Judge Alicia Washington was sworn in this afternoon at the Peoria County Courthouse. Washington is the first African-American Woman to take the bench in the 10th Judicial Circuit.
Her swearing in ceremony saw an overflow crowd and was one of the largest of its kind in the Peoria County Courthouse. Washington’s former boss Jay Janssen gave her induction speech for the legal community. Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride administered the oath with new associate judge.
Washington is a graduate of Peoria High School, Bradley University and Loyola Law School. Her first day on the bench in Peoria County is Monday.