Bruce D. Stewart was born on August 30, 1952, in Mt. Vernon and was
raised in West Frankfort. He graduated from Southern Illinois University in
Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in government in 1973 and from SIU School of
Law, as a member of its charter class, in 1976. Judge Stewart engaged in the
practice of law in Southern Illinois from 1976 until 1995, with primary emphasis on
litigation. He first established his practice in Mt. Vernon, then West Frankfort, and
his office was located in Harrisburg after 1982. In 1995, he was appointed Circuit
Judge of the First Judicial Circuit, and he was elected to that position in 1996. He
served as a Circuit Judge until November 2006 when he was elected to the Fifth
District Appellate Court. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and
the Illinois Judges’ Association, where he serves on the board of directors. He and
his wife, Marleigh, live in Harrisburg. They have two adult daughters, Lynsey and
Christy, both of whom are students.
Appellate Judge