The Supreme Court of Illinois announced Friday the appointment of longtime attorney M. Don Sheafor Jr. as Fayette County Resident Circuit Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit. He will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge S. Gene Schwarm to the Fifth District Appellate Court.

Mr. Sheafor, 59, currently is a partner with the law firm of Burnside, Johnston, Sheafor & Connor which traces its history in Vandalia to the past 100 years. Mr. Sheafor also served as State’s Attorney for Fayette County, having been appointed in 1983 and serving two full elected terms until 1992. Over the course of his career, Mr. Sheafor has practiced in nearly every area of civil and criminal law and has tried hundreds of cases.

Mr. Sheafor is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, and received his juris doctor from Thomas Cooley School of Law in Lansing Mich. He was licensed and admitted to the practice of law in Illinois 1981, when he joined the Fayette County State’s Attorney’s office as an assistant prosecutor. He was in private practice at Sheafor & Day in St. Elmo from 1992 to 1996 when he joined the Burnside, Johnston Sheafor and Connor law firm.

Under the Illinois Constitution, the Supreme Court is given the authority to fill judicial vacancies by interim appointment until the next election cycle.

Mr. Sheafor was chosen to replace Judge Schwarm in an application process that included review by a six-member screening committee appointed by Supreme Court Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier, who recommended Mr. Sheafor's appointment to the Court. Each of the applicants was interviewed and their credentials reviewed by members of the screening committee before recommending candidates to be interviewed by Justice Karmeier.

“I am humbled to be selected by the Supreme Court and thankful for the confidence shown in me by Justice Karmeier,” Mr. Sheafor said. “I have very broad experience and more than 30 years in the practice of law and, while humbled, will work hard to serve well the people of Illinois.”

The screening committee members were: Chairman, Mr. David Oldfield of the law firm of LeFevre, Oldfield, Myers Apke & Payne Law Group in Vandalia; Judge Michael Kiley (Retired) of Shelbyville, IL; George C. Lackey of the law firm of Lackey & Stevenson in Centralia; Jane M. Lawinger of the law firm of Lawinger, Delong & Associates, LLC in Vandalia; Daniel Price of the law firm Wham &Wham in Centralia; and Matthew A. Riedle sole practitioner in Vandalia.

Mr. Sheafor’s appointment as Fayette County Resident Circuit Judge will be effective June 2, 2014 and will terminate December 5, 2016 when the position will be filled by the General Election of 2016.