Political Quotes

“I wish to pay tribute to a great man and a great judge who passed away unexpectedly earlier this month. Judge William Hibbler had served with distinction as a Federal district court judge in the Northern District of Illinois since 1999. Bill Hibbler cared so deeply about Chicago that it sometimes surprised people to learn that he actually started life in a small town in Alabama. His family moved to Chicago when he was a child. He graduated from St. Mel High School on the West Side and later from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He worked as a substitute teacher in the Chicago public school system to help pay his tuition at DePaul University School of Law. He started his legal career in private practice but soon felt the call of public service so he went to work as an assistant State's attorney in Cook County. In 1986, he became an associate judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, and he served in that capacity for 13 years, until he joined the Federal bench. Judge Hibbler was active in community service throughout his career. He was a mentor to many young people. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I noted that some judges have an unfortunate tendency to look down on the people who come before them once they put on the judges' black robes, and I asked Judge Hibbler what type of temperament he would bring to the Federal bench. His answer said so much about the kind of man Bill Hibbler was and about his values.…”