Judge René Cruz: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Hon. René Cruz is a circuit judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois in Kane County. He was appointed to the position by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2016. Cruz holds the distinction of being the first Latino judge in Kane County.

He has served as the Presiding Judge for the Traffic and Misdemeanor Division and Family Division. Cruz began his judicial career as an associate judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit in 2012.

Prior to joining the bench, he was a partner at the Law Offices of Gil & Cruz, where he had a criminal law practice for seventeen years (1996 to 2012).

He received a B.A. in political science from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in 1992. Cruz went on to complete a J.D. at Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1995.

He is a past president of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Cruz and his wife, Silvia, were the recipients of the Champions Against Hunger by the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. He was also named a “Trendsetter in Action” by Boys II Men Inc. and Alumnus of the Year by the Northern Illinois University College of Law Alumni Council (2010), and he received the Community Service Award from the Kane County Bar Association (2021).

He has served as a mentor to law students and a volunteer reader and speaker to local area schools.

Cruz was born in Panama while his father was serving in Vietnam.

In 2022, he lost the Democratic primary in his bid for election as the 2nd District judge of the Illinois Supreme Court.