Justice James A. Knecht grew up along the railroad tracks in on Sangamon Street in historic downtown Lincoln, in a second-story apartment above a saloon and a block away from Hickey’s Billiard Parlor. In high school, he was a football and track athlete and participated in numerous activities including the Latin Club, Pep Club, and the Honor Society.
Justice Knecht was the son of a career military man who, due to his service, did not live with his family. However, he had an early mentor named John Hickey, who was not only an acquaintance of the family, but also the owner of that nearby billiard parlor. As a result, Justice Knecht spent a lot of time in the “pool hall” between the ages of 13 and 21. Hickey advised him, “Keep your word, pay your debts and put your family first.” A reminder he enjoys sharing with his grandchildren. The billiard parlor had a profound effect on the justice, as reflected by the fact there are two photos in Justice Knecht’s chambers of John Hickey and a pool rack from that very pool hall, a gift from a friend.
Justice Knecht’s skills at playing pool are such that he made money playing the game. In fact, Justice Knecht will proudly tell you he paid for his first typewriter with winnings from playing nine ball. The justice clarified he did not have to hustle anyone to buy the typewriter – his challenger knew what he was up against. The justice even keeps a billiard table in his chambers, sacrificing the largest office with its own bathroom to accommodate it. The sound of breaking balls occasionally accompanies his contemplation of cases.
Like his passion for billiards, Justice Knecht’s passion for literature developed at an early age and continues to this day. He is a self-described “voracious reader,” estimating that he reads 100 books every year. He explains, “I’ve got a real interest in the interplay of law and literature.” You can see his passion for books almost the instant you enter his chambers with books, not just law books, everywhere. The books are on the shelves of the reception area, in stacks and boxes in his office and the pool table’s office. The genres he prefers are detective fiction and mysteries, but he also enjoys biographies and classics. Each summer the justice has a book-heavy garage sale. He sells the books not for the money, but for the joy of spending the day talking with other book lovers.
A discussion of Justice Knecht’s passions would be incomplete without noting his love of baseball. He is a life-long Cubs fan, but his passion for baseball extends beyond his team loyalty. When entering his chambers, visitors see a print of Jackie Robinson stealing home through Yogi Berra’s tag. He also has on display a photo capturing a cherished memory of visiting the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, showing him walking out of the cornfield with his grandsons and son-in-law.
Justice Knecht recalls that his interest in the law began when he was a young boy playing on the courthouse square. At that time, he observed men passing by who he believed were lawyers and judges and they left an impression on him. One such man who made a strong impression on him was John McCullough, who served as county judge in the early 1960s before Justice Knecht graduated from high school and later served on the circuit and appellate courts. Justice Knecht watched him handle proceedings involving several young men who were friends or acquaintances. Even as a youth himself, Justice Knecht admired that Judge McCullough seemed to have strength and resolve and in total command of his courtroom. (Back then juvenile proceedings were not closed to the public.)
Justice Knecht also credits his wife, Ruth, for urging him to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. His wife’s voice was often part of his consciousness. The justice also attributes his view of the law and his interest in community involvement to three years spent working with developmentally disabled adults and children for the Illinois Department of Mental Health while earning his bachelor’s degree in English at Illinois State University. “I think it refined and strengthened my sensitivity regarding civil liberties and the way we treat the least favored in our society,” he said. “I saw children and adolescents who didn’t have a chance. And had they had educational opportunities, good nutrition, good health care and a helping hand now and again from an adult, whether a father or a mother figure, I think they might have turned out a good deal different.” In his current position as an appellate court justice in the Fourth District he notes that courts of review teach by explaining the law. “It seems to me that judges are teachers even if they don’t choose to be.”
Justice Knecht attended law school at the University of Illinois, graduating with honors in 1973. He was an editor of the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. His legal career began as a law clerk for Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Underwood who suggested he apply for appointment as an associate judge. Justice Knecht then served as an associate circuit judge and a circuit judge before being elected to the Fourth District Appellate Court in 1986.
Illinois State University holds a special place in Justice Knecht’s heart because it is not only his alma mater, but it has also become a legacy for his family. The justice, his wife, their two children, and grandchildren all attended, or currently attend, ISU. They are season ticket holders for both football and basketball games. The justice has hobnobbed with ISU presidents and coaches. Further, Justice Knecht shows his school spirit with an extensive ISU wardrobe – you are assured when it is game day as he will be donning a sweater or polo in ISU red with color-coordinated shoes. Apparently, he also has quite the sneaker collection.
As a former adjunct professor at ISU, Justice Knecht emphasized that “classroom teaching is an important part of the life I have chosen.” He has received numerous accolades from ISU, including serving as a member of the Attorneys’ Advisory Council sponsored by the Department of Politics and Government. In 2000, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni. He was the first chair of the Attorneys Advisory Board at ISU and in 2001 received their Distinguished Service Award. He was inducted into the College of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2005. He taught at the university for 27 years from 1977 to 2004. He presently serves as secretary of the Board of Directors of the Illinois State University Foundation.
The list of Justice Knecht’s other professional service and accolades is vast. He previously served as Chair of the statewide Appellate Court Administrative Committee, and on the Illinois Courts Commission, the constitutional disciplinary body for the judiciary. He also served on the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, the Steering Committee of the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council, the National Judicial Advisory Board of the Law & Organizational Economics Center at the University of Kansas, and the National Advisory Board of the AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies Judicial Education Program. He is Past President of Beyond the Books Educational Foundation, and Past President of the Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois. He was the first judge to serve as President of that organization. He served on the National Board of Directors of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, and the Illinois Attorney General's Violent Crime Victims Advisory Commission.
He received the James Gardner Service to Youth Award from the YMCA (1978), Alumni Achievement Award, Illinois State University (1991), Illinois Intensive Probation Program Award (1995), Ruth Dobbins Volunteer Award, Planned Parenthood (1996), and Martin Luther King Human Relations Award, Town of Normal (2000). The McLean County Bar Association awarded him the Abraham Lincoln Award of Excellence in 2000. In 2005 he received the Benjamin K. Miller Recognition Award from the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council.
In 2008 the League of Women Voters of McLean County awarded him the Florence Fifer Bohrer Award for Outstanding Civic Service. In 2013 Lincoln College conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. In 2017 he was named a Hero for Justice by Prairie State Legal Services.
Justice Knecht takes great pride in his family. He resides in Normal with his wife Ruth. They will celebrate 60 years of marriage in January. He cherished the opportunity to serve as a youth football, basketball and baseball coach for his grandsons and as a groom for the equestrians in his family, his wife, his late-daughter, and granddaughter.
Having been a judge for 50 years, Justice Knecht holds the distinction of being the longest serving active judge in Illinois and has accumulated at least 23 gavels in his office. His poignant words when accepting the ISU Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000, ring true to this day:
“Today I am but 30 miles from where I began, yet I have traveled a journey of a thousand leagues. When I dreamed about where I would go, I believed there would be a destination--an identifiable place to stop. Now, I know the meaning and true pleasure of life is in the journey and there is no one place at which to arrive. I am blessed to be on this journey with someone I love – and but for my wife – who saw things in me, I did not see in myself, I might well still be on that curb in front of Hickey’s Billiards.”