Appellate Judge Thomas R. Appleton
Fourth District
Thomas R. Appleton was born on February 26, 1949 in
Chicago, Illinois. He received his B.A. degree from Augustana College in
1971, his Masters degree from the University of Illinois in 1972 and
his J.D. degree from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1976,
where he was a member of both the Moot Court Team and the Law Review
serving as Articles Editor. Judge
Appleton was a law clerk for the Fourth District Appellate Court from
1976 to 1978 when he became Research Director for the Court. In 1979, he
was appointed Clerk of the Court. From 1981 to 1992, Judge Appleton
engaged in the private practice of law in Sangamon County, Illinois. He
was elected a Circuit Judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit in 1992 and
was assigned to the Fourth District Appellate Court in December 2001. He
is a member of the Illinois State and Sangamon County Bar Associations
and the Illinois Judge's Association. Judge Appleton serves on the
Illinois Judicial Conference and is a member of the Criminal Law and
Probation Committee of the Conference. Judge Appleton and his wife,
Helen, have two children.
Appellate Judge