Officials announced Wednesday that a total of 32 people have applied for two associate judge vacancies in Lake County Circuit Court.
The candidates include 29 people who applied for a vacancy created when Christopher Stride was appointed a circuit court judge, and another three people who applied for a vacancy created when Christen Bishop was appointed a circuit judge.
The initial 29 applicants will be considered for both vacancies, officials said, while the three who missed the first deadline for Stride’s vacancy will only be considered for to fill the second vacant judicial seat.
The application deadline for the Stride vacancy was Feb. 22, and the deadline for the Bishop vacancy was Feb. 29. The circuit court will select two associate judges from the pool of 32.
The three new candidates include Christopher M. Kennedy of Libertyville, Danielle M. Pascucci of Long Grove and Jennifer Witherspoon of Waukegan.
The January retirement of Circuit Judge George Bridges, the only black judge in the county’s history, has led some local attorneys to question a lack of diversity on the local bench. With the addition of the three new candidates, the pool includes 13 women and two African-Americans.
Chief Judge George Ortiz has acknowledged the importance of diversity, but also recently commented on the low number of minority candidates applying for judge positions in collar counties, a situation that a Northwestern Pritzker School of Law assistant professor referred to as a “pipeline problem” that exists for local law firms and law schools.
All candidates will be evaluated by members of the Lake County Bar Association and interviewed by the county’s 15 circuit judges, who will make the appointments based on a ballot vote.
The public will have the opportunity to comment on the applicants by letter, which should be addressed to the Office of the Chief Judge, Lake County Courthouse, 18 N. County Street, Waukegan, Ill., 60085. Letters will be accepted until March 18.
Chief Judge Ortiz has said the new appointments could be made in April if the process is completed in time.
The 29 initial candidates include:
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Robert O. Ackley of Libertyville; Nandia P. Black of Kildeer; Rhonda K. Bruno of Mundelein; Michael J. Conway of Lake Villa; Diane B. Gordon of Buffalo Grove; Jacqueline A. Alicia Hughes of Tower Lakes; Paul B. Novak of Gurnee; and David S. Weinstein of Gurnee; Jeffrey A. Berman of Buffalo Grove; Janelle K. Christensen of Lindenhurst; Stephen M. DeRue of Antioch; Walter Diambri of Libertyville; Ari P. Fisz of Deerfield; Deborah L. Goldberg of Highland Park; Keith A. Hanson of Barrington; Bolling W. Haxall III of Barrington; Laura D. Horner of Lindenhurst; Markham M. Jeep of Wadsworth; Nicholas Johnson of Antioch; Ryan P. Koehl of Waukegan; Pamela J. Kuzniar of Deerfield; Kenneth W. LaRue of Lake Bluff; Carlton R. Marcyan of Lake Forest; Reginald C. Mathews of Lindenhurst; Jacquelyn D. Melius of Libertyville; James R. M. Newman of Lake Villa; Michael J. Ori of Volo; Stacey L. Seneczko of Libertyville and Deborah L. Shutter of Mundelein.
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