Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman, state's longest-serving judge, retiring in July
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman, the longest serving judge in the state, has announced she will be retiring this summer.
Garman, 78, will be retiring effective July 7. She was born in west suburban Aurora, and grew up in southwest suburban Oswego.
Justice Garman Retirement by Todd Feurer on Scribd
She has been a judge at various levels since 1973, making her the longest serving woman judge in Illinois, and longest serving judge in the state. She was first appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court in 2001, filling a vacancy left by former Justice Benjamin Miller, and later elected as a Republican in 2002, and retained in 2012.
"For nearly five decades, I have been honored to serve the people of Danville, Vermilion County, the Fourth Judicial District, and all of Illinois as a jurist at every level of our state's court system," Garman wrote in a letter announcing her retirement. "I have always considered it a privilege to do my part to help our community and our state."
Garman represents the Fourth Judicial District of the Illinois Supreme Court, which is based in Springfield, and includes 41 counties in central, western, and northwestern Illinois.
It will be up to the Illinois Supreme Court to appoint someone to fill Garman's vacant seat once she retires, and then an election for the vacancy will be held in 2024.
