Fayette County State’s Attorney Morrison Announces Run for Circuit Judge

In his third term serving as Fayette County State’s Attorney, Joshua Morrison announced on Friday that he will run for Resident Circuit Judge of Fayette County as current Resident Circuit Judge Don Schafer will be retiring later this year. In talking about his run for circuit judge, Morrison says with the people electing him to three terms, he again puts it in the voter’s hands to have their say in where he should serve.

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And with the possibility of becoming a judge comes a wider range of legal issues and such that Morrison would work on and he says the people’s rights are what is most important no matter what the issue is that is placed before a judge.

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The full release from Morrison’s campaign is below:

After nine years serving the people of Fayette County as State’s Attorney, Republican Joshua Morrison is announcing his intention to seek the office of Resident Circuit Judge for Fayette County replacing the retiring Judge Don Schafer.

“Throughout my career as a prosecutor, I have made it my mission to seek justice. During the last few years, it has become increasingly apparent that the future of this State may be decided by the Judiciary, and as such, we need to elect judges who have proven that they will protect citizens’ Constitutional rights while not being afraid to make tough decisions. I believe that my track record of prosecution, my support of law enforcement, and my work to protect citizens’ rights during the pandemic shows my commitment to doing just that.”

During 2021 alone, State’s Attorney Morrison’s office filed 369 felony cases, a 70% increase from when he began his tenure in 2012, and more than double the number of cases filed in neighboring Bond County. He has also made improvements and efficiencies to his office, including moving to a Grand Jury model to initiate prosecution. This model not only allows for more efficient use of County resources but also allows the public to have input into the cases being prosecuted by the Court system in Fayette County.

State’s Attorney Morrison was among the first State’s Attorneys to condemn Governor Pritzker’s COVID mandates and protect individuals’ rights by directing law enforcement within the Fayette County to follow the law as it was written and not issue citations for mask mandate violations or businesses being open in defiance of Pritzker’s closures. He has worked closely with businesses and the Fayette County Health Department to ensure that Fayette County has stayed as open as possible through the pandemic.

State’s Attorney Morrison began his prosecutorial career in 2007, serving as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Sangamon County in the Traffic and Misdemeanor Division. He also served as a DUI prosecution specialist before being promoted to the Felony Division. He was elected Fayette County State’s Attorney in 2012 and was reelected in 2016 and 2020.

Joshua grew up in Pana as the youngest of ten children and the son of Madge Morrison and the late William (Bill) Morrison, a coal miner. Joshua earned his Associate’s Degree from Lakeland Community College, his Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Illinois University, and Juris Doctorate from Thomas Cooley Law School. Joshua lives in Vandalia with his wife, Brooke, and sons Isaiah (9) and Alexander (11).