History of the Circuit

JUDGES OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

AT LARGE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES

            1897-1996 – three positions
            1996-         –  four positions

1897-1902       Ferdinand Bookwalter, Danville
1897-1903       Henry Van Sellar, Paris
1897-1903       Frank K. Dunn, Charleston
1902-1915       Morton W. Thompson, Danville
1903-1909       James W. Craig, Mattoon
1903-1915       E. R. E. Kimbrough, Danville
1909-1915       William B. Scholfield, Marshall
1915-1927       Augustus A. Partlow, Danville
1915-1927       Walter Brewer, Toledo
1915-1927       John H. Marshall, Charleston
1927-1933       S. Murray Clark, Danville
1927-1933       Charles A. Shuey, Charleston
1927-1951       George W. Bristow, Paris
1933-1935       Craig Van Meter, Mattoon
1933-1949       Casper S. Platt, Danville
1936-1939       Grendel F. Bennett, Marshall
1939-1957       Ben F. Anderson, Charleston
1951-1963       John F. Spivey, Danville
1951-1963       Robert F. Cotton, Paris
1957-1963       Harry I. Hannah, Mattoon

Spivey Judgeship
1964-1971       John F. Spivey, Danville
1971-1979       Frank J. Meyer, Danville
1980-1985       John P. Meyer, Danville
1986                Matthew A. Jurczak, Danville
1986-1996       Rita B. Garman, Danville
1997-2016       Claudia S. Anderson, Danville
2017-               Charles C. Hall, Danville

Cotton Judgeship
1964-1971       Robert F. Cotton, Paris
1972-1998       Ralph S. Pearman, Paris
1998-2022       James R. Glenn, Mattoon
2022-               Brian L. Bower, Charleston

Hannah Judgeship
1964-1973       Harry I. Hannah, Mattoon
1973-1980       Thomas M. Burke, Charleston
1980-2001       Paul C. Komada, Charleston
2001-               Mitchell K. Shick, Charleston

Cini Judgeship
1996-2008       Dale A. Cini, Mattoon
2008-2010       Richard E. Scott, Paris
2010-               Matthew L. Sullivan, Paris

CLARK COUNTY JUDGES

Judges of Probate
1821-1823       Samuel Prevo
1823-1825       Charles Neeley
1825-1835       Jacob Harlan
1835-1837       Uri Manley

Probate Justices of the Peace
1837-1843       Uri Manley
1843-1849       Stephen Archer

County Judges
1849-1853       Stephen Archer
1853-1854       John Bartlett
1854-1857       John Stockwell
1857-1869       William C. Whitlock
1869-1873       William R. Griffith
1873-1877       Justin Harlan
1877-1882       William R. Griffith
1882-1886       Ethan A. Sutton
1886-1894       Henry Gasaway
1894-1898       William T. Hollenbeck
1898-1902       J. C. Perdue
1902-1906       Everett Connelly
1906-1914       Hershel R. Snavely
1914-1918       A. L. Ruffner
1918-1922       Edward Pearce
1922-1926       Harry M. Janney
1926-1932       Jed Gard
1934-1938       C. A. Williams
1938-1946       Theodore Thompson
1946-1958       John M. Hollenbeck
1958-1963       Zollie O. Arbogast

Associate Judges
1964-1967       Zollie O. Arbogast
1968-1971       Caslon K. Bennett

Resident Circuit Court Judges
1971-1988       Caslon K. Bennett
1988-1989       Zollie O. Arbogast
1990                James K. Robinson
1990-               Tracy W. Resch

COLES COUNTY JUDGES

Judges of Probate
1831-1834       James P. Jones
1834                John F. Smyth
1834-1835       S. M. Dunbar
1835-1837       William Collom

Probate Justices of the Peace
1837-1841       Reuben Canterbury
1841-1843       John W. Trower
1843-1847       Robert S. Mills
1847-1849       William W. Bishop

County Judges
1849-1857       William W. Bishop
1857-1864       Gideon Edwards
1864-1865       Joshua P. Cooper
1865-1869       McHenry Brooks
1869-1873       Abner M. Peterson
1873-1877       William E. Adams
1877-1882       James R. Cunningham
1882-1886       Charles Bennett
1886-1894       Lapsley C. Henley
1894-1898       Sumner S. Anderson
1898-1902       John P. Harrah
1902-1910       T. N. Cofer
1910-1922       John P. Harrah
1922-1930       J. B. Lane
1930-1950       John T. Kincaid
1950-1963       William J. Sunderman

