Fifth District Appellate Court Justice James “Randy” Moore will retire on Dec. 31 after 18 years on the bench and 48 years in law.
“It has been an enjoyable career and I liked it when we were able to help people,” Justice Moore said. “I look forward to travelling more. I learned Spanish a while back and would like to travel to Spanish speaking countries.”
James R. Moore was born in 1953 in Herrin, Illinois. He attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and in 1974, received a bachelor's degree in economics. He obtained his juris doctor degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1977.
After becoming a lawyer, he worked as an assistant city attorney for the City of Carbondale until he founded his own law firm two years later. He was a sole practitioner in Carterville, Illinois from 1979 until his appointment to the Circuit Court in 2007. After being appointed to the bench, Judge Moore successfully ran for election in 2008 and was retained in 2014. He was assigned to the Fifth District Appellate Court in 2015. Justice Moore was elected to a full term as 5th District Appellate Court Judge in 2016.
“It’s amazing how much things have changed since I started,” Justice Moore said. “We wrote out everything and had to get carbon paper to make copies. Now we have Zoom court and that is used throughout the trial and appellate courts.”
Justice Moore served for 10 years on the Carterville City Council. He has served as a trustee of the Judicial Retirement System, having completed three full terms, and on the Appellate Court Worker’s Compensation Commission. He is a former member of the Illinois Courts Commission.
He and his wife, Cynthia, have been married since 1975. They have eight children and 14 grandchildren.
“I received a kidney transplant in 2006 before I was on the bench,” Justice Moore said. “Thinking back on that you start to get a sense of your own mortality and want to be able to enjoy the time you have left.”