Deerfield Prosecutor Appointed Lake County Judge

WAUKEGAN, IL — A Deerfield resident and longtime Lake County prosecutor has been named the next associate judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, Chief Judge Jay Ukena announced Friday. Assistant State's Attorney Ari Fisz, chief of the felony trial division in the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, got the majority of votes cast by circuit judges.

“I am humbled and honored by my appointment to the bench," Fisz told Patch. "I will work very hard to serve the people of Lake County.”

The position opened up in January when Judge Joseph Salvi was promoted named a circuit judge, and 34 attorneys living in Lake County applied for the position. They were interviewed by circuit judges and evaluated by members of the Lake County Bar Association's judicial selection and retention committee.

The circuit judge nominating committee narrowed down those candidates to two Lake County prosecutors, Fisz and Reginald Mathews of Lindenhurst, chief of the gang and narcotics division. Both candidates were highly recommended in a poll of the full Lake County Bar Association.

"Fisz’s knowledge of the law, management experience, temperament, and fair mindedness make him an excellent addition to the bench for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit," Chief Judge Ukena said. "We are looking forward to him joining us in the very near future."

Fisz received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, according to the chief judge's office. He has been a licensed attorney in Illinois since 1998, according to state records.

Fisz began his career practicing civil litigation in Chicago with the firms Arnstein & Lehr and Garner Carton & Douglas from 1998 to 2002. He has also been an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University, according to the Lake County Bar Association. He is currently the chair of the association's continuing legal education committee.

In his 16 years with the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, he has spent the past five as felony trial chief, Fisz said. Before that he spent a year as chief of the felony review division.

According to an April 2016 Lake County Bar Association evaluation for candidate as associate judge, Fisz was rated "Recommended". (Candidates could also be rated "Highly Recommended" or "Not Recommended".) Fellow lawyers rated him highest on legal abilities and court management and lowest on impartiality and temperament, according to the bar association.

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