Schroeder to be sworn in March 1 as Madison County associate judge

Assistant Madison County State’s Attorney Neil Schroeder will be sworn into office as associate circuit judge on March 1.

Schroeder, 46, topped Edwardsville attorney Dave Jones, 59, in a run-off for the seat in a second round of balloting. Results were announced Feb. 8. In the first round, none of the 13 attorneys who applied for the position received the needed five votes from the circuit’s nine elected judges.

“I think we were both qualified candidates," Schroeder said Thursday, from his desk in the State’s Attorney’s Office on the fourth floor of the Madison County Administration building. "For whatever reason, I received the number of votes necessary."

Schroeder has worked as a prosecutor in the state’s attorney’s office for 20 years and also worked as a prosecutor in Montgomery County for four years.

He said he is waiting for a decision by Chief Judge Ann Callis on what kinds of cases he will be assigned to.

Schroeder replaces Kyle Napp who was elected to the circuit bench in November. She had served in the court's Felony Division.

Schroeder received his undergraduate degree in mathematics in 1989 from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and his law degree in 1993 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

He started working on a master’s degree in math but a friend who studied law at SIUC encouraged him to pursue a law degree.

“He was the biggest reason I went to law school,” Schroeder said.

“I think I’ve served the public well," he said. "I’ve put a lot of bad people in prison for a long time."

Schroeder said he considers himself a Democrat.

“I absolutely listen to both sides and understand the different points of view that are expressed,” he said.

He is originally from Granite City and currently lives in Edwardsville.

He is a member of Illinois State Bar Association, the Madison County Bar Association and the Sons of the American Revolution.

He said he enjoys fishing, reading, travel and photography and is thinking about taking up trap shooting.

Schroeder is single with two chocolate labs.

“I just haven’t found the right person yet,” he said.