State's attorney appointed circuit judge in Alexander County

Illinois' First Judicial Circuit is getting a new judge.

Jeff Farris will be sworn in Jan. 16 to replace Judge Stephen Spomer, who retired Nov. 30.

His appointment, announced Wednesday by the Illinois Supreme Court, will last until a new judge is elected during the fall of 2016.

"I've thought about it for quite some time, and it's kind of a natural progression," said Farris, 51, who has served as Alexander County state's attorney since 1992. "I think of it as that." Farris said his legal experience and his status as a lifelong Alexander County resident helped qualify him for the appointment.

"I have extensive experience. ... I've been around for a while," he said. "I am a lifetime resident and public servant in Alexander County, and this is a residential circuit judge position," meaning the judge has to live in the county.

As a longtime prosecutor, Farris is keenly aware of the long, erratic hours involved in the judicial process.

"Oftentimes when I have to come in in the middle of the night, that's followed by the judge coming in in the middle of the night," he said. "Judges are on call all the time, too."

Farris will undergo training for his new position during the first week of February, he said.

"I hope it's smooth and effortless," he said of the transition.

The county board -- which meets Tuesday -- will have to appoint a replacement for Farris, who as state's attorney prosecutes all of Alexander County's criminal cases, he said.

"I'm a one-man show," Farris said.

His involvement in so many cases could create some challenges as Farris shifts into a different role.

"There will be a transition period, because there will be several cases in Alexander County that I won't be able to hear because of conflicts," he said.

Farris said Judge Mark Clarke hears most of the county's criminal cases.

"There's also an extensive civil docket here that I've really had very little, if anything, to do with," Farris said.

Farris' departure as state's attorney could create another delay in a high-profile criminal case that began in 2013.

Chauncey Hughes of Cairo, Illinois, had been set for trial Jan. 27 on first-degree murder charges in connection with the Nov. 1, 2013, shooting death of his wife, Heather Davis.

Farris prosecuted the case before a jury in August, but Clarke granted a defense motion for a mistrial after jurors saw a cellphone message they were not intended to see.

Hughes had been scheduled for a new trial in November, but that trial was postponed to give a material witness time to recover from surgery.

"I will not be, of course, prosecuting that after the 15th," Farris said. "... There will have to be someone appointed for that."

Farris declined to go into the specifics of how his departure might affect the case.

It seems unlikely that whoever inherits it will be ready to go to trial less than two weeks after taking office.

The case has been marked by a series of unexpected events, including frustrated outbursts by Hughes and one of his supporters at the conclusion of a motion hearing in June; the disqualification of a prospective juror who made a veiled reference to lynching during jury selection; the departure of a juror less than an hour after deliberations began; and another juror's refusal to participate in deliberations.

Hughes' attorney, public defender Zach Gowin, was not available for comment Wednesday.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Cairo, IL