The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts has announced the reappointment of Vermilion
County’s associate circuit judges, Mark S. Goodwin, Karen E. Wall, Derek J Girton, and Charles
D. Mockbee IV to four-year terms beginning July 1, 2023. Associate judges are subject to
reappointment (by receiving at least 3/5 vote of the circuit judges) every four years.
These four associate judges are assigned to Vermilion County and handle high-volume court
calls. The diverse nature of the associate divisions requires the judges to be knowledgeable,
resourceful, and versatile. They routinely preside over civil small claims, eviction, traffic,
misdemeanor, divorce, and order of protection cases. They are also are appointed to hear felony
and law division cases.
Judge Goodwin has served as an associate judge since 2009 and is currently the presiding judge
of the Vermilion County Drug Court. He served the Illinois Judicial Conference, concluding five
years of service as Chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinating Committee.
He serves by appointment of the Illinois Supreme Court as a Peer Judge Mentor and a Cohort
Leader in the New Judge Orientation Program. He is a member of the Illinois Judges
Association as well as the Vermilion County Bar Association, serving the latter as President
during 2019-2020. Prior to becoming a judge, he practiced law in Vermilion County for twenty-
two years, with a general practice. Judge Goodwin graduated from Illinois State University and
John Marshall Law School. He lives in Danville with his wife.
Judge Wall has served as an associate judge for 12 years and is the presiding judge of the
County’s Mental Health Court. She currently serves as a board member, planning chair and
faculty member for the Supreme Court’s Committee for Judicial Education. Judge Wall is also a
board member for the Judicial Retirement System. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar
Association and Vice President of the Vermilion County Bar Association. Prior to becoming a
judge, she practiced law with Manion, Devens & McFetridge in Danville as an associate
attorney, and later became the first female partner of that firm. Thereafter, she was a founding
partner of the firm, Spiros & Wall, practicing primarily personal injury litigation. Judge Wall
graduated from Illinois State University and John Marshall Law School. She lives in rural
Danville with her husband and two sons.
Judge Girton has also served as an associate judge for 12 years and recently stepped aside as the
presiding judge of the County’s Drug Court after 12 years, a Vermilion County record for
continuous service to the program. He is a member of the Illinois Judges Association, ISBA, and
Vermilion County Bar Association. Prior to becoming a judge, he practiced law as a partner in
the Danville firm of Acton & Snyder with a general practice, but primarily handled family law
and criminal defense cases. Judge Girton graduated from The Pennsylvania State University and
Ohio Northern Law School. He lives in Oakwood and has two adult children.

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Judge Mockbee has served as an associate judge since 2020 and is the presiding judge of the
Vermilion County Veteran’s Court. He is a member and past President of the Vermilion County
Bar Association, member and past committee member of the Illinois Judges Association, and
member of the Illinois State Bar Association, currently appointed to the Standing Committee on
Professional Conduct. Prior to becoming a Judge, he served as an assistant State’s Attorney in
Vermilion County and practiced law with his father at Kesler, Nelson, Garman, Brougher &
Townsley, P.C. in Danville. Most recently, he served as Corporation Counsel for the City of
Danville. Judge Mockbee graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and
Southern Illinois University School of Law. He lives in Danville with his wife and son.
Vermilion County Presiding Circuit Judge Thomas M. O’Shaughnessy responded to the re-
appointments: “The circuit judges of Vermilion County are pleased with the reappointment of
these dedicated judges and extend them a sincere and whole-hearted congratulations. They each
earned reappointment through hard work. They adhere to high standards of integrity and ethical
conduct, have exceptional experience, knowledge, and abilities, exercise appropriate judicial
temperament, fairness, patience, and dignity, and attend to the management of their cases in
prompt and skillful manners.”