Judith Rice

Judith C. Rice is a politician who served as Chicago City Treasurer from 2000 to 2006, and has served as a judge on the Circuit Court of Cook County 7th subcircuit since 2014.

Judith Rice
Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County 7th subcircuit
Incumbent
Assumed office December 1, 2014
Preceded by	Freddrenana M. Lyle
Chicago City Treasurer
In office 2000–2006
Preceded by	Miriam Santos
Succeeded by	Stephanie Neely
Personal details
Born	July 30, 1947 Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Democratic[1]
Mother	Thelma Rice
Father	Fred Rice, Jr.
Alma mater	Loyola University Chicago (B.A) John Marshall Law School (J.D.)

Early life

Rice was born July 30, 1957 in Chicago to Fred Rice, Jr. and Thelma Rice.[2]

She is the granddaughter of sharecroppers.[2]

Rice's father was a Chicago police officer, and would, in 1983, become Chicago's first black head of police.[2]

Rice attended Avalon Park Elementary School and Mercy High School.[2] In high school, she was a drama club member, and was the lead in her high school production of Hello, Dolly![2] Rice graduated high school in 1975, and attended Northern Illinois University from 1975 to 1976, transferring in 1977 to Loyola University Chicago, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in communications in 1981.[1][2]

In 1984, Rice began attending Chicago's John Marshall Law School, earning her juris doctor in 1988 and being admitted to Illinois State Bar Association.[1][2]

Early career

In 1982 Rice was hired for a job in the Cook County State's Attorney office, first working as a victim/witness assistant.[2] She worked her way up to being hired to be an assistant to the Illinois Attorney General's office.[2] She held that job from 1988 through 1989.[1]

From 1989 through 1990, Rice served as Assistant Corporation Counsel of Chicago.[1][2] From 1990 through 1992, she served as the city's Director of Administrative Adjunction.[1] From 1992 through 1993, she served as deputy director of the city's Department of Revenue.[1] From 1993 through 1995, she served as the city's Director of the Department of Revenue of Chicago.[2]

From 1995 through 1996, she worked as a member of mayor Richard M. Daley's staff as his executive assistant.[1][2]

From 1996 through 1999, Rice served as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water, the first female commissioner in the department's history.[2] From December 1999 through 2000, she served as head of the Chicago Department of Transportation, also being that department's first female head.[2][3]

Chicago City Treasurer

In November 2000, mayor Richard M. Daley appointed Rice to serve as Chicago City Treasurer, after Miriam Santos was forced to resign after pleading guilty to mail fraud.[2][4]

Rice won reelection to the office in 2003, running unopposed.[5]

Rice co-chaired the Champions program of the 2006 Gay Games.[6]

In 2006 she resigned as City Treasurer, and began serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Chicago.[1][7] She left that position the following year.[1]

Private sector career

Rice served as Senior Vice President, director of government relations, head of community affairs and head of economic development for BMO Harris Bank.[6][8][9] She began her tenure at BMO Harris in 2007.[9]

Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County

In 2014, Rice was elected to a vacant seat on the 7th subcircuit of the Circuit Court of Cook County.[1][10] She defeated Marianne Jackson and Owens J. Shelby in the Democratic primary.[10] The runner-up, Jackson, was ultimately appointed to another seat on the 7th subcircuit on October 22, 2014, to which she would reelected in 2016, and serve on until retiring in 2018.[11] The election was to the seat vacated by William H. Taylor II upon his 2012 appointment to the Illinois Appellate Court. That seat had been filled, in the interim period before a newly-elected occupant could be sworn-in on December 1, 2014, by Freddrenana M. Lyle, who on September 10, 2012 had been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the serve seat effective November 16, 2012.[12][13] Instead of seeking reelection to the seat in 2014, Lyle instead ran unsuccessfully for an Illinois Appellate Court seat in 2014.[14]

On the court, Rice has been assigned to the Domestic Relations Division.[15]

In 2020, Rice was successful in winning her retention election.[1]

Nonprofit work

Rice has served on the advisory board of the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center.[16]

Personal life

In 2013, Rice publicly came out as a lesbian.[6] She revealed she, by that time, had been in a relationship with her partner Barb Heller for ten years.[6]

In January 2013, Rice signed an open letter encouraging Illinois to legalize same-sex marriage.[17]

Awards and recognition

In 2019, the Cook County State's Attorney office named Rice one of the recipients of its Pride Recognition Awards, which recognized "outstanding LGBT community group and leaders, attorneys, and judges" from Cook County.[18]

Electoral history

2003 Chicago City Treasurer election[5]

Candidate		Votes	%
Judith C. Rice (incumbent)		400,678	100
Total votes		400,678	100

2014 Circuit Court of Cook County 7th Subcircuit (vacancy of Taylor) Democratic primary[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Judy Rice	8,111	45.77
	Democratic	Marianne Jackson	6,605	37.27
	Democratic	Owens J. Shelby	3,004	16.95
Total votes			17,720	100

2014 Circuit Court of Cook County 7th Subcircuit (vacancy of Taylor) election[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Judy Rice	51,764	100
Total votes			51,764	100

2020 Judith Rice Circuit Court of Cook County 7th Subcircuit Judith Rice retention election[20]
Option	Votes	%
Yes (retain)	1,285,368	78.32
No (remove)	355,910	21.68
Total Votes	1,641,278	100

References

1. "Judy Rice". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
2. "The Honorable Judith C. Rice's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
3. Whelpley, Rodd (2000). "People". Illinois Issues. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
4. Dukmasova, Maya (March 28, 2019). "More money no problems". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
5. "PROCLAMATION CITY OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL GEN. ELECTION TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 2003" (PDF). Chicago Board of Elections. 4 March 2003. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
6. Sosin, Kate. "Ex-treasurer comes out, eyes judgeship - Windy City Times News". www.windycitymediagroup.com. Windy City Times. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
7. Washburn, Gary (27 October 2006). "City treasurer steps down". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
8. "Alumni Profiles: Hon. Judith Rice ('88) | UIC JMLS News and Publications". news.jmls.uic.edu. UIC John Marshall Law School. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
9. "Harris Names New Vice Presidents of Government Relations, Community Affairs and Commu nity Investments - May 14, 2007". newsroom.bmoharris.com. BMO Harris. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
10. "Summary Report - Official Results Cook County General Primary Election March 18, 2014" (PDF). Cook County Clerk. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
11. "Marianne Jackson". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
12. "William H. Taylor II". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
13. "M.R. 1403" (PDF). State of Illinois Supreme Court. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
14. "Freddrenna M. Lyle". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
15. "Rice, Judith C." www.cookcountycourt.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 31 October 2020.
16. "Advisory Board". Chicago Children's Advocacy Center. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
17. "An Open Letter from Illinois Business Leaders on Marriage Equality". ACLU of Illinois. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
18. "Pride Recognition Awards". Cook County State's Attorney. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
19. "POST-ELECTION REPORT Inside the Numbers: Gubernatorial Election Suburban Cook County November 4, 2014". Cook County Clerk. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
20. "Cook County and The City of Chicago General Election November 3, 2020 Combined Summary" (PDF). Cook County Clerk. Retrieved 2 December 2020.