Illinois State Bar Association members rank six candidates for judge in Eighth Judicial Circuit

QUINCY — Six candidates for a judge vacancy in the Eighth Judicial Circuit recently were rated in an advisory poll of lawyers conducted by the Illinois State Bar Association.

Ballots were sent to all ISBA members who practice or reside in the Eighth Judicial Circuit. The advisory poll was conducted by mail and electronically. Licensed Illinois attorneys who are not members of the ISBA or who are outside the circuit could have requested a ballot. The results of this poll are being released to the public at the request of Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White.

Opinions expressed in the poll are of those attorneys who chose to respond and do not reflect the opinion of the Illinois State Bar Association or the opinions of all Illinois attorneys.

Applicants being considered for appointment to the judgeship are:

• Timothy A. Bass of Springfield, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois. He prosecuted the cases against three former Illinois Department of Corrections officers — Alex Banta, Todd Sheffler and Willie Hedden — who were convicted of federal civil rights violations and obstruction charges in the beating death of inmate Larry Earvin, 65, at Western Illinois Correctional Center in May 2018.
• Gabriel T. Grosboll of Petersburg, the state’s attorney in Menard County since 2017. He previously worked as a general counsel for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, an administrative law judge and a deputy general counsel with the Illinois Department of Public Health, an assistant attorney general with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and as an assistant state’s attorney with the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office.
• Jonathan S. Hoover of Quincy, who became the chief public defender in Adams County on July 15. He previously had been a public defender in Missouri for 13 years in the 10th Judicial Circuit, which covers Monroe, Marion and Ralls counties; an associate at the Quincy law firm of Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu and Mitchell, LLP; and a partner at the Hannibal Law Firm of Lemon, Matchett and Hoover, LLC. Hoover also has served many years as an adjunct professor at Quincy University.
• Jennifer A. Winking of Quincy, deputy general counsel with the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission since November 2023. She served nine months as the director of human resources and risk management for the City of Quincy, and she was an assistant professor of legal studies at Culver-Stockton College for two years. She previously was a partner with the Quincy law firm of Scholz, Loos, Palmer, Siebers, & Duesterhaus LLP for 25 years, focusing her practice on employment and workers’ compensation defense. 
• Laura Keck, lead trial attorney for the Adams County State’s Attorney Office since August. She has worked for the Adams County State’s Attorney Office since 2012. She was a law clerk for the Missouri Supreme Court for nearly two years and for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office for 18 months before coming to Adams County.
• Kevin Tippey, an associate judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit since 2017. He was sworn in as Menard County state’s attorney in January 2014 and re-elected to a four-year term in 2016. Tippey was in private practice in Petersburg and a partner in the law firm of Grosboll, Becker, Tice & Tippey before becoming state’s attorney.

Attorneys were asked to respond only if they had sufficient knowledge about the candidate’s qualifications for judicial office to give a fair, informed opinion.

The results of the survey: 

The following questions were asked:

In your opinion, with respect to this judicial office and in off-the-bench conduct affecting the judicial office, will the candidate:

• Integrity: Adhere to the high standards of integrity and ethical conduct required of the office?
• Impartiality: Act and rule impartially and free of any predisposition or improper influence?
• Legal Ability: Have adequate legal experience, knowledge and ability?
• Temperament: Exercise the appropriate temperament with courtesy, consideration, firmness, fairness, patience, and dignity?
• Court Management: Attend to all professional responsibilities including the management of cases/clients, and complete work in a prompt and skillful manner?
• Health: Have the physical, mental and emotional health, stamina and stability needed to perform judicial duties?
• Sensitivity to Diversity and Bias: Conduct self and deal with others appropriately to reduce or eliminate conduct or words which manifest bias based on race, gender, national origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or socio-economic status against parties, witnesses, counsel, or others?
• Meets Requirements of Office: Considering the qualifications of the candidate, do you believe this candidate meets acceptable requirements for the office?

A screening committee was formed to assess the qualifications of six people who applied for appointment to the office of at-large circuit judge for the Eighth Judicial Circuit. The vacancy resulted from the election of Amy Lannerd to the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth Judicial District, effective Dec. 2. 

Under the Illinois Constitution, Lannerd’s vacancy will be filled by Supreme Court appointment.

The screening committee consists of non-lawyers and lawyers who reside in the Eighth Judicial Circuit. The non-lawyer members of the committee are Kerry Anders, Clairice Hetzler, Jill Reis and Chris Solaro. The lawyer members of the committee are Justice M. Carol Pope (ret.), Judge Bob Hardwick Jr. (ret.), and Attorney Natalie Oswald. Hardwick is the chairperson of the committee.