Casey Costigan

Youth at the only juvenile prison in Central Illinois say its bright atmosphere and green space make a big difference in setting them on a more positive path.

Mark Fellheimer served as chief judge overseeing the courts in five counties at the height of the pandemic. Retiring Chief Judge Costigan says Fellheimer was anxious to lead the courts during a more "normal" time.

Associate Judge Sarah Duffy has been picked to fill a vacancy in the 11th Judicial Circuit created by Judge Casey Costigan's retirement. Duffy is running unopposed to retain the seat in the November election.

With support from the Illinois Arts Council, the McLean County Juvenile Detention Center has added two murals to areas frequented by youths held in pretrial detention. Staff say adding color to the walls is a small thing, but can make a big difference in the lives of youth staying in the facility.

McLean County prosecutors said Friday that a 43-year-old Unit 5 junior high school teacher made sexually suggestive remarks to a 13-year-old girl last year. He faces charges of grooming.

Judge Casey Costigan has served on the bench in McLean County since 2006, ascending to chief judge overseeing five Central Illinois counties since 2022. His seat is up for election in November, with a new chief judge to be announced later this year.

Chief Judge Casey Costigan and Associate Judge Amy McFarland said litigants aren't doing themselves any favors by using artificial intelligence in place of public defenders.

Hosted by the League of Women Voters, the event profiled three recent laws aimed at reforming bail, public defense and relief for formerly incarcerated people who've served their time.

A longtime associate judge in McLean and Logan counties is retiring. Bill Workman was appointed to the bench in 2014. He'll step down at the end of July.

Michael Bakana, 45, was convicted last year of a fatal shooting outside a Bloomington nightclub in January 2021. Mariah Petracca, 22, of Bloomington was shot and killed. Another woman, Bibi Cornejo of Bloomington, was wounded in the shooting.