Will County Judge Dan Rozak retires after nearly 40 years of legal work

JOLIET – It appeared the defendant was used to challenging authority.

Before being taken back to the county jail, he mentioned several issues with the charges brought against him, then started asking different court personnel for their names – his manner becoming slightly belligerent.

“I’m Judge Daniel Rozak,” the man at the bench said in a deep and dry tone. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me.”

While attorneys chuckled as the belligerence evaporated, the jail inmates who were sitting behind the newly indicted – some who faced life sentences – burst into raucous laughter.

The transcript could be used as evidence that Rozak – who retires this week after a 40-year legal career and 21 years on the bench – is aware of his reputation as the harshest judge in Will County.

“I think I’ve probably been subbed out more than the average judge,” Rozak said. “There are, I think, times attorneys have wanted to keep a case with me, but will say ‘My client heard all these stories in the county jail...’ ”

“The sentences he’s imposed are the same as every other felony judge in the same kinds of cases, but over the years that’s what he’s gotten the press on,” said Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes, who succeeds Rozak in determining which felony cases are assigned to each judge.

Rozak lived in Burbank until his family moved to Braidwood when he was 9 years old. Before graduating from Reed-Custer High School, he’d gotten inspiration from TV productions of “Young Mister Lincoln,” “Inherit The Wind” and “12 Angry Men.”

“I loved the courtroom scenes when they showed live plays on TV,” he recalled.

So with visions of law and justice in his head, Rozak went to Illinois State University – and obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

“I was always good at math and signed up for actuarial science, (but) got into law school at Loyola,” Rozak said.

After working as an intern with local engineering firms and as a store detective at Zayre, Rozak passed the bar in 1976 and started as a prosecutor for the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office. He served on the Braidwood City Council and went into private practice when he was elected to the Will County Board. After losing re-election by less than 100 votes, he was hired as a part-time public defender.

But 13 years of 80-hour workweeks took a toll.

“I needed two heart surgeries in 1993, and the surgeon told me, ‘Find another job.’ I applied for judge,” Rozak said.

“Prosecutor. Defender. Judge. He’s truly done every aspect of criminal justice, and that’s been a great help for other judges,” Alessio Policandriotes said. “Whenever there was an issue, you could ask him. He doesn’t dictate, but he suggests. He knows what you need, gives sound reasoning, great advice.”

Rozak and his wife, Debbie, have four children and eight grandchildren. Away from the courthouse, Rozak can be found working in his yard, listening to his extensive collection of classic country, blues and folk music or playing guitar himself.

He also has read several hundred books about Abraham Lincoln.

“Again, it goes back to those TV productions I watched as a kid. You can’t go wrong by following Lincoln,” Rozak said.

After considering retirement for the past few years, Rozak said “it’s hard to walk away” but the timing feels right. He does plan to keep his law license with the hope to find part-time work as a village prosecutor or small practice.

“I wouldn’t mind taking a case here or there,” he said.