Who Is Applying To Become Lake County Circuit Court Judge?

WAUKEGAN, IL — Dozens of attorneys are applying for a trio of open judgeships in Lake County. Sole practitioners, partners. county prosecutors and others have filed paperwork to don the the judge's robes in in the 19th Judicial Circuit.

The openings come as as result of the appointment of Judge Joseph Salvi to Circuit Judge from Associate Judge and the recent retirements of Associate Judge Nancy Schuster Waites and Associate Judge Brian Hughes, according to Chief Judge Jay Ukena.

According to the 19th Judicial Circuit, 39 attorneys filed paperwork for the two positions opened up by retirements, and 34 applied for the associate judgeship vacated by Salvi.

Next up, hopeful judges will be interviewed by circuit judges and evaluated by members of the Lake County Bar Association's Judicial Selection and Retention Committee. The Bar Association will also poll its members on the qualifications of all the candidates.

Applicants for the positions created by the retirements are currently being reviewed, while applicants for the post opened up by Salvi's promotion were announced Jan. 22. For that opening, the public can address written comment to the Office of the Chief Judge at 18 N. County Street in Waukegan, until Feb. 12.

For each vacancy, two finalists will be selected. Circuit judges will submit individual ballots to the administrative offices of Illinois Courts in Springfield, which will count the votes and inform the chief judge.

List of applicants:

• Robert O. Ackley of Round Lake
• David J. Axelrod of Highland Park
• Nandia P. Black of Kildeer
• Thomas A. Briscoe of Waukegan
• Rhonda K. Bruno of Mundelein
• Michael J. Conway of Lake Villa
• Roderick A. Drobinski of Wauconda
• Christopher M. Kennedy of Libertyville
• Gretchen A. Neddenriep of Gurnee
• Jerald Novak of Long Grove
• Charvis R. Walker of Antioch
• Jeffrey A. Berman of Buffalo Grove, counsel at Anderson and Wanca
• James C. Bertucci of Libertyville, partner at Bertucci & Bertucci
• Patricia L. Cornell of Waukegan, partner at Cornell Anderson LLC
• Stephen M. DeRue of Antioch, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Ari P. Fisz of Deerfield, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Joann M. Fratianni-Atsaves of Lake Forest, Chair of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission
• Keith A. Hanson of Barrington, managing partner at Hanson Law Group
• Bolling W. Haxall, III of Barrington, Assistant United States Attorney
• Markham M. Jeep of Wadsworth, sole shareholder at Markham M. Jeep & Associates, P.C.
• Ryan P. Koehl of Waukegan, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Pamela J. Kuzniar of Deerfield, partner at Kuzniar & Simons PC
• Kenneth W. LaRue of Waukegan, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Carlton R. Marcyan of Lake Forest, partner at Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck LLP
• Reginald C. Mathews of Lindenhurst, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Jacquelyn D. Melius of Libertyville, partner at Dudley & Lake
• Daniel Naranjo of Barrington, Assistant Cook County Public Defender
• James R.M. Newman of Lake Villa, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Tara H. Ori of Volo, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Danielle M. Pascucci of Long Grove, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Michael J. Perillo of Grayslake, partner at Noonan, Perillo & Thut
• Joel R. Skinner of Vernon Hills, Hearing Officer at the Chicago Housing Authority
• Scott A. Turk of Vernon Hills, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney
• Donald R. Tyer of Long Grove, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney

Top photo via Shutterstock