About Deb.
Deb was born in Logansport, Indiana. She attended college at Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana. Deb attended law school at John Marshall Law School, now known as University of Illinois Chicago Law School. There she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Computer and Information Law. She had her article, Whose Genetic Information Is It Anyway? A Legal Analysis of the Effects That Mapping the Human Genome Will Have on Privacy Rights and Genetic Discrimination published in 2001. Deb worked for the City of Chicago while in law school prosecuting ordinance violations.
Deb graduated from law school in 2002 and went to work at a large firm in Washington D.C. doing Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) work. She eventually moved back to the Midwest to work as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Coles and then Shelby County. Deb was elected Shelby County State’s Attorney in 2010. After serving as State’s Attorney, Deb opened her own law firm which she held in Taylorville and Nokomis. Deb served as the Bank President of Nokomis Savings Bank until 2022. Deb went to work as Senior Regional Counsel and then Administrative Law Judge for DCFS until August 2024.
Deb has two teenage boys who attend Mid-America Preparatory (MAPS) in Herrick, Illinois. She and her sons, as well as her fiancé Trent Barnes live in her rural farm home in Shelbyville. Deb is excited to be back in Shelby County and looking forward to providing legal services to Shelby County and surrounding areas.
Deb's Areas of Concentration
Deb is well versed in criminal prosecution and defense, municipal law, probate law, family and divorce law, banking law, juvenile law and circuit court and administrative hearings. Deb has taken numerous cases to jury and bench trial, done hundreds of administrative hearings, handled civil trials and is well-versed at negotiating matters.
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