John T. Culbertson Jr. (August 7, 1891 – July 26, 1982) was an Illinois lawyer and judge.

Early and family life

Born in Delavan,

Tazewell County, Illinois Tazewell County () is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 131,343. Its county seat and largest city is Pekin. It is pronounced with a short "a", to rhyme with "razz" rather than "raze." ...

, Culbertson graduated from Delavan High School. He received his law degree from

Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856. History The in ...

in 1913. In 1915, he married Helen Read; they had one daughter.

Career

Admitted to the Illinois bar in 1913 and the Missouri bar the following year, Culbertson taught law at the Kansas City School of Law in 1914 and 1915. He began practicing law in his hometown in 1916 and his brother Robert M. Culberton joined in 1926 and he and his son of the same name would continue that private legal practice even when John Culbertson left it upon becoming a judge. Culbertson served on the county and circuit courts for

from 1930 until 1934. On June 4, 1934, as the Democratic nominee, he won a

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

to fill a vacancy on the 10th Circuit Court left by the death of John M Niehaus, defeating Republican George Z. Varnee by 37,972 votes to 31,654. Culbertson also served on the

Illinois Appellate Court The Illinois Appellate Court is the court of first appeal for civil and criminal cases rising in the Illinois circuit courts. In Illinois, litigants generally have a right to first appeal from final decisions or judgements of the circuit court ...

for three decades, first in the Third District and after 1964 in the Fourth District. After

Illinois Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the judiciary of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the fiv ...

justice

Ray Klingbiel Raymond I. Klingbiel (March 1, 1901 – January 18, 1973) was an Illinois lawyer and judge who twice served as the Chief Justice of Illinois (1956–1957, and 1964–1967) during sixteen years as justice of that court. In 1969, Klingbiel and then ...

resigned in a scandal, Judge Culbertson served on Illinois's highest court in 1969 and 1970 before retiring. His successor was

Howard C. Ryan Howard Christopher Ryan (June 17, 1916 – December 10, 2008) was an Illinois attorney and judge, including service as judge of the Supreme Court of Illinois (1970 to 1990), and that court's Chief Justice (1982–1985). Early and family life A na ...

Death and legacy

Judge Culbertson died at his home in Delavan, Illinois in 1982.'Former judge dies,' ''Alton Telegraph,'' July 26, 1982, pg. A6

Notes

1891 births 1982 deaths People from Delavan, Illinois Illinois Wesleyan University alumni University of Missouri–Kansas City faculty Missouri lawyers Illinois state court judges Judges of the Illinois Appellate Court Justices of the Supreme Court of Illinois 20th-century Illinois state court judges 20th-century American lawyers {{Illinois-politician-stub