The Hon. Christopher R. Stride is a circuit judge for the Lake County Circuit Court in Illinois. He was appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court on January 26, 2016, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. John T. Phillips.
Stride currently sits in the Felony Section of the Criminal Division. He has also held assignments in the Traffic & Misdemeanor Division, and he has presided over Lake County’s Specialty Mental Health, Drug, and Veteran’s Treatment and Assistance Courts.
Prior to his appointment, Stride was an associate judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, a position to which he was named in 2005. Before that, he spent time as an assistant state’s attorney for the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office (2001 to 2005) and chief municipal prosecutor and civil associate for the Law Offices of Magna & Johnson (1999 to 2001).
Stride earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Valparaiso University in 1986. He then completed a J.D. at Valparaiso University School of Law in 1991.
After graduating from law school, Stride entered into private practice, working as an associate at Stride, Craddock & Stride in Chicago. He held that position until 1992, at which time he joined the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office as an assistant state’s attorney. Then, in 1997, he returned to private practice, opening the Law Offices of Christopher Stride.
His memberships have included the Illinois Judges Association and the Lake County Bar Association.
A lifelong resident of Lake County, Stride and his wife, Julie, have three children.