Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Associate Judge Mark Gilles as Circuit Judge in Tenth Circuit

Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Associate Judge Mark E. Gilles as a Circuit Judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit in Peoria County.

Judge Gilles is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the impending retirement of Judge Stephen A. Kouri on July 31, 2026. The appointment is effective October 1, 2026, and will conclude on December 4, 2028.

“Judge Gilles is a highly respected jurist who will bring his strong work ethic and legal talent to this new position,” Justice Holder White said.

Judge Gilles has served as an Associate Judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit since 2009. During his 17 years on the bench Judge Gilles has heard cases in courts in both Peoria and Tazewell counties with his most recent assignment being Peoria County Family Court. Prior to joining the bench Judge Gilles worked as an attorney in general practice for 18 years in Peoria County and was a Partner at Cordis & Gilles.

“I am extremely grateful to have been selected by Justice Holder White and her fellow Illinois Supreme Court Justices to serve as a Circuit Judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit,” Judge Gilles said. “I am very happy to continue serving as a Tenth Circuit judge in this new capacity.”

Judge Gilles earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law at Urbana Champaign and earned his bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University. He was a member of the Illinois Judicial Education Conference Weighted Case Load Task Force from 2021 to 2023 and has served as a Judicial Performance Evaluation facilitator since 2016.

(FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: James Brunner, Public Information Officer of the Illinois Supreme Court at 217.208.3354 or jbrunner@illinoiscourts.gov.)