An Envelope Fundraiser for Citizens to Elect Mike McHaney for Circuit Judge on September 18, 2009 at the Centralia House located at 111 North Oak St. Centralia, IL between 5p and 8p.

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Contributions may be also mailed to:

Citizens to Elect Mike McHaney
PO Box 1244
Salem, IL 62882

Associate Judge Mike McHaney has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Circuit Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court, to fill the upcoming vacancy of retiring Judge Kathleen Moran.

Judge McHaney graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Illinois University in 1979 and obtained his law degree from SIU School of Law in 1982.  That same year, McHaney was licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois and began a twenty-four year career as a trial attorney.  The last eight of those years, Judge McHaney served as the Marion County Public Defender.

In 2006 McHaney applied for the position of Associate Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court.  Citing his extensive experience in civil and criminal litigation, jury trials in state and federal courts and service to community, McHaney was appointed to the Associate Judge’s position.

Since his appointment, Judge McHaney has presided over the civil, criminal and juvenile daily dockets in all nine counties in the Fourth Circuit.  McHaney has also presided over felony criminal and civil jury trials throughout the circuit.  Judge McHaney believes that his tenure as an associate gives the citizens of the Fourth Circuit an option to vote for a candidate with prior judicial experience.  “With the retirement of Judges John Coady, Kathleen Moran and David Sauer the Fourth Circuit will be losing over sixty years of combined judicial excellence.”  Therefore, McHaney says, “Now, more than ever, experience counts.”

McHaney has participated in yearly judicial training, most recently at the National Conference of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in Chicago, Illinois.

Judge McHaney is a member of the Illinois Judge’s Association, a past president of the Marion and Jefferson County Bar Associations, past president of the Jefferson County Shrine Club and Past Exalted Ruler of Elks Lodge #819.  In addition, McHaney served on the Summersville Grade School Board for four years.

Judge McHaney and his wife Laura reside in Salem and have four grown children.  Timothy of Chicago; Meghan, a graduate student at University of Illinois; Colin, a member of the Illinois National Guard, currently stationed in Afghanistan and Daniel, a senior at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.