Retiring Kane County judge comes full circle

Over the years, Room 340 in Kane County courthouse in Geneva has been the site of nail-biting trials and contentious lawsuits.

It also was where Michael Colwell was sworn in as a Kane County Judge back on Aug. 31, 1984.

On Friday, the courtroom was the site of a retirement reception for Judges Colwell and Stephen Sullivan, who will be stepping down from the bench on Nov. 30 and Dec. 6, respectively.

Together, the pair had 36 years judicial experience between them, watched the county and its caseload grow, as well as the legal profession transition from carbon paper and typewriters to e-mails and smartphones.

Colwell, 63, and a lifelong Aurora resident, said he plans to open a private practice in January specializing in mediation and appellate court work.

Colwell said his former law partners, the late John Dreyer and Bill Foote, served as mentors, along with retired Appellate Judge Marvin Dunn.

“The satisfaction you get is to make a good resolution of a dispute,” said Colwell, who also served as an appellate judge and Kane County chief judge. “You don't want to be a judge if your effort is to make everyone happy. We do our best to make the calls and sometimes people are mad at us. That's what we're paid to do. That's how our system operates. It's been a great run and I'm going to reinvent myself again.”

Sullivan, 63 of Batavia, said he has no immediate plans after his last day other than to enjoy the holidays with his family and pay more attention to the arts, architecture, music and theater.

“This is the best job you can ever have. It is really the pinnacle of a legal career, to judge other cases,” he said. “I've either been a lawyer or judge in this county for 40 years. You accumulate a lot of memories most of them good.”

Sullivan also said Dunn served as a mentor and positive influence. He said his only piece of advice to new judges is: “Listen more than you talk. You learn a lot more from listening to other people than hearing yourself talk.”

Judges Thomas Mueller and Kevin Busch will take over the court calls for Colwell and Sullivan, respectively.