A Salem attorney has been appointed as an At-Large Circuit Judge in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
State Supreme Court Justice David Overstreet and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Wesley Gozia. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Douglas Jarman on January 29th. Gozia’s appointment is effective March 28th and will conclude on December 7th, 2026, following the November General Election.
Overstreet says Gozia will make an outstanding addition to the judiciary in the 4th Circuit. The Supreme Court Justice noted Gozia is already a statewide leader in the legal system through his service as the Vice-Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Executive Committee on the Practice of Law and says he knows Gozia will bring the same passion for justice to the bench.
Overstreet recommended the appointment to the full court following a review of applicants by the eight-person screening committee that includes several former judges.
Gozia says he is humbled by the appointment and pledges to be a jurist who serves humbly, honestly, and without prejudice so the litigants know they were heard and received a fair day in court.
Gozia has worked as sole practitioner at Gozia Law Firm LLC in Salem since 2010 with a focus on family law, criminal defense, real estate, and estate planning. From 2014 to 2022, he served as conflict public defender contract attorney for Clinton County where he provided public defense services to indigent clients and brought cases to jury trial. Since 2023, Gozia has served on the Illinois Supreme Court Executive Committee on the Practice of Law.
Gozia earned his Bachelor of Science from St. Louis University and earned his Juris Doctor form the University of Missouri School of Law.
