Judge (Ret.) Annette A. Eckert

Teen Advocate

Judge (Ret). Annette A. Eckert, of Belleville, Illinois, was appointed an Associate Judge in the 20^th Judicial Circuit 1991. In 2002, she became the first female elected Circuit Judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit, where she presided in the Felony Division. In 2015, Judge (Ret.) Eckert and the Juvenile Justice Council of St. Clair County developed the St. Clair County Teen Court, a restorative justice conferencing and peer jury diversion court for first time non-violent offenders. She has served as the volunteer St. Clair County Teen Court Director for the last five years, during which time the court has graduated 204 teens and had a recidivism rate of 8.3%.