Crawford County State's Attorney Matthew Hartrich has been selected to serve as an at-large circuit judge in the Second Judicial Circuit to fill the vacancy created when Judge David Overstreet was elected to the Fifth District Appellate Court in 2018.
Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier and the Illinois Supreme Court announced the appointment in a press release Wednesday.
“Mr. Hartrich has devoted his career to serving his community and the law,” Karmeier said in the release. “His commitment to public service and his broad experience in criminal defense, criminal prosecution and civil litigation make him ideally suited for the office of circuit judge. As the Court’s unanimous approval of his nomination indicates, my colleagues and I have every confidence that he will do an outstanding job.”
Hartrich's appointment will take effect on June 8 and conclude on Dec. 7, when the vacancy will be filled by the winner of the November 2020 general election.
Hartrich won the Republic nomination in the primary and is unopposed in the general election.
"I am honored by this appointment and would like to thank Justice Karmeier and the Illinois Supreme Court for this opportunity,” Hartrich said. “I look forward to serving the people of the Second Circuit fairly and impartially."
Hartrich has served as Crawford County State's Attorney since 2012 and won reelection to that position in 2016. Prior to holding that office, he served as Crawford County Public Defender from 2005 to 2012, and has experience as an assistant state’s attorney and as a private attorney practicing primarily in the area of civil litigation.
He is a member and former president of the Crawford County Bar Association and a member of the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Association.
Hartrich earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and he earned his juris doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law.
The Second Judicial Circuit includes Crawford, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne and White counties.