Kane County judge announces retirement

Kane County Circuit Judge James R. Murphy has announced he is retiring in July after 12½ years on the bench, according to a news release from the 16th Judicial Circuit.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke is expected to make an appointment soon to fill the vacancy until the 2022 election.

Candidates for that election must be attorneys and residents of the first subcircuit, which covers parts of Montgomery, Aurora, and North Aurora, and unincorporated parts of Aurora Township.

Murphy was elected in 2008, and was retained by the voters in 2016 and 2020. His assignments have included traffic and misdemeanors, civil cases and probate matters. He was presiding judge of the civil division from 2013 through 2020.

Murphy also served with the state of Illinois New Judge Mentoring Program and has mentored four new judges in the circuit.

An Aurora native, he graduated from West Aurora High School, and received a BA in English from the University of Illinois. He received his law degree from Southern Illinois University.

Before becoming a judge, Murphy maintained a general practice law firm for 25 years, some of those with his father, the late J. Robert Murphy. He also served as the elected township supervisor for Aurora Township.