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Top federal prosecutor in central Illinois retiring Dec. 24

Posted October 23, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The federal government's top prosecutor in central Illinois says he's retiring.

President Barack Obama nominated Jim Lewis to be U.S. attorney for the central district of Illinois in 2010. The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/2eAr0nf ) that the 76-year-old says he's stepping down as of Dec. 24. Lewis has overseen a 46-county district with 30 attorneys who deal with criminal and civil cases. His area includes Springfield, Peoria, Urbana and Rock Island.

The district's first assistant attorney general, Patrick Hansen, will take over on an interim basis when Lewis retires. The president will then make an appointment, which the Senate must confirm.

Lewis spent the early part of his career working in the civil rights movement in Mississippi. He worked in the U.S. attorney's office for 20 years before he was named its head.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com

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