Press Release - U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

PRESS RELEASE

Ronald L. Hanna appointed as United States Magistrate Judge
April 23, 2025

On April 23, 2025, Ronald L. Hanna was appointed as United States Magistrate Judge upon the recommendation of a duly appointed Merit Selection Panel and with the concurrence of the District Judges of the Court. Judge Hanna fills the seat recently vacated by now District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley.

Judge Hanna will preside over civil cases by consent of the parties and preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; the trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; discovery hearings, settlement conferences, and various other pretrial hearings in civil cases; and other matters as may be assigned in the Peoria and Rock Island Divisions of the Central District of Illinois.

Judge Hanna, a native of Peoria, attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in May 1998, and his JD in May 2001, from Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Hanna began his legal career with the small private law firm of Hamm & Hanna, Ltd., and later, Hanna & Hanna, P.C., where he worked from 2001 until 2014. Judge Hanna joined the Department of Justice in January 2015, and served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Peoria Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for over ten years. Judge Hanna has also served as Senior Litigation Counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office since February 2021.

For additional information, please contact Clerk of the Court, Shig Yasunaga, at (217) 373-5830.