The circuit judges of Madison and Bond Counties have re-elected Circuit Judge Edward Ferguson as chief judge for the 3rd Judicial Circuit in Illinois.
Ferguson ran unopposed.
"Judge Ferguson is a very good chief judge," said Circuit Court Judge Daniel Stack. "He is very organized and does a good job keeping judges informed."
"He started the first drug court in Illinois, and other circuits modeled their drug courts after his."
A chief judge is responsible for the overall administrative supervision of the court, its staff, various facilities and divisions.
"His re-election is very good for Madison County," commented Chief
Judge Jan Fiss of the 20th Circuit.
"He is very experienced at that, and very good at what he does. We
even sit together at the Chief Judge Conference in Chicago."
"You knew he was going to be a success because he graduated in the
same class as me at U of I."
Ferguson served as an associate judge from 1974 until January 1989, when he was appointed to the Circuit by the Illinois Supreme Court, along with Judges Nicholas Byron and Phillip Kardis. The trio filled vacancies left when Circuit Judges Philip Rarick and Charles Chapman were elected to the 5th District Appellate Court in November 1988, and Judge Horace Calvo was elected to the Illinois Supreme Court.
In 1989, Ferguson was elected chief criminal judge of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, succeeding Judge Charles V. Romani, Jr.
In the general election of 1990, Ferguson was challenged by John J. Hopkins, a former assistant city attorney from Granite City. At present, Hopkins is a personal injury attorney in Edwardsville.
Ferguson previously worked as a Madison County assistant state's attorney and had a private law practice in Highland and Edwardsville.
He is a Northwestern University (1965) and University of Illinois School of Law (1968) graduate.
A vacationing Judge Kardis did not attend the meeting held April 27.
Ferguson re-elected Madison County's chief judge
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