HR0826 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0826 LRB101 21009 LAW 71164 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Justice Charles E. Freeman of Chicago, who passed away on March 2, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was born in Richmond, Virginia on December 12, 1933; he was descended from slaves freed by Quakers before the American Civil War; he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia in June 1954; he earned his Juris Doctor from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago in February 1962; and

WHEREAS, Early in his professional career, Justice Freeman served Illinois as an assistant attorney general, an assistant state's attorney, and an attorney for the Board of Election Commissioners while in private practice from 1962 to 1979; he was appointed by then Governor Otto Kerner as an arbitrator to the Illinois Industrial Commission in January 1965, where he heard and wrote decisions on more than 2,000 work-related injury cases; he served in that capacity until September 1973; he was appointed by then Governor Dan Walker as a commissioner on the Illinois Commerce Commission and served from September 1973 to December 1976; and

WHEREAS, For 10 years, Justice Freeman served on the Cook County Circuit Court, winning two elections in the process; while a circuit court judge, he became the first African American to swear in a Chicago mayor in 1982, his longtime friend Harold Washington; he was elected to the Appellate Court in 1986; and

WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was elected to the Illinois Supreme Court on November 6, 1990, becoming the first African American to serve; he was selected as Chief Justice on May 12, 1997 and served in that capacity until January 1, 2000; during his tenure as chief justice, he oversaw improved efficiency of the Family Violence Prevention program, the establishment of a judicial web page, and the reorganization of the rotation of assignments of appellate judges in the First Judicial District, ending the practice that allowed appellate judges in Cook County to sit on the same panel for their lifetimes; he retired in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was a member of the Cook County, Illinois State, and DuPage County Bar Associations; he was also a member of the Illinois Judicial Council, the Illinois Judges Association, the American Judges Association, and the American Judicature Society; he received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Freedom Award from the John Marshall Law School, the Seymour Simon Justice Award from the Jewish Judges Association, the Earl Burrus Dickerson Award from the Chicago Bar Association, the Ira B. Platt Award, and the Presidential Award from the Cook County Bar Association; and

WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was known as a trailblazer with a sharp legal mind, a gentleman, and a devoted family man; and

WHEREAS, Justice Freeman was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Marylee; and

WHEREAS, Justice Freeman is survived by his son, Kevin (Cami) Freeman; his grandchildren, Skye Marie Freeman and Miles Charles Freeman; and his brother, James Freeman; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Justice Charles E. Freeman and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Justice Freeman as an expression of our deepest sympathy.