HR0858 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0858 LRB102 27536 ECR 39330 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Justice Rita Bell Garman on the occasion of her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court on July 7, 2022 after nearly five decades as a jurist; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman has faithfully served the people of Danville, Vermilion County, the Fourth Judicial District, and the entire State of Illinois in every level of the State's court system; she has always sought to honor her community and State through education and service to others; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman graduated as valedictorian of Oswego High School in 1961, with the highest honors in Economics from the University of Illinois in 1965, and from the University of Iowa College of Law with distinction in 1968; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman's prospective on life came from her humble upbringing in the small farming community of Oswego, where her parents, Dr. Sheldon and Ellen Bell, instilled in her and her siblings, Lynn and Sheldon, the importance of education and making an impact on her community; and

WHEREAS, Through those values, Justice Garman was led to break barriers and overcome obstacles and discrimination as she fought to begin her legal career when there were no women on the Illinois Supreme Court or the Illinois Appellate Court, and there were very few female judges in the State; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman began her legal career with the Vermilion County Legal Aid Society and subsequently served as the first female Assistant Vermilion County State's Attorney; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman learned that she had been appointed as the first female Associate Judge in her circuit by a radio alert on Christmas Eve in 1974; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman was later appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court in 1995 and the Illinois Supreme Court in 2001, where she served as Chief Justice from 2013 to 2016; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman was instrumental in establishing a Special Court Committee on Child Custody Issues to ensure that children's best interests are the primary focus in child custody cases; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman went on to become the longest serving judge in the State of Illinois, female or male, since 1973; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 and the inaugural Harold Sullivan Award for Judicial Excellence in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman has been known to share the successes of her career with those around her, including giving credit to her assistants, law clerks, marshals, jurists, and others in the judicial branch; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman also credits her late husband Gill as being her rock throughout their entire relationship together and her sister Lynn for being a constant source of love and support; and

WHEREAS, Justice Garman looks forward to spending more time with her children and their spouses, Sara (John) and Andy (Meredith), and her grandchildren, Kathleen, Griffin, Samantha, Thomas, and Emily; and

WHEREAS, While Justice Garman was one of only eight female judges in the State when she was initially appointed, she is pleased to have witnessed the growth and acceptance of women in the legal profession over her long and storied career; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Justice Rita Bell Garman on her retirement, thank her for her years of service and dedication to the State of Illinois, and wish her the best in her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Justice Garman as a symbol of our respect and esteem.