6/4/25
Today, our guest speaker was Judge Kenneth ("Ken") Popjoy, a 28 year veteran in the Illinois18th Judicial Circuit Court. His was certainly one of the more interesting & entertaining presentations we have had in recent memory.
Starting with his history as a runner at Glenbard West High School, and then at Michigan State University, he moved on to his legal career (see the links below) he regaled us with stories of some of his more amusing experiences as a judge on the Circuit Court. The man loves his work, and his one shared complaint was that as a judge he has "lost" his first name, as he is commonly addressed as "Judge".
- https://chicagolandsportshalloffame.com/hall-of-famer/ken-popejoy/
- https://ballotpedia.org/Kenneth_L._Popejoy
- https://www.dcba.org/mpage/judgePopejoy
Overview of the Illinois Circuit Courts:
- In Illinois, the circuit court is the court of original jurisdiction. There are 25 judicial circuits in the state, and in DuPage County this is the 18th Judicial Circuit Court.
- Each circuit is administered by a chief judge who is elected by vote of the circuit court judges of that circuit. For the 18th Judicial Circuit Court the Hon. Bonnie M. Wheaton, is currently the Chief Judge. She is the successor to Judge Kenneth L. Popejoy. Circuit judges in the circuit elect one of their members to serve as chief circuit court judge. The chief circuit judge has general administrative authority in the circuit. The chief judge can assign cases to general or specialized divisions within the circuit.
- There are two types of judges in the circuit court: circuit judges and associate judges. Circuit judges are elected for a six-year term and may be retained by voters for additional six-year terms. They can hear any circuit court case. Associate judges are appointed by circuit judges of that circuit for four-year terms. An associate judge can hear any matters deemed suitable by the chief judge or designated circuit judge.