Van Tine appointed to the Appellate Court; Walker gets put in an 'up or out' seat

Meteoric may not be quite the right word to describe Rena Marie Van Tine's judicial career arc. After all, she has served in the judiciary since 2001, when she was appointed an associate judge.

On the other hand, in just the past two years, Van Tine was appointed a full circuit judge (in 2021), slated and victorious in the 2022 primary, named as Acting Presiding Judge of the County Division, and now, effective July 18, assigned to duty in the Appellate Court. Viewing just these last couple of years, "meteoric" seems almost too tame a term.

Van Tine's elevation comes about because Justice Eileen O'Neill Burke has resigned her seat on the Appellate Court -- but Van Tine was not appointed to replace her.

Justice Carl A. Walker, a Circuit Court judge serving by assignment on the Appellate Court since 2018 was reassigned, pursuant to a separate Supreme Court Order, to Justice Burke's vacancy.

Justice Walker keeps his existing case load; Judge Van Tine will assume Justice Burke's cases but, technically, it is Walker who is temporarily filling Burke's vacancy.

The good news for Justice Walker is that he takes Burke's vacancy by reassignment, not appointment. Like an appointment, this reassignment will terminate on December 2, 2024 when Burke's elected successor takes office. However, since he sits only by assignment, should he not seek and secure Justice Burke's seat in the forthcoming election, Justice Walker will still be a Circuit Court judge.

Justice Walker now joins his colleagues Cynthia Y. Cobbs and Mary L. Mikva in 'up or out' slots on the Appellate bench. Each must run for, and win election to, the Appellate Court in order to continue serving on that court. All three did appear at the Democratic Party's recent judicial pre-slating meeting. The current Who Sits Where post has been updated accordingly.

The Supreme Court's press release concerning Van Tine's elevation is available at this link.

Justice Walker was elected to a 1st Subcircuit vacancy in 2006.

Justice Burke was elected to the Appellate Court in 2016; she was appointed to that court earlier that same year, after securing the Democratic nomination in an uncontested primary. She was elected to the Circuit Court in 2008.