The Hon. William J. Thurston is a resident judge on the 1st Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois. Thurston was elected to the bench in 2002.
The 1st Judicial Circuit includes Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, and Williamson counties.
During his judicial tenure, he has served as a peer judge mentor, a judicial performance evaluation facilitator, and as a representative for Court Reporting Services Region III. In 2020, Thurston was elected as chief judge of the 1st Judicial Circuit. In that role, he is credited with initiating the first circuit-wide Illinois JusticeCorps Program, a Lawyer in the Library Program, and a Court Therapy Dog Program.
Thurston received a B.S. from Murray State University. He then completed a J.D. at Southern Illinois University, Simmons Law School, in 1999. Thurston was admitted to practice in Illinois in 2000.
He was named vice-chair of the Conference of Chief Circuit Judges and serves the Conference as a member of its Executive and Article V Committees.
Thurston resides on a farm in Pulaski County, Illinois, where he is raising his two sons. In his free time, he enjoys golf, fishing, and reading.
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