There are 19 applicants vying for two vacant associate judge seats in Madison County.
The complete list of applicants in alphabetical order includes:
- Andrew K. Carruthers
- John R. Daugherty
- Angela P. Donohoo
- David J. Ezra
- Amy M. Gabriel
- Thomas D. Gibbons
- Deanna L. Litzenburg
- Holly A. Marcum
- Lauren A. Maricle
- Paul A. Marks
- Ronald S. Motil
- Heather L. Mueller-Jones
- Donna S. Polinske
- Joseph N. Reames
- Jeremy W. Sackett
- Dawn C. Sheikh
- Michael R. Wesley
- Sean B.T. Williams
- Leslie A. Wood
Prior to his run for circuit judge, Gibbons served as Madison County State’s Attorney for two terms. During his tenure as state's attorney, Gibbons initiated an opioid claim on behalf of Madison County residents and secured sentences for those convicted of violent crimes. He also faced criticism for initiating a task force that carried out several raids at the County Administration Building. No charges were filed as a result of those raids.
Wood is a Glen Carbon attorney with experience primarily in family and bankruptcy law. She earned her JD from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1998 and has operated Wood Law Office since 2009.
Gabriel, Democrat, also ran for office in the November general election. She sought the Madison County Circuit Clerk vacancy but lost to Republican Tom McRae. Gabriel currently works as an attorney with the Gori asbestos law firm in Edwardsville. She previously worked as a prosecutor with the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office. She earned her JD from St. Louis University School of Law.
Of the 19 applicants seeking appointment, five have Republican voting records: Carruthers, Litzenburg, Marcum, Mueller-Jones and Polinske.
Carruthers, of Edwardsville, is currently a partner with the defense firm HeplerBroom. He is a general practice attorney with experience in business law, estate planning, personal injury and products liability, among others. He earned a BA in political studies from the University of Illinois at Springfield in 2002 and a JD from the Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2006.
Litzenburg is currently a vice president and shareholder with Mathis, Marifian and Richter Ltd. She focuses her practice in civil litigation, commercial litigation, premises liability, medical malpractice, employment law, workers’ compensation and alternative dispute resolution.
Marcum is currently an associate attorney with Sherer Law Offices in Edwardsville, where she primarily focuses on business and finance matters. She earned her JD in 2003 from Washington University School of Law. She previously worked for Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli PC.
Mueller-Jones, of Maryville, currently works as an attorney with Heyl Royster in Edwardsville and serves as a Madison County Board member. She was appointed last year to fill the vacancy resulting from the death of her husband Clint Jones. She was then elected to the seat in the November general election. Mueller-Jones graduated from SIU School of Law and has 15 years of experience practicing law in Madison County.
According to her Linkedin profile, Polinske has operated the private practice Polinske & Associates PC in Edwardsville since 1996. She graduated from the St. Louis University School of Law in 1991.
On the Democrat side, Daugherty, of Edwardsville, has been in practice for more than 25 years and currently operates a law office in Alhambra. He is a graduate of St. Louis University School of Law.
Donohoo, of Bethalto, practices family law at Levo Donohoo in Troy. She received her law degree at University of Tulsa College of Law and has been practicing for more than 17 years.
Ezra, who had served as assistant state’s attorney for Gibbons, oftentimes attended Madison County Board meetings and committee meetings to provide legal advice. He's been a lawyer in Illinois since 1986 and has a practice in Collinsville, Ezra & Associates.
Maricle, of Glen Carbon, works as a Madison County assistant state’s attorney in the Violent Crime Unit. She has been an attorney for more than nine years.
Marks, of Glen Carbon, works as an attorney with Sivia Law in Edwardsville and focuses primarily on corporate and business matters. He has been an attorney for more than 20 years.
Motil, of Maryville, also works as an attorney with the Gori firm. Prior to his law career, Motil briefly worked as a steelworker at Granite City Steel. He earned his JD from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1983.
Reames, of Glen Carbon, operates the Law Office of Joseph N. Reames LLC. The firm focuses on general practice, including personal injury, family matters, criminal defense and business law, among others. He earned his JD in 2003 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Sackett, of Edwardsville, is an attorney with Swanson & Sackett PC. After receiving his JD from Southern Illinois University, he worked briefly as an assistant state’s attorney. He currently focuses on personal injury, traffic, criminal defense, and family law, among others.
Sheikh, of Edwardsville, works as an assistant public defender in Madison County. She was licensed in 2001.
Wesley, of Bethalto, currently operates the Wood River firm Law Office of Michael R. Wesley LLC. He focuses on personal injury, family law, criminal law, and traffic, among others. Wesley graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2003.
Williams, of Alton, works in the State's Attorney's Office. He has been in practice for 10 years.
The vacancies were created by the retirement of former Associate Judge Barry Julian and the election of Stephen Stobbs as a circuit judge.
Mudge previously said he anticipates the associate judge seats to be filled sometime in March.
Associate judges are selected by a vote among the Third Judicial Circuit’s elected judges. To be appointed, an applicant must receive at least five votes.
The political balance among the current seated circuit judges is 5-3 Democrat to Republican. When the vacancy of retired circuit judge Richard Tognarelli is filled, the balance will likely shift 5-4 when Republican Illinois Supreme Court Justice David Overstreet recommends the appointment for the full court to make.
The Third Judicial Circuit includes Madison and Bond counties, whose voters have become more conservative Republican in recent general elections.