New Lake County circuit judge named

Lake County Associate Judge Christen L. Bishop has been named to fill a circuit judge position, the 19th Judicial Circuit announced Monday. Bishop will take over the position effective Feb. 1, until Dec. 3, 2018. This Supreme Court announcement will fill the last of the three recent vacancies due to the retirements in January of circuit judges John T. Phillips, George Bridges, and Christopher C. Starck. Bishop was appointed associate judge in September 2012. She was assigned to the traffic/misdemeanor division, serving in Mundelein Branch Court from October 2012 to July 2014. In 2014, she moved to bond court in the criminal felony division where she currently serves. During her 17 years as a former Lake County assistant state's attorney, Bishop tried many high-profile cases before juries and judges, officials said. She served as a division chief for the juvenile trial and special investigations divisions, while also acting as a supervising attorney for the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center.