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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Justice Charles E. Freeman of Chicago,
4who passed away on March 2, 2020; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was born in Richmond, Virginia on
6December 12, 1933; he was the descendent of slaves who adopted
7the "Freeman" surname to reflect their freedom, which was
8gained before the Civil War; he earned his bachelor's degree
9from Virginia Union University in 1954 and his Juris Doctor
10from the John Marshall Law School in 1962; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Justice Freeman had a long and distinguished
12professional and public career in Illinois; he served as an
13assistant attorney general, an assistant state's attorney, and
14an attorney for the Board of Election Commissioners; he also
15engaged in the general practice of law from 1962 to 1976; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was appointed as an arbitrator to
17the Illinois Industrial Commission in January 1965 and served
18in that capacity until September 1973; he served on the
19Illinois Commerce Commission from September 1973 to December
201976; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was elected to the Cook County

 

 

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1Circuit Court in 1976 and served for 10 years, winning two
2elections in the process; while a circuit court judge, he
3became the first African American to swear in a Chicago mayor,
4his good friend Harold Washington; he was elected to the
5appellate court in 1986; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was elected to the Illinois
7Supreme Court on November 6, 1990, becoming the first African
8American to serve on the highest court in Illinois; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was selected as chief justice of
10the Illinois Supreme Court on May 12, 1997, becoming the first
11African American to serve in that role; he served until January
121, 2000; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Justice Freeman retired on June 14, 2018, bringing
14to a close a legal career that spanned nearly six decades; he
15was the fifth-longest serving justice in Illinois Supreme Court
16history at 27 years, six months; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
18ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
19Justice Charles E. Freeman and extend our sincere condolences
20to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
21it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of Justice Charles Freeman as an
3expression of our deepest sympathy.