Lake County judge set to retire

Associate judge David P. Brodsky, who has spent his entire career serving the people of Lake County, is set to retire on Jan. 16.

"Serving as a judge in the 19th Judicial Circuit has been an incredible honor," Brodsky said in a statement. "There is nothing about this job that I am not going to miss"

Brodsky started practicing law in the Lake County Public Defender's Office as an assistant public defender in 1985, then was named Chief Public Defender in 1997; he remained there until he was appointed an associate judge with the 19th judicial circuit in 2007.

As an Assistant Public Defender and Chief Public Defender, he handled numerous death penalty cases, tried four death penalty cases to verdict, and represented hundreds of clients charged with the most serious felonies.

As a judge, Brodsky filled roles in traffic court, bond court, family backup, child support and prove-ups, divorce, criminal misdemeanor, traffic, and civil. He has been assigned to civil call since 2016.

Brodsky was a member of the Illinois Public Defender Association, the Lake County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, Jefferson Inn- American Inns of Court, Illinois Attorneys for Criminal Justice, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Lake County Bar Association Criminal Law Committee.

"It has been a pleasure and honor working with Judge Brodsky," Chief Judge Mark L. Levitt said in the statement. "He spent his entire career serving the people of Lake County first defending their lives and liberties and then presiding over a variety of case types from the bench. Judge Brodsky brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role and is deeply respected by his peers as a fair-minded and impartial jurist. He will be missed."

Brodsky received a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Michigan University, earned his Juris Doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1985 and was admitted to the Illinois bar.