Kane County gets new chief judge

A lifelong Elgin resident has been elected the first African-American chief judge of the 16th Judicial Circuit, which includes Kane County, officials announced Friday.

F. Keith Brown will succeed outgoing Chief Judge Donald C. Hudson, whom Brown has served as acting chief judge since 2004. Hudson was appointed to the state appellate court earlier this month and assumes that role in January; Brown's three-year term is slated to begin Dec. 8.

"The circuit judges could not have made a better choice," Hudson said of Brown's election. "I think he will take a very innovative approach."

A graduate of Larkin High School and Drake University, Brown has been a 16th Circuit judge since 1996, serving at times as a felony court trial judge, presiding judge of family court and, most recently, a civil law jury trial judge.

He began his career as a staff attorney for the Illinois Industrial Commission, writing decisions for workers' compensation cases, and later was a hearing referee for the Department of Labor.

Brown went to work as a litigation attorney for a private law firm in 1983 and opened his own solo practice in Elgin six years later. In 1990, he became a criminal contract attorney in Kane County and went on to handle more than 120 felony cases in addition to his private practice work.

On Friday, Brown called his election to chief judge "a great honor" and noted that being the first African-American in the position speaks to the judiciary's "forward-thinking and impartiality."

In his new role, Brown said he hopes to enhance the court system with new technology that would make proceedings easier to navigate for the general public. He also said the judiciary needs more judges to keep up with the area's growing population.

"Our community is growing so fast," he said. "It puts pressure on the court system."

"I think, overall, I would like to see our court system better serve our people by being more efficient ... and convenient," Brown added.

Brown was elected by the 17 judges who comprise the 16th Judicial Circuit, which includes Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties. He ran against felony division Judge Timothy Q. Sheldon.