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Illinois Supreme Court appoints Associate Judge Timothy Cusack as Resident Circuit Judge in Peoria County | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

Illinois Supreme Court appoints Associate Judge Timothy Cusack as Resident Circuit Judge in Peoria County

8/26/2024

Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced that Tenth Judicial Circuit Associate Judge Timothy J. Cusack has been appointed as a Resident Circuit Judge for Peoria County in the Tenth Judicial Circuit.

Judge Cusack is being assigned to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John P. Vespa, effective July 31, 2024. Judge Cusack’s assignment is effective August 15, 2024, and will expire on Dec. 7, 2026.

“Judge Cusack is a lifelong Peorian who has dedicated himself to bettering his community,” Justice Holder White said. “As an Associate Judge, he has worked to streamline child abuse and neglect cases. As a Circuit Judge, he will be able to build on his efforts to make positive changes to the judicial system.”

Judge Cusack was first appointed to the bench as an Associate Judge in 2013 and was reappointed in 2015 to a full term. Prior to becoming a judge, he had a lengthy legal career which included serving in the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office and later in both the Tazewell County Public Defender’s Office and the Peoria County Public Defender's Office. Judge Cusack also worked in private practice in Peoria in the 1990s and 2000s.

“I am so grateful to Justice Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court for unanimously appointing me as a Peoria County Circuit Judge. I am confident that I can continue to serve the citizens of Peoria and Tazewell counties in the same manner that I have for the last 11 years,” Judge Cusack said. “I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the other candidates and to the screening committee for their work. As always, enormous thanks to my family, and to my friends and supporters for the faith and trust they’ve shown in me.”

Judge Cusack earned his Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University and his Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law.

The Tenth Judicial Circuit encompasses five counties: Marshall, Peoria, Putnam, Stark, and Tazewell.