Bringing the bench to life, a distinguished guest is presenting a glimpse into the Illinois Supreme Court at the St. Charles Public Library.

The library’s “Invite A Judge” event from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 5 in the Huntley Community Room featuring Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford and St. Charles Mayor Clint Hull, the former chief judge of the 16^th Judicial Circuit and a former prosecutor.

The event is free and open to the public.

The presentation is in partnership with the Illinois Judges Association, which designs public events across the state to strengthen the “understanding of our legal system through free educational presentations delivered by experienced Illinois judges.”

On Dec. 4, Rochford and Hull held a similar educational discussion with seventh graders at St. Patrick Catholic School in St. Charles.

Hull said that was such a fun and engaging experience that he and Rochford were more than happy to have a larger civics discussion with the community at the library.

With only seven justices serving on the state supreme court, Hull said the event is a “really special” opportunity for the community to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the bench operates and how the decisions impact everyday life across the state and in St. Charles itself.

“It humanizes the whole thing when you see the person who is making those decisions is just like you,” Hull said. “When you have someone talk about what they’re actually doing right now, it allows both kids learning civics and even adults the opportunity to understand what Rochford’s job entails. You also see how she makes decisions with her colleagues and how she makes decisions she believes the law requires her or others to make.”

Hull said attendees will have the opportunity to ask any questions they might have.

With many overlapping governmental bodies, Hull said the conversation will help emphasize how the decisions made by the state Supreme Court actually affect residents’ lives across Kane County.

He said the impact often surprises residents, from the court’s influence over law enforcement decisions that affect local policing to family law and child custody rules.

“It’s amazing how [the court] impacts everyday people and our daily lives. It’s important to get to know our judges and how they decide a case,” Hull said. “Our Illinois legislature will pass different statutes that may restrict what local government can or can’t do. The court hears cases that directly impact those types of decisions and gives us guidance what we can do in St. Charles.”

Like the discussion at St. Pat’s, Hull said he hopes the conversation is inspiring, especially for young civic learners who might someday want to pursue a carer in public service.

“When you have the chance to learn about their experiences, you see the path they took is similar to the one you’re on,” Hull said. “You get to hear about the doubts they had, the challenges they faced. When you someday have those same doubts, you can learn from her experience that she was able to overcome the obstacles.”

Rochford, of Lake County, was sworn in to the state’s highest court in 2022. She represents the second district, comprised of Kane, McHenry, Kendall, DeKalb and Lake counties. In Illinois, the state supreme court is an elected body with justices serving 10-year terms.

Rochford also serves as the president of the Illinois Judges Association, representing more than 1,300 active and retired Illinois judges.

Following the discussion at St. Pat’s, Rochford said engaging with the community brings legitimacy and respect to the court.

“I wanted to provide insight into what it’s really like on the court and about the collegiality among us as justices,” Rochford said. “We talked about how important it is that we have differences of opinion in law. That’s what we’re there to do, in a professional and collegial way. We also discussed how we make decisions, the differences in our backgrounds, all to help open their eyes and minds.”