Justice Garman announces screening committee to fill vacancy in 11th Circuit

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman announced Friday the formation of a judicial screening committee to help fill a vacancy in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Justice Garman established the screening committee to assess the qualifications of those persons who have applied for appointment to the Circuit Court vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Judge G. Michael Prall on Nov. 2, 2010. 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 Justice Garman, who will make a recommendation to the Supreme Court from among those applicants submitting their credentials to the committee. The person appointed will serve until the position is filled by General Election in November 2012. The screening committee consists of seven persons who reside in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Four of the committee members are non-lawyers and three are lawyers. The non-lawyer members of the committee are Bloomington residents Julie Dobski and Dr. Paul Pederson, M.D., Lincoln resident George Janet, and Pontiac resident Teresa Grant-Quick. The lawyer members of the committee are Hon. Luther Dearborn (retired) of Hudson, Guy Fraker and William Wetzel, both of Bloomington. George Janet will serve as chairperson of the committee. Applicants who will be screened by the committee are: Associate Judge Paul G. Lawrence of Bloomington and Lincoln attorney William B. Bates, Jr. Members of the public are invited to submit comments concerning the applicants by writing to Teresa Grant-Quick, secretary, Eleventh Circuit Judicial Screening Committee, P.O. Box 410, Pontiac, IL 61764. Comments should be received by the committee before Friday, September 17, 2010. All comments will be held in the strictest confidence by the committee and the Court. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is comprised of five counties: Ford, Livingston, Logan, McLean and Woodford.