HR0649 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0649 LRB094 14381 HSS 49311 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Judge Anthony Peccarelli of Wheaton on Sunday, September 25, 2005; and

WHEREAS, Anthony Peccarelli was born in 1928 and grew up in New Jersey; he came to the Midwest to attend Beloit College in Wisconsin, graduating in 1953; he graduated from John Marshall Law School in 1959, beginning a legal career that lasted until shortly before his death; and

WHEREAS, He was a DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney from 1962 to 1968, then was in private practice until his appointment as an Associate DuPage County Judge in 1979; he was elected a Circuit Judge in 1982, serving in various branches of the court and as Chief Judge from 1989 to 1993; he was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court in 1993 and served there until 1994; in 1995 he was appointed DuPage County State's Attorney and served in that capacity for two years; and

WHEREAS, As Chief Judge, he faced immediate challenges, many created when the then-new courthouse in Wheaton was closed because of air quality problems; while the courthouse was closed for repairs for seven months in 1992 and 1993, Judge Peccarelli managed the courts' routine business while helping find temporary quarters for more than 30 judges and scores of other court personnel and helping plan a return to the courthouse when work there was completed; and

WHEREAS, As State's Attorney in 1995 and 1996, he dealt with a case that has bedeviled prosecutors in DuPage County since 1983 - the murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico in Naperville; he and Sheriff Richard Doria asked for appointment of a special prosecutor to look into complaints of official misconduct in the case; and

WHEREAS, After serving as State's Attorney, he founded a mediation service and worked in private practice part time; he was a mediator in a DuPage County court program designed to help litigants find common ground outside the formal courtroom process and also was appointed to be County Board ethicist; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Judge Anthony Peccarelli has been deeply felt by many, especially his two sons, Andrew and David; his daughter, Laura Anderson; his brother, Louis; his sister, Marie Grisanti; his five grandchildren; and his great-grandchild; he was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Judge Anthony Peccarelli, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his family as an expression of our sincerest condolences.