Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of
Associate Judge Nigel D. Graham as a Resident Circuit Judge for McDonough County in the
Ninth Judicial Circuit.
Judge Graham is being appointed to fill the circuit court vacancy created by the retirement of
Ninth Circuit Judge William E. Poncin in December 2022. The appointment of Judge Graham is
effective December 15, 2023, and will conclude December 2, 2024, following the November
2024 general election. Judge Graham is the only candidate who has filed for nomination in either
the 2024 primary or general elections.
Judge Graham has served on the bench as an Associate Judge since August 2019, where he has
been assigned to civil and criminal court calls as well as drug court. He is currently a member of
the Special Supreme Court Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning. Prior to
joining the bench, Judge Graham served as Chief Public Defender in the McDonough County
Public Defender’s Office from May 2015 to 2019, and was an Assistant State’s Attorney there
from 2009 to 2011. He is a past Partner at Lucie, Scalf, Escapa & Graham from 2011 to 2015.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Lewis University and earned his Juris Doctor from the
Loyola Chicago School of Law.
His professional affiliations include the Illinois Bar Association, the Illinois Judges Association,
and the McDonough County Bar Association. He is a board member of each of the McDonough
County Historic Preservation Society, the YMCA of McDonough County, and the Macomb
Educational Foundation, where he is a past President.
***Courtesy of the Illinois Supreme Court***
