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Robert Carter (Illinois)
Robert L. Carter (Democratic Party) was a judge for the 3rd District of the Illinois Supreme Court. He assumed office on December 8, 2020. He left office on December 5, 2022.
Carter became a member of the court by appointment. He was appointed on November 10, 2020, by the other members of the Illinois Supreme Court. Carter succeeded Thomas Kilbride, who lost a retention election on November 3 with 56.5% of voters supporting his retention—below the 60% required.[1] To learn more about this appointment, click here.
Carter was a judge of the Illinois Third District Appellate Court. He was appointed to this position in 2006 to replace Tobias Barry and served until his state supreme court appointment.[2][3][1]
Biography
Robert Carter served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1970. Carter earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1968, an M.A. in administration from Sangamon State University in 1974, and a J.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1974.[2]
Carter was a law clerk for Justice Howard C. Ryan of the Illinois Supreme Court and worked as a general practice lawyer before becoming a judge in 1979. In 1988, he was elected circuit judge, and he became chief judge in 1993. Carter chaired the Conference of Chief Judges starting in 2002. In 2006, he was appointed to the Third District Appellate Court, where he served until his Illinois Supreme Court appointment.[2]
Carter was president of the Illinois Judges Association and chaired the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee on Family Violence issues. He has also been a lecturer with the state's judicial education programs since 1980.[2]
Appointments
2020
Carter was appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court on November 10, 2020, by the other members of the court.[1]
2006
Cater was appointed to the court in 2006.[3]
State supreme court judicial selection in llinois
- See also: Judicial selection in Illinois
The seven justices of the Illinois Supreme Court are chosen by popular vote in partisan elections and serve 10-year terms, after which they must compete in uncontested, nonpartisan retention elections to remain on the court.[4]
Supreme court justices in Illinois are elected to represent specific districts. The seven justices are divided among five districts (three allocated to Cook County and the others divided evenly among the other four districts) and are voted into office by the residents of their respective regions.[4]
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:
Chief justice
The chief justice of the supreme court is chosen by peer vote to serve a three-year term.[4]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the Illinois Supreme Court is responsible for appointing an interim justice. If a justice is appointed more than 60 days before the next primary election, the justice must run in a partisan election in the next general or judicial election to remain on the court. The appointed justice's term will end on the first Monday in December after their election. If a justice is appointed less than 60 days before the next primary election, the justice will have to run in a partisan election to remain on the court in the second general election. The appointed justice's term will end on the first Monday in December after their election[4]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 CBS Chicago, "Illinois Supreme Court Chooses Appellate Court Judge Robert Carter To Replace Justice Thomas Kilbride For Two Years," November 10, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Illinois Courts, "Robert L. Carter," accessed July 9, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Illinois Press Release, "Tobias Barry Retires, and Supreme Court Assigns Judge Robert L. Carter to Appellate Bench," archived October 17, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed September 8, 2021
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois
State courts:
Illinois Supreme Court • Illinois Appellate Court • Illinois Circuit Court
State resources:
Courts in Illinois • Illinois judicial elections • Judicial selection in Illinois
