SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A portrait of former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Ben Miller was unveiled Wednesday at the Sangamon County Courthouse.
The Sangamon County Board Office held an unveiling ceremony at noon on the first floor lobby.
Miller is the first and only Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court to be from Sangamon County.
Miller served in the Sangamon County Courthouse as a Circuit Court Judge in the 7th Judicial Circuit.
He attended the event.
Miller served on the Illinois Supreme Court from 1984 to 2001, representing the 4th District, which covers most of Central Illinois.
He was elected Chief Justice of the Court in 1991 and served until January 1, 1994. During that time, he formed the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council to combat domestic abuse.
The Justice Benjamin K. Miller Recognition Award is an award named after him and is given to honor outstanding members of the community and judiciary for their work in preventing family violence.
Miller focused on expanding judicial performance evaluations statewide, and he changed court rules to allow the appointment of non-attorneys to disciplinary hearing boards that rule on lawyer misconduct.
In 2019 the Lincoln Academy of Illinois awarded him the Order of Lincoln award, the highest honor bestowed by the State of Illinois on one of its citizens.
Before serving on the Illinois Supreme Court, Miller served in the Sangamon County Courthouse as a Circuit Court Judge in the 7th Judicial Circuit. He also served as an Appellate Court Judge on the 4th District Appellate Court.
Miller earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and his Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt University.
