Michael D. McHaney was born in 1957 in Eldorado, Illinois. McHaney is a lifelong resident of Southern Illinois, having graduated from SIU Law School in 1982. He was in private practice until 1998, when he became the Marion County Public Defender. In 2006, McHaney was appointed an associate judge for the 4th Circuit. In 2010, McHaney was elected as an at-large circuit judge of the 4th Circuit. He served as the 4th Circuit Chief Judge from 2014-2017. McHaney was elected to the 5th District Appellate Court in November 2022. Justice McHaney lives with his wife Laura on a small farm in Southern Illinois, and they have four adult children and two grandchildren.