Speaker Welch Appoints Cook County Board of Ethics Member, Experienced Judge to Legislative Inspector General Search Committee

Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch is pleased to announce the appointment of Justice Marcus Salone to serve on the Legislative Ethics Commission’s search committee.

“Justice Salone is a man of integrity who brings with him a resume filled with accomplishments and experience in our legal system,” said Speaker Welch. “Between his credentialed background and consistent commitment to professional ethics, I am confident Justice Salone is uniquely qualified to vet applicants for our next Legislative Inspector General. He understands the weight of this appointment and will ensure we fill the position with someone who will hold elected officials to the highest of ethical standards and work diligently to restore trust in Springfield.”

Justice Salone currently serves on the Cook County Board of Ethics and is a retired Presiding Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, and 3^rd Division. Prior to that, Justice Salone served 10 years as a Chicago Police Officer before he began his legal career as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney. He has also served as an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County and a Judge in the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court.

 “I humbly accept and am incredibly honored to be chosen as Speaker Welch’s nomination for the Legislative Ethics Commission search committee,” Salone said. “The importance of the role of Legislator Inspector General is not lost on me and I am committed to ensuring we fill this position with a qualified candidate who holds sacrosanct transparency, integrity and the rule of law.”

During his time as a Judge in the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court from 1993 until March 2011, Justice Salone presided over criminal matters ranging from felony theft to death penalty cases.  On March 8, 2011 the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Justice Salone to the Illinois Appellate Court.

Civically, Justice Salone has served on a number of boards as a director, including: the Cook County Board of Ethics, The John Marshall Law School Alumni Board of Directors, the John Howard Association and the Ancona School. He has also participated in the Chicago Public School’s “Principal For A Day” program since its inception and is a mentor in the “We Care” mentoring program coordinated by the Chicago Police Department, in conjunction with the Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of numerous honors and accolades, Justice Salone received the 2018 Presidential Award from the National Bar Association.

The youngest of seven children, Justice Salone was born into Chicago Housing Authority public housing and raised on Chicago’s Westside until going away to college. He attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1974. Justice Salone’s formal education was interrupted by a stint in the United States Army, which included a tour in the Republic of Viet Nam. In 1978, Justice Salone enrolled at The John Marshall Law School and passed the Illinois State Bar examination in 1981. Two years later, he and his wife, Valée, formed The Law Offices of Salone and Salone.

Background Information on the LIG Search Committee:
The search committee is staffed by appointments from all four legislative leaders and conducts the search for qualified candidates for the position of the Legislative Inspector General. The committee appointments must be a retired judge or a former prosecutor in the state of Illinois. Once LIG applicants are identified, the search committee will conduct the first round of interviews and must choose up to three candidates to present to the bipartisan Ethics Committee. 

​