Durbin: Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Federal Judicial Nominees In Northern District 2014
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member, has unanimously approved the nomination of Jorge Alonso to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Alonso was recommended by Durbin after he conducted extensive interviews with the finalists chosen by a bipartisan screening committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee also approved the nomination of John Blakey to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Blakey was recommended to President Obama by U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) under a long-standing Illinois tradition that allows the highest ranking member from the opposite party one district court judgeship recommendation for every three made by the senior senator. Both nominations will now proceed to a vote by the full Senate.
“Judge Alonso is a dedicated public servant with a wealth of courtroom and judicial experience, in addition to an admirable record of service to the Chicago community,” said Durbin. “Judge Alonso is an outstanding nominee for a federal judgeship in Illinois, with the experience, the integrity and the judgment to be an excellent federal judge.”
Judge Alonso has served as an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County since 2003. He currently serves in the Criminal Division and also presides over a specialty court program for women with mental illness in the criminal justice system. He previously worked for over eleven years as an Assistant Public Defender in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender. He is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School. Judge Alonso lives in Park Ridge.
A video of Senator Durbin’s introducing Judge Alonso before his confirmation hearing in September is available here. A photo of Senator Durbin and Judge Alonso following his confirmation hearing is available here.
