Illinois Supreme Court Appoints John D. Hay as Jo Daviess County Circuit Judge

CHICAGO — The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Fifteenth Circuit Associate Judge John D. Hay as Resident Circuit Judge of Jo Daviess County, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Kevin J. Ward. The appointment, effective September 2, 2025, will run through December 7, 2026. Hay has served as an Associate Judge in the Fifteenth Circuit since 2021 and was Jo Daviess County State’s Attorney from 2012 to 2021. He previously worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Stephenson County from 2007 to 2012. Hay holds a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from Northern Illinois University and is a member of the Jo Daviess County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Illinois Judges Association.