Two new associate judges–a former state’s attorney and a well-known family law advocate–have been named to the Circuit Court bench in Will County, Chief Judge Stephen White announced.
Edward Burmilla, a Republican who was Will County’s state’s attorney from 1988 until 1992 when he was defeated by former State’s Atty. James Glasgow, and Joliet attorney J. Jeffrey Allen, who headed Will County’s legal assistance program for 25 years, are expected to be sworn in Jan. 2.
Burmilla, a native of Chicago’s South Side who lives in Mokena and has been a defense attorney in several high-profile cases since leaving the state’s attorney’s post, will preside over aggravated traffic and misdemeanor cases.
Allen, a former Will County Bar Association president who currently is an attorney with the Illinois Department of Corrections, will be assigned to family court.
Allen served briefly as a Will County Circuit Court judge after being appointed to the post in 2001 by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride, a fellow Democrat. As a full circuit judge, however, he had to run for election in 2002 and lost in a close race to Circuit Court Judge Richard Schoenstedt, a Republican.
Burmilla and Allen were selected for the associate judgeships by the county’s 10 full circuit judges, White said. With their appointments, Will County now has 22 judges, including 12 associates. But the fast-growing county needs more judges to handle an expanding caseload, White said, adding that he planned to speak with Kilbride about adding more judges.