Michael P. McCuskey

Michael P. McCuskey
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
In office
June 30, 2013[1]  May 31, 2014[1]
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
In office
2004[2][Note 1]  2012[3]
Preceded by Joe Billy McDade
Succeeded by James E. Shadid[3]
Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
In office
April 3, 1998  June 30, 2013
Appointed by Bill Clinton
Preceded by Harold A. Baker
Succeeded by Colin S. Bruce
Personal details
Born June 30, 1948[4]
Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
Spouse(s) Barbara Huber McCuskey[5]
Alma mater

Michael Patrick McCuskey (born June 30, 1948, Peoria, Illinois[4]) is an American judge from Illinois. He has served as a state circuit and appellate judge, and a United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. He is also chairman of Illinois State University Board of Trustees, for a term expiring in January 2017.[2]

In 1966,[4] McCuskey graduated in a class of 16 students at Sparland High School,[Note 2] Sparland, Illinois. He was recruited to Illinois State University in 1966 by baseball coach Duffy Bass, who told McCuskey about the new Political Science department starting at ISU that autumn.[5] While at ISU, he was a member of the 1969 baseball team that played in the NCAA College Division championships;[2] a sore arm ended his pitching career. McCuskey received a B.S. from Illinois State University in 1970[2] as part the first class to graduate from ISU's Political Science department.[5] Following graduation, he was a baseball coach and history teacher at Ottawa Township High School, Ottawa, Illinois for two years,[2][5] then entered the Saint Louis University School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 1975.[1]

He was in private practice as a partner in the law firm of Pace, McCuskey and Galley in Lacon, Illinois from 1975 to 1988, and was also the chief public defender of Marshall County, Illinois, from 1976 to 1988.[1][2]

He was elected an Illinois state circuit court judge on the Tenth Judicial Circuit from 1988 to 1990, where he sat in felony court at Peoria.[1][2] When two new seats were created on the Illinois Appellate Court, he was elected to the Third District Appellate Court, serving from 1990 to 1998.[1][2][6]

He was nominated for the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois by President Bill Clinton on July 31, 1997, to a seat vacated by Harold A. Baker. McCuskey was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 2, 1998, and received his commission on April 3, 1998.[1] He served as chief judge of the district from December 14, 2004[2][Note 1] to March 12, 2012, when he swore in successor James E. Shadid.[3] McCuskey took senior status on June 30, 2013, and retired from the bench on May 31, 2014;[1] he was succeeded by Judge Colin S. Bruce.

He was appointed to the Illinois Tenth Judicial Circuit, his original seat, taking office on June 3, 2014 to complete the term of the retiring Kevin Galley. McCuskey took up his seat in Marshall County, and stated his intention to run for election in November 2016.[6]

His wife, Barbara Huber McCuskey, graduated from Illinois State University in 1987; as of 2006, they had one son and lived in Urbana,[5] and as of 2015 lived in Lacon.[6]

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Illinois State University's Trustee biography says that McCuskey's chief judge term started on December 14, 2004; Greyheart says only December 2004; the Federal Judicial Center biography says only 2004; Kravetz in the Peoria Journal Star says "since 2005".
  2. Sparland High School was consolidated into the current Midland High School.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Michael P. McCuskey at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Michael McCuskey - Board Chair". Normal, Illinois: Illinois State University. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kravetz, Andy (March 13, 2012). "Shadid takes oath as chief judge". Peoria Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois: GateHouse Media). p. B1. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Sentencing and the Federal Judiciary" (Press release). Champaign, Illinois: American Constitution Society, University of Illinois College of Law. 2004-08-17. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Graybill, Elaine (Spring 2006). "Illinois State University was a home run for Judge Michael McCuskey '70". Political Science News & Views (newsletter) (Normal, Illinois: Department of Politics and Government, Illinois State University). Archived from the original on 2014-07-11. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Smith, Gary L. (January 5, 2015). "McCuskey comes home as Marshall County judge". Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois: GateHouse Media). pp. A1, A9.