. • Illinois Judges Association Foundation, Board member. • Illinois State Bar Association, Former Board and Assembly Member, Member of various committees and author of quarterly articles for Bar Journal. • Illinois Bar Foundation member. • American Bar Association Judicial Section member. • American Bar Foundation member. • Taylorville Optimist Club, Former President and Lieutenant Governor, project chairperson. • Guest speaker for many patriotic and civic events and organizations. ________________________________________________________________ JUDGE SHERRI L.E. TUNGATE Education: • Stetson University, B.A. 1975 • Attended Florida Technological University (now University of Central Florida) 1975-1976 for a Masters Degree in Public Policy • Attended University of Tulsa-College of Law, 1976-1977 • Attended Southern Illinois University School of Law, J.D. in 1979 with honors Law Practice & Professional Information: • Admitted to Illinois Bar, 1979 • Admitted to Florida Bar, 1981 • Private Practice – Law Offices of Hubert W. Woodruff II, 1979-1983 • Private Practice – Bowen, Miller & Tungate, 1983-1984 • Elected Clay County State’s Attorney, 1984-1994 Judicial: • Appointed Associate Circuit Judge, 1994-2000 • Elected Circuit Judge in nine counties of Fourth Judicial Circuit, 2000 Professional Organizations & Activities: • Illinois State Bar Association • Florida Bar • Illinois Judges Association • Fourth Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council • Fourth Circuit Juvenile Justice Council ________________________________________________________________
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