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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Justice Rita Bell Garman
4on the occasion of her retirement from the Illinois Supreme
5Court on July 7, 2022 after nearly five decades as a jurist;
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, Justice Garman has faithfully served the people
8of Danville, Vermilion County, the Fourth Judicial District,
9and the entire State of Illinois in every level of the State's
10court system; she has always sought to honor her community and
11State through education and service to others; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Justice Garman graduated as valedictorian of
13Oswego High School in 1961, with the highest honors in
14Economics from the University of Illinois in 1965, and from
15the University of Iowa College of Law with distinction in
161968; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Justice Garman's prospective on life came from
18her humble upbringing in the small farming community of
19Oswego, where her parents, Dr. Sheldon and Ellen Bell,
20instilled in her and her siblings, Lynn and Sheldon, the
21importance of education and making an impact on her community;
22and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Through those values, Justice Garman was led to
2break barriers and overcome obstacles and discrimination as
3she fought to begin her legal career when there were no women
4on the Illinois Supreme Court or the Illinois Appellate Court,
5and there were very few female judges in the State; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Justice Garman began her legal career with the
7Vermilion County Legal Aid Society and subsequently served as
8the first female Assistant Vermilion County State's Attorney;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Justice Garman learned that she had been
11appointed as the first female Associate Judge in her circuit
12by a radio alert on Christmas Eve in 1974; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Justice Garman was later appointed to the
14Illinois Appellate Court in 1995 and the Illinois Supreme
15Court in 2001, where she served as Chief Justice from 2013 to
162016; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Justice Garman was instrumental in establishing a
18Special Court Committee on Child Custody Issues to ensure that
19children's best interests are the primary focus in child
20custody cases; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Justice Garman went on to become the longest
2serving judge in the State of Illinois, female or male, since
31973; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Justice Garman was awarded a Lifetime Achievement
5Award in 2007 and the inaugural Harold Sullivan Award for
6Judicial Excellence in 2011; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Justice Garman has been known to share the
8successes of her career with those around her, including
9giving credit to her assistants, law clerks, marshals,
10jurists, and others in the judicial branch; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Justice Garman also credits her late husband Gill
12as being her rock throughout their entire relationship
13together and her sister Lynn for being a constant source of
14love and support; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Justice Garman looks forward to spending more
16time with her children and their spouses, Sara (John) and Andy
17(Meredith), and her grandchildren, Kathleen, Griffin,
18Samantha, Thomas, and Emily; and
 
19    WHEREAS, While Justice Garman was one of only eight female
20judges in the State when she was initially appointed, she is
21pleased to have witnessed the growth and acceptance of women

 

 

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1in the legal profession over her long and storied career;
2therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we congratulate Justice Rita Bell Garman on her retirement,
6thank her for her years of service and dedication to the State
7of Illinois, and wish her the best in her future endeavors; and
8be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to Justice Garman as a symbol of our respect and
11esteem.