Peter Michael Gonzalez sworn in as Circuit Court judge

Supreme Court Justice Charles Freeman swears
Gonzalez in as family members look on.

I hadn't quite gotten around to doing a post about the Supreme Court's appointment of Peter Michael Gonzalez to the countywide Egan vacancy. I'd meant to. In my defense, I will point out the announcement was only made a week ago -- and I had day-job stuff to do -- and it was Thanksgiving. I can find an excuse or two for almost any of my many omissions.

But Mike and his wife, Dawn, were kind enough to invite me to the swearing-in ceremony anyway. And since today's ceremony came only seven days after the announcement, news of the appointment is not entirely stale.

Gonzalez did not file this morning for the Egan vacancy; Rosa Maria Silva is so far the only candidate for that vacancy. Instead, Gonzalez filed for the countywide McGinnis vacancy, the vacancy for which he was slated this past August by the Cook County Democratic Party.

New Judge Gonzalez, his wife Dawn, and their sons

Speaking on Gozalez's behalf at the installation today were State Sen. Don Harmon, former Appellate Court Justice Marvin Leavitt, U.S. District Court Judge Jorge Alonso, and Circuit Court Judge Rossana Fernandez. Judge Mary Colleen Roberts served as emcee. Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke and her husband, Ald. Ed Burke, were among the many dignitaries in attendance.

Licensed as attorney in Illinois since 1994, according to ARDC, Gonzalez most recently practiced from an office on 51st Street in Chicago's Gage Park Community. Gonzalez began his legal career as an Assistant Public Defender, spending eight years in that office before setting up his own practice. Gonzalez was an Administrative Law Judge with the Illinois Department of Employment Security from 2003 to 2012.