On Friday, Feb. 24, in the Lumpkin Learning Commons, Macoupin County Associate Judge Joshua Meyer of Carlinville presented a biographical account on how he came to be a judge. Meyer’s presentation was part of a lecture series sponsored by the Blackburn College Leadership, Law and Public Service Department as well as the Lumpkin Learning Commons.
Director of Lumpkin Learning Commons Spencer Brayton reported that Meyer was asked to speak because of his ties to the community. “He’s a Blackburn alum and he works in the area,” Brayton clarified.
Judge Josh Meyer provides insight on the legal process
Meyer began his presentation by sharing a bit of background information. His father, Dr. Greg Meyer, served as chaplain, professor of philosophy and religion and, at times, counselor at Blackburn for 33 years until his retirement in 2014.
Josh Meyer stated that he graduated from Carlinville High School in 1994 and went on to graduate from Blackburn in 1998 with a degree in history. He reflected on his time at the college and stated, “It was excellent. I really enjoyed the teachers, that’s why I stayed there.”
After Meyer attended law school at St. Louis University, he went on to work for a couple of law firms before becoming the first Public Defender of Macoupin County. Meyer was then selected for his current position as an associate judge in June 2010.
Meyer elaborated on what a day in the life of a judge entails. He reported that most of his time is spent reading, writing and analyzing cases to prepare for court. Meyer also debunked the Hollywood representation of courtroom procedure and explained that “they show these lawyers that kind of walk into the courtroom, and it’s almost like they’re winging it … that’s not the case.” Meyer emphasized that there are certain guidelines that must be followed during court proceedings and that he can’t just say or do whatever he wants. He also reported that a majority of work surrounding the legal process is done before entering the courtroom. He gave an example of that work by reading the Illinois statute that defines battery. He pointed out that while the definition was only three sentences long, there are thousands of pages to read from former cases that help to interpret that one definition. Meyer then used the example of battery to present students with a hypothetical situation, and then asked their thoughts on how they interpreted it.
Meyer reflected on his presentation and stated, “I really enjoyed it. I was also really impressed with the questions students asked.” Sophomore leadership major Logan Elliott was in attendance and commented, “The way he showed a chronological order was pretty cool, I thought. That was definitely my favorite part.”