New chief judge elected for 12th Circuit Court in Will County

Daniel Kennedy has been elected to his first term as the chief judge of the 12th judicial circuit court in Will County.

Kennedy was elected as a circuit court judge in 2014, according to a news release. The chief judge previously served as the presiding judge of the misdemeanor division and serves in the felony division.

He’ll take over for Chief Judge Richard Schoenstedt who served four terms in the role. Kennedy had high praise for his predecessor.

"I am deeply honored to have been elected by my colleagues as chief judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit," Kennedy said in the release. "I want to thank Chief Judge Schoenstedt for his outstanding service. His work in planning and building out new courthouse, implementing new judicial programming and developing strong relationships with our elected and appointed officials establishes the benchmark that all future chief judges will strive to meet."

Schoenstedt said in the release he was "fortunate to serve as chief judge during one of the most dynamic periods in Will County history."

“I am happy and grateful that we have been able to accomplish so much during my time as chief judge and I know that Chief Judge Kennedy will continue to lead the 12th Circuit to even greater accomplishments in the years ahead,” Schoenstedt said in the release.