James Murphy to make 10th Subcircuit bid

James Murphy, a long-time Assistant Cook County State's Attorney now in private practice, has announced plans to seek the Wojokowski vacancy in the re-drawn 10th Subcircuit. A campaign website has been launched in support of this venture. That's a link to the site in the preceding sentence; a link has been added to the Sidebar on this site as well.

Licensed to practice law in Illinois since 1997, according to ARDC, Murphy touts his extensive trial experience ("over 81 felony jury trials and hundreds of bench trials ranging from property crimes to the most violent of felonies") on his website. According to his campaign website, during his tenure with the CCSAO, Murphy served as "Supervisor of the Felony Review Unit and the Supervisor of the Branch 66 Homicide/ Sex Unit, Preliminary Hearings, Central Bond Court and the Grand Jury."

Murphy's campaign bio notes his Chicago roots: His paternal grandfather was a Chicago firefighter; his maternal grandfather was a Chicago police officer. A graduate of Loyola Academy, Murphy worked his way through college at the University of Illinois as a busboy and waiter at Alexander's Steakhouse in Champaign, according to his campaign bio.

The campaign bio also notes that Murphy currently serves as President of the Sauganash Community Association. He and his wife and their two children reside on Chicago's Northwest Side. Murphy is active in his children's school and extracurricular activities and in the Queen of All Saints Parish Men’s Club.