Meet the Commissioners | Illinois Courts Commission

The Courts Commission has seven members and nine alternate members. Article VI, Section 15(e) of the 1970 Illinois Constitution provides that the seven Commissioners will be comprised of one justice from the Illinois Supreme Court, two justices from the Illinois Appellate Court, two judges from the Illinois Circuit Court, and two members of the public. In addition, alternate members are appointed to the Commission as follows: one alternate Supreme Court member, three alternate Appellate Court members, three alternate Circuit Court members, and two alternate public members. The Appellate Court members and alternate members must each be from a different judicial district, and the same rule applies to the Circuit Court members and alternate members.

To read Article VI, Section 15(e) of the 1970 Illinois Constitution, please click below.

(e) An Independent Courts Commission is created consisting of one Supreme Court Judge selected by that Court as a member and one as an alternate, two Appellate Court Judges selected by that Court as members and three as alternates, two Circuit Judges selected by the Supreme Court as members and three as alternates, and two citizens selected by the Governor as members and two as alternates. Members and alternates who are Appellate Court Judges must each be from a different Judicial District. Members and alternates who are Circuit Judges must each be from a different Judicial District. Members and alternates of the Commission shall not be members of the Judicial Inquiry Board. The members of the Commission shall select a chairperson to serve a two-year term. The Commission shall be convened permanently to hear complaints filed by the Judicial Inquiry Board. The Commission shall have authority after notice and public hearing, (1) to remove from office, suspend without pay, censure or reprimand a Judge or Associate Judge for willful misconduct in office, persistent failure to perform his or her duties, or other conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice or that brings the judicial office into disrepute, or (2) to suspend, with or without pay, or retire a Judge or Associate Judge who is physically or mentally unable to perform his or her duties.

The current Commission members are the Honorable P. Scott Neville, Jr., the Honorable Margaret Stanton McBride, the Honorable Thomas M. Harris, the Honorable ShawnTe Raines-Welch, the Honorable Sheldon Sobol, Aurora Abella-Austriaco, and Paula Wolff. Please see below to learn more about each Commissioner.