Chris Ruys (312) 337-7746, chrisr7746@aol.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2005

Judge James M. Wexstten Installed As President
Of Illinois Judges Association

Judge James M. Wexstten, of Mount Vernon, a judge in the 2^nd Judicial Circuit, was installed as the 34^th President of the Illinois Judges Association (IJA) at the organization's Annual Meeting held recently in Chicago. Headquartered in Chicago, the 1,000-member Illinois Judges Association provides continuing educational opportunities to its members as well as education to the public on matters related to the justice system.

During his one-year term, Judge Wexstten will place special emphasis on protecting and preserving the role of an independent judiciary. He will address issues related to state funding of the courts, seeking to remedy the disparity in the funding of the trial courts. "The state's ongoing budget crisis, and potential lack of adequate funding for court operations, pose a threat to the rule of law," he states. "Equal access to justice shouldn't depend on where you live in Illinois." Under Judge Wexstten's leadership, the national Judicial Intern Opportunity Program will be expanded in Illinois to include up to 20 new summer intern positions for minority- and financially-disadvantaged law students. Judge Wexstten will continue a public education program that has been the cornerstone of the IJA's community outreach program. It includes the production of an access cable TV program, "Judicial Perspective," where judges discuss courtroom-related topics such as jury selection and service to traffic and domestic violence issues. Judicial Perspective airs on Chicago Access Cable as well as several cable stations throughout Illinois.

Judge Wexstten joined the IJA in 1988, the same year he was elected as a circuit-judge-at-large. He served on the IJA's Legislative Liaison Committee and chaired its Judicial Selection and Retention Committee, prior to his election in 1991 to the Board of Directors. He was elected third vice president in 2002. Typically, the third vice president moves up the organizational ladder to become president.

Judge Wexstten was chief judge of the 2^nd Judicial Circuit from 1991 to 1993, and served again in that capacity from Jan. 1, 2000 to January 31, 2003. Judge Wexstten is also among the select group of judges who are appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to educate new and current Illinois judges.

Prior to his judicial career, he was a lawyer in private practice, receiving the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell(SM), a national lawyer rating service, for his legal ability, obedience to ethical standards, professional ability and diligence.

Long active in professional and civic organizations, Judge Wexstten is a past president of the Jefferson County Bar Association. He is a past co-chairman of a special committee of the Illinois State Bar Association on funding of the trial courts and a member of the blue ribbon committee of the Illinois Equal Justice Campaign, a statewide effort to build a stronger, more stable base of funding for Illinois' legal aid system.

In Jefferson County, he has been committed to helping abused and neglected children. He is the founder of the steering committee which established the Southern Thirty Adolescent Center, an emergency shelter for abused and neglected children and is a past president and past member of the board of directors of Prevent Child Abuse Illinois. In recognition of his efforts to enhance probation services across the state of Illinois, Judge Wexstten received the Citizen Award from the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association in 1993. In April 2004, he was named "Child Advocate of the Year" by the downstate Multi-disciplinary Conference on Child Abuse for his professional lifetime commitment to the welfare and protection of children.

A native of Mount Vernon, Judge Wexstten received a B.S. degree in History Education, with honors, from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1972, and a J.D. in 1976 from Southern Illinois University School of Law. He is married to Darla Wexstten, a licensed clinical social worker, and they have three daughters: Erin, Bria, and Elizabeth. They also have four grandchildren: Cassandra, Joshua, Caiden and Sophia.

The Illinois Judges Association is headquartered at 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604-3997 and can be reached by calling (312) 431-1283 or on-line at HYPERLINK http://www.ija.org www.ija.org.

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