HR0627 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Justice Rita B. Garman has been selected to be the next Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, continuing her remarkable career of service to her community and to the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman was chosen unanimously by her fellow justices to succeed Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride; she will become only the second female Chief Justice in the history of the Illinois Supreme Court when she begins her 3-year term on October 26, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman is a longtime Vermilion County resident; she currently lives in Danville; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman grew up wanting to become a lawyer, a goal that was encouraged by her late parents, Dr. Sheldon and Ellen Bell; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman served as valedictorian for her graduating class at Oswego High School in Kendall County; she was awarded several honors at the University of Illinois, where she attended a 6-year Commerce and Law program; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman received her bachelor's degree in economics with highest honors; she later earned her Juris Doctor degree with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman began her legal career with the Vermilion County Legal Aid Society, earning a salary of $90 per week; she later served as an Assistant Vermilion County State's Attorney, trying criminal and juvenile cases; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman began her judicial career as an associate judge in Vermilion County in 1974; she was elected to be a circuit judge in the 5th Judicial Circuit in 1986 and served as Presiding Circuit judge in Vermilion County from 1987 to 1998, when she was assigned to the Illinois Appellate Court, 4th District; she was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court the following year; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court in February of 2001; she was later elected to the Supreme Court for 10-year terms in 2002 and 2012; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman has actively participated in hundreds of Supreme Court opinions, as well as the Court's administration; she was also instrumental in the establishment of a Special Court Committee on Child Custody Issues to ensure that children's best interests are the primary focus in child custody cases; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman is the longest-serving female judge in the State and will be the first Chief Justice to have served in virtually every judicial capacity in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, the East Central Illinois Women's Bar Association, the Central Illinois Women's Bar Association, the Vermilion County Bar Association, the Lincoln-Douglas Inn of Court, and the Illinois Judges Association, which awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 and the inaugural Harold Sullivan Award for Judicial Excellence in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman continues to play an active role in her community, participating in a wide variety of events and serving as a member of the Danville Rotary Club, a director emeritus of the Danville Symphony Orchestra and the 708 Mental Health Board, and a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Illinois Alumni Association; and

WHEREAS, Justice Rita Garman and her husband, Gill, have 2 children and 3 grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Justice Rita B. Garman for her long and exceptional service to the people of Illinois and congratulate her and wish her continued success in her new position as Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Justice Rita Garman as an expression of our esteem and respect.