Martin Siemer Chosen Chief Circuit Judge

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Published on May 8 2024 6:38 am
Last Updated on May 8 2024 6:41 am

(MARTIN SIEMER)

The Illinois Fourth Judicial Circuit has announced the election of Martin W. Siemer, Circuit Judge At Large from Effingham County, as the new Chief Judge for the circuit.  Judge Siemer, whose three-year term will commence on July 1, was recently selected by unanimous vote of the Fourth Circuit’s elected circuit judges. He will replace the current Chief Judge Douglas L. Jarman, who opted against seeking another term as Chief Judge.

The Chief Judge of the circuit, among other responsibilities, has general administrative authority over the courts in the Fourth Circuit and assigns the judges within the circuit.  There are 19 judges serving the Fourth Circuit, 12 elected circuit judges and seven appointed associate judges.  Each of the judges of the Fourth Circuit may preside over cases in any of the nine counties in the circuit, and are assigned from time to time by order of the Chief Judge. The Chief Judge, whose office is situated in the Fayette County Courthouse in Vandalia, is assisted by an administrative staff consisting of a trial court administrator and court reporter supervisor. 

Judge Siemer was first elected as a Circuit Judge in 2014 and was retained in 2020 for a second six-year term. Before assuming the bench in 2014, Judge Siemer spent 20 years in private practice with offices in Effingham and Casey. Throughout his career, Judge Siemer has been active in various professional and community organizations, including the Illinois Supreme Court’s Committee on Judicial Education, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Judges Association, the Teutopolis Community Unit School District No. 50 Board of Education, the Teutopolis Educational Foundation, the Teutopolis Knights of Columbus and the Teutopolis Civic Club.

The Illinois Fourth Judicial Circuit is comprised of Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Marion, Christian, Clinton, Montgomery and Shelby counties, is populated by more than 235,000 citizens and is one of the largest circuits in the state by geographic size.