Associate Judges
1964-1971       William J. Sunderman

Resident Circuit Court Judges
1971-1989       William J. Sunderman
1989-2003       Ashton C. Waller
2004-2017       Teresa K. Righter
2018-               Mark E. Bovard

City Judges – Mattoon
1898-1902       James F. Hughes
1902-1906       Lapsley C. Henley
1906-1907       Horace S. Clark
1909-1910       George D. Wilson
1910-1922       John C. McNutt
1922-1925       Isaac B. Craig
1925-1936       Clarence H. Douglas
1936-1963       Jacob Berkowitz

Associate Judges
1964-1971       Jacob Berkowitz

Resident Circuit Court Judges
1971-1976       Jacob Berkowitz
1977-1991       Joseph R. Spitz
1992-2011       Gary W. Jacobs
2012-               Brien J. O’Brien

City Judges – Charleston
1910-1914       Charles A. Shuey
1914-1918       Charles A. Quackenbush
1918-1922       John T. Kincaid
1922-1930       Ben F. Anderson
1930-1936       Herbert S. Anderson
1936-1960       C. Wade Barrick
1960-1962       Jack H. Anderson

CUMBERLAND COUNTY JUDGES

Probate Justices of the Peace
1843                Elisha H. Starkweather
1843-1849       James M. Ward

County Judges
1849-1853       James M. Ward
1853-1861       William E. Smith
1861-1864       Hiram B. Decius
1864-1869       Reuben Bloomfield
1869-1873       Wiley Ross
1873-1882       John W. Miller
1882-1886       Leonidas L. Logan
1886-1890       Phillip Welshimer
1890-1894       Leonidas L. Logan
1894-1898       Gershom Monohon
1898-1902       Elias M. McPherson
1902-1906       Stephen B. Rariden
1906-1910       A. L. Ruffner
1910-1917       Stephen B. Rariden
1917-1918       Millard C. Everhart
1918-1930       Albert F. Bussard
1930-1942       Charles M. Connor
1942-1954       Millard C. Everhart
1954-1963       William J. Hill

Associate Judges
1964-1966       William J. Hill
1966-1971       James R. Watson

Resident Circuit Court Judges
1971-1989       James R. Watson
1990                Thomas M. Burke
1990-2002       Robert B. Cochonour
2002-2016       Millard S. Everhart
2016-               Jonathan T. Braden

EDGAR COUNTY JUDGES

Judges of Probate
1823-1826       Lewis Murphy
1826-1827       William Lowry
1827-1828       Smith Shaw
1828-1837       Jonathan Mayo

Probate Justices of the Peace
1837-1839       Henry Neville
1839-1849       Samuel Connelly

County Judges
1849-1853       Samuel Connelly
1853-1857       James Steele
1857-1861       A. B. Austin
1861-1865       George K. Larkin
1865-1869       Andrew Y. Trogdon
1869-1877       Robert B. Lamon
1877-1886       Andrew Y. Trogdon
1886-1894       Andrew J. Hunter
1894                Henry Tanner
1894-1898       Erasmus G. Rose
1898-1902       Stephen I. Headley
1902-1910       Walter S. Lamon
1910-1922       Daniel V. Dayton
1922-1946       Paul B. Lauher
1946-1963       Howard T. Ruff

Associate Judges
1964-1971       Howard T. Ruff

Resident Circuit Court Judges
1971-1972       Howard T. Ruff
1972-1986       Carl A. Lund
1986-2000       Richard E. Scott
2000-2006       H. Dean Andrews
2006-2022       Steven L. Garst
2022-               Mark R. Isaf

