Chief Judge Rodney W. Sippel announced today that the District Judges for the United States District Court have selected Stephen R. Welby as the Court’s next United States Magistrate Judge. The selection was made from nominees submitted by a Merit Selection Panel consisting of attorneys and lay persons residing within the district. Mr. Welby will fill a new position authorized by the Judicial Conference of the United States due to the increased caseload of the Eastern District. He is expected to begin service in June.

Mr. Welby is currently the Federal Defender for the Southern District of Illinois, a position he has held since 2017. Prior to his service as Federal Defender, Mr. Welby served in private practice in both civil and criminal matters. During this time he also served as a member of the Eastern District’s Criminal Justice Act Panel. Mr. Welby has also previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District.

According to Judge Sippel, the Court was pleased with the high quality of applicants. “Many excellent attorneys applied to take on the difficult responsibility of being a federal magistrate judge. Mr. Welby’s experience in both private practice and public service – especially the high level of responsibility he has managed in our federal criminal system – made him especially well-suited for this new role. My colleagues and I are pleased to welcome Mr. Welby to the federal bench.”

The term of office of a magistrate judge is eight years, with the opportunity to renew the appointment. Mr. Welby’s term will begin after official clearance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, a process that is expected to take approximately 120 days. For further information, contact Clerk of Court Greg Linhares at greg_linhares@moed.uscourts.gov, or at 314-244-7890