Judge Jonathan E. Hawley
Confirmed
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
On July 3, 2024, President Biden nominated Judge Jonathan Hawley to the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Hawley currently serves as a United States Magistrate Judge on the Central District. Before joining the bench, Hawley spent an impressive 15 years working as a federal public defender.
Biography
Hawley is a lifelong Illinoisan who was born in Peoria in 1971. He earned his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1992 and his J.D., cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law in 1997. He also attended the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary from 1992-1993, as well as the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1993.
In law school, Hawley earned a number of prestigious awards. He graduated Order of the Coif and received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Federal Courts, State Constitutional Law, and Contracts.
Legal Experience
After graduating from law school, Hawley clerked for Judge Michael P. McCuskey of the Illinois Third District Appellate Court. Judge McCuskey was then elevated to the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and Hawley continued his clerkship with McCuskey at the district court level. He then went on to clerk for Judge Hames D. Heiple of the Illinois Supreme Court.
Following these prestigious clerkships, Hawley joined the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. He started as a Research and Writing Specialist and was then elevated first to Assistant Federal Public Defender, then to Appellate Division Chief, then to First Assistant Public Defender, then to Acting Federal Public Defender, and finally to Chief Federal Public Defender. Hawley’s steady elevation through the ranks of the public defender’s office testifies to his dedication to ensuring that everyone can access high-quality legal representation. In total, Hawley served the Federal Public Defender’s Office for 15 years.
The following cases are representative of Hawley’s public defense career:
United States v. Lyons, 733 F.3d 777 (7th Cir. 2013), cert. denied, 572 U.S. 1041 (2014), aff’d after remand, 559 F. App’x 567 (7th Cir. 2014), cert. denied, 574 U.S. 948 (2014)
In Lyons, Hawley represented a defendant who was sentenced to 210 months (about 17 and a half years) in prison for firearm possession. Anthony Lyons had a previous felony charge, meaning that he could not possess a firearm under the Armed Career Criminal Act. At sentencing, the district court judge did not address Lyons’s specific arguments for why he should receive a lower sentence, instead using generic language in the sentencing decision. On appeal, the 7th Circuit vacated the sentence, finding that the district court judge’s sentencing appeal was so generic that it prevented the 7th Circuit from conducting appellate review. The district court then imposed the same sentence on remand.
United States v. Dorsey, No. 2:09-cr-20003-MPM-DGB (C.D. Ill. 2009), rev’d sub nom. United States v. Fisher, 635 F.3d 336 (7th Cir. 2011), rev’d sub nom. Dorsey v, United States, 567 U.S. 260 (2012)
In 2009, Edward Dorsey was convicted of various drug offenses. After his conviction but before his sentencing, Congress enacted the Fair Sentencing Act. Under the Act, Dorsey would receive a lower sentence, but the appellate and district courts found that, because his crimes occurred before the Act was passed, Dorsey was not entitled to receive the lower sentence. The case was eventually appealed to the Supreme Court, which found that the Act applied to individuals whose sentencing occurred after the Act’s enactment, regardless of when they were initially convicted. Hawley was a member of the team that represented Dorsey through the appeals process.
Judicial Experience
In 2014, Hawley was selected to join the Central District of Illinois as a United States Magistrate Judge, serving the Peoria and Rock Island divisions. In this position, Hawley issues non-dispositive orders in civil and felony criminal cases, in addition to conducting case management. He also issues dispositive orders by consent of the parties; he has issued such orders in 421 civil cases. Since joining the bench, 4,374 cases (1,211 felony criminal and 3,163 civil) have been referred to Hawley.
In 2023, Hawley was chosen to serve as Executive Magistrate Judge for the Court. In this role, he manages administrative matters for his fellow magistrate judges, and represents the Court in an official capacity.
The following cases are representative of Hawley’s judicial career:
Berardi v. City of Pekin, Illinois, No, 1:18-cv-01438-JEH (C.D. Ill. 2018)
In this Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) case, Hawley approved a class action settlement aimed at making Pekin, Illinois’s sidewalks more accessible for individuals with mobility disabilities. Hawley managed the settlement conferences and both parties consented to magistrate judge jurisdiction in this case. The eventual settlement agreement resulted in $1.75 million going towards increasing accessibility in Pekin – ensuring that all residents, regardless of mobility status, can use the city’s walkways.
Villavicencio Serva v. Ojelade et al., No. 1:17-cv-01038-JEH (C.D. Ill. 2017)
Mr. Villavicencio Serva was an incarcerated individual in Illinois who sued his prison pro se for deliberate medical indifference. He alleged that the prison did not take adequate steps to ensure that he could receive much-needed surgery on his femur. Judge Hawley presided over the case, appointing pro bono counsel for Villavicencio Serva, approving discovery plans, and managing the eventual jury trial. Following the trial, Villavicencio Serva received $20,000 in damages.
Professional Activities & Accolades
In addition to his impressive public service as both a public defender and magistrate judge, Hawley is an active member of the legal community, working to advance the administration of justice. Hawley has served on multiple committees of the Administrative Office of the United States, including the Judiciary Information Technology Security Task Force (2021-2023) and the Information Technology Advisory Council (2014-2018). Hawley is also an active member of the Federal Judicial Center, where he served as the Chairperson of the Magistrate Judge Education Advisory Committee from 2021-2024.
As a magistrate judge, Hawley has served on several committees of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Since 2020, Hawley has chaired the Information Technology Committee, and he sits on the Criminal Law and Space and Security Committees. While practicing as a public defender, Hawley was a member of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, where he was as a Board Member from 2008-2010.