Highland Park Judge Gets Promotion

Associate Lake County Circuit Court Judge Mitchell Hoffman will was appointed a full circuit court judge Tuesday by the Illinois Supreme Court filling the vacancy left by the pending retirement of the court’s chief judge, Fred Foreman, according to a release from the Court.

“Mitch Hoffman is an outstanding jurist and highly respected by members of the legal profession as well as the Lake County community in which he serves,” Chief Judge John T. Phillips said in the release.

Hoffman will assume his new position Feb. 4 and serve until Dec. 5, 2016 when Foreman’s term expires. At that time, Hoffman would have to run for election. His appointment is for the fourth judicial sub circuit.

Appointed an associate judge 13 years ago, Hoffman has been hearing cases in the chancery division since 2006 which include complex matters like mortgage foreclosure, mechanic’s liens and commercial litigation, according to the release.

“He is an expert in the mortgage foreclosure process, addressing the problems caused by the high volume of cases associated with the foreclosure crisis that started in 2008,” the Court said in the release.

Hoffman was one of the people who created the court’s new mortgage foreclosure mediation program last year to help deal with the local aspects of that nationwide crisis.

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