Fifth District Appellate Judge David Overstreet spoke to the Kiwanis club on Thursday, September 27. Judge Overstreet, along with his wife and three children live in his hometown of Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Judge Overstreet has served as an Appellate Judge for a year and a half after serving ten years as a judge in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. He said that White County holds a special place in his heart because his first Monday in court as a Circuit Judge was in White County. From then on, he learned to seek advice from Judge Tom Sutton (retired) and Circuit Clerk Ellen Pettijohn (retired).
The Fifth District Appellate Court serves as a court of review of the southern 37 counties. He, along with seven other appellate judges, rule on criminal, civil, and juvenile appeal cases. A panel of three judges meet once every five weeks for one to three days to hear nine cases per day. After hearing the cases, the judges research the laws applicable to what happened in circuit trial court. The advantage that appellate judges have over circuit judges is the ability to take time to reach a decision. The court of appeals is considered the “court of last resort.”
In the Fifth District, there are seven judges: six elected and one appointed. The elected judges serve terms of ten years whereas Judge Overstreet was appointed by Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier. This fall, Judge Overstreet is seeking election as an elected judge and hopes to continue his service as a fair and impartial judge to the citizens of this district. Overstreet also serves as the Treasurer of the Illinois Judges association.
Judge Overstreet also provided a little history about the fifth district appellate court house in Mt. Vernon. It was built in 1854, and the current judges serve in the same court room that Abraham Lincoln argued a case against the Illinois Supreme Court, defending Illinois Central Railroad in November 1859.
In other club news, Phil Stocke won the 50/50. Corn Day is two weeks away and the parade committee has over 65 entries so far. Yesterday’s prepared the meal.
