Committee will screen judge applicants for 14th Judicial Circuit – Mercer County

Justice Lisa Holder White of the Supreme Court of Illinois has announced the formation of a judicial screening committee for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, a news release says.

The screening committee was formed to assess the qualifications of those who have applied for appointment to the office of Resident Judge of the Circuit Court for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit – Mercer County. The retirement of Judge James G. Conway, Jr. effective Aug. 10, created the vacancy.

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 Supreme Court of Illinois, which will make the appointment.

The person appointed will serve as a circuit judge until the general election to be held in November 2024.

The screening committee consists of non-lawyers and lawyers who reside in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. The non-lawyer members of the committee are Grace Diaz Shirk, Michael Bell, Dr. Edward Connolly, and Kristin Relander. The lawyer members of the committee are Judge Mark A.
VandeWiele (retired), Attorney Tionn Fambro Carter, and Attorney Jonathon Fox.

Attorney Tionn Fambro Carter will serve as chairperson of the committee. Applicants being considered for appointment to the judgeship are attorney Jeffrey Scot McKinley, attorney Matthew Voigts, and Judge Richard Zimmer.

Members of the public are invited to submit written comments concerning the applicants by U.S.
mail to: Fourteenth Judicial Screening Committee, Rock Island County Courthouse, 1317 Third
Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201 or by email to . Comments must be
in writing and received no later than 5 p.m. Sept. 20, Anonymous letters will not be accepted. All comments will be held in the strictest confidence by the committee and the court.

White has begun an application process for a resident circuit judge – Whiteside County vacancy in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.

The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Judge Stanley Steines on Dec. 31. Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled by Supreme Court appointment. The application process will lead to final court approval.

Notice of the vacancy has been posted in the courthouses throughout the circuit. The application form and instructions may be obtained by visiting the Illinois Supreme Court’s website here and following the instructions in the Latest News scroller announcing the
Fourteenth Judicial Circuit vacancy.

Deadline for submission of an application is Sept. 29. The applicants will undergo an evaluation and screening process. The person appointed to fill the vacancy will serve until the first Monday in December following the November 2024 general election.

To be eligible for consideration for appointment, the applicant must be a lawyer licensed to
practice law in Illinois