Owens J. Shelby appointed to 7th Subcircuit vacancy

In an Order entered yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court announced the appointment of Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Ownes J. Shelby to the 7th Subcircuit vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Irwin J. Solganick.

The appointment is effective May 19; it terminates December 2, 2024.

Shelby was a candidate for a 7th Subcircuit vacancy in both the 2022 and 2020 election cycles.

Shelby has been licensed to practice law in Illinois since 2007, according to ARDC. Shelby's 2022 campaign bio stated that he has been employed as a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney for most of his legal career. Before joining the CCSAO, however, Shelby served as Assistant Counsel to the Illinois House of Representatives, Office of the Speaker.

A graduate of Providence St. Mel High School, Morehouse College, and the Chicago Kent College of Law, according to his 2022 campaign bio, Shelby has served "on boards for St. Angela School, Better Boy’s Foundation, NAACP Westside Chapter, College Mentoring Experience, St. Joseph Services, and the National Black Prosecutor’s Association."

If past practice is followed in this case, Judge Solganick's name will not appear on the 2024 ballot. Instead, assuming he runs, Shelby would be a candidate for the "A" vacancy in the new 7th Subcircuit (which, like the old 7th Subcircuit, is centered on the West Side of Chicago and near western suburbs).

It will be the "A" vacancy because Judge Solganick was one of the few remaining judges elected before 1992. Before Cook County was carved into the 15 original subcircuits, many judges were elected to either City-only or suburb-only vacancies. Those judgeships, as they came vacant in the course of events, were allocated to the then-new subcircuits according to lot, the order of which was memorialized in a Supreme Court Order.

This existing allocation method is set forth in 705 ILCS 35/2f(d).