VERMILION COUNTY JUDGES

Judges of Probate
1826-1837       Amos Williams

Probate Justices of the Peace
1837-1849       Norman D. Palmer

County Judges
1849-1857       Guy Merrill
1857-1858       Norman D. Palmer
1858-1863       Joseph Peters
1863-1865       Robert B. Lamon
1865-1868       Daniel Clapp
1868-1882       Raymond W. Hanford
1882-1890       David D. Evans
1890-1897       John G. Thompson
1897-1902       Morton W. Thompson
1902-1905       S. Murray Clark
1905-1906       Fred Draper
1906-1909       Isaac A. Love
1909-1918       Lawrence T. Allen
1918-1925       Thomas A. Graham
1925-1930       William T. Henderson
1930-1950       Harlin M. Steely
1950-1962       Frank J. Meyer
1962-1963       James K. Robinson

Associate Judges
1964-1971       James K. Robinson

Resident Circuit Court Judges
1971-1987       James K. Robinson
1987-1988       Jerry A. Davis
1988-2006       Thomas J. Fahey
2006-2022       Nancy S. Fahey
2023-               Robert E. McIntire

Probate Judges
1910-1914       Clinton Abernathy
1914-1930       Walter J. Bookwalter
1930-1938       Ralph M. Jinkins
1938-1954       Arthur R. Hall
1954-1958       John W. Unger
1958-1963       Paul M. Wright

Associate Judges
1964-1971       Paul M. Wright

Resident Circuit Court Judges
1971-1987       Paul M. Wright
1987-2000       John P. O’Rourke
2000-               Craig H. DeArmond

Clary Judgeship
Resident Circuit Court Judges
1998-2013       Michael D. Clary
2014-               Thomas M. O’Shaughnessy

ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES

Clark, Edgar, and Cumberland Counties 

Magistrates
1965-1971       Henri I. Ripstra

Associate Circuit Court Judges
1971                Henri I. Ripstra
1972-1986       Richard E. Scott
1987-2000       H. Dean Andrews
2001-               David W. Lewis 

Coles County

Magistrates
1965-1966       Mark B. Hunt
1966-1971       Thomas M. Burke

Associate Circuit Court Judges
1971-1973       Thomas M. Burke
1974-1980       Tom E. Grace
1980-1983       Loren J. Kabbes
1983-1989       Ashton C. Waller
1989-1992       Gary W. Jacobs
1993-1996       Dale A. Cini
1997-2004       Teresa K. Righter
2005-2012       Brien J. O’Brien
2012-2018       Mark E. Bovard
2019-2022       Brian L. Bower
2023-               Christopher L.Wetzel

Vermilion County

            1965-1967 – two positions
            1967-2020 – three positions
            2020-         –  four positions

Magistrates
1965-1971       John F. Twomey
1965-1971       Matthew A. Jurczak
1967-1971       Lawrence T. Allen, Jr.

Associate Circuit Court Judges
1971-1973       John F. Twomey
1971-1984       Matthew A. Jurczak
1971-1984       Lawrence T. Allen, Jr.
1974-1986       Rita B. Garman
1984-1991       Joseph C. Moore
1984-2010       Joseph P. Skowronski
1987-1995       David G. Bernthal
1991-2009       James K. Borbely
1995-2010       Gordon R. Stipp
1995-1997       Joseph C. Moore
2009-               Mark S. Goodwin
2010-               Derek J. Girton
2010-               Karen E. Wall
2020-               Charles D. Mockbee IV

CHIEF JUDGES

1964-1966       Robert F. Cotton
1966-1968       John F. Spivey
1968-1972       Harry I. Hannah
1972-1976       Jacob Berkowitz
1976-1995       Ralph S. Pearman
1995-2000       Richard E. Scott
2000-2001       James R. Glenn
2001-2003       Ashton C. Waller
2003-2007       James R. Glenn
2007-2011       Tracy W. Resch
2011-2015       Millard S. Everhart
2015-2017       Craig H. DeArmond
2017-2021       Mitchell K. Shick
2021-               Thomas M. O’Shaughnessy

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS

Secretaries
1964-1966       Mildred P. Weston
1966-1967       Mildred J. Towle

Administrative Secretaries
1967-1968       Mildred J. Towle
1968-1985       Sibyl E. Etchason

Administrative Assistants
1985-1991       Sibyl E. Etchason
1991-2007       Ann E. Staats
2007-2013       Kathleen A. Lay
2013-2016       Rustye D. Cooley
2016-2019       Alexander Wakeland
2019-               Lori J. Pearson

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