People

Chief Judge Diane P. Wood of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently announced the appointment of Stephen R. Welby as Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Illinois headquartered at East St. Louis.

Welby earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas and his law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri where he was on the Washington University Law Review and the Jessup International Moot Court team. He was both Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers. He is admitted to practice law in Illinois and Missouri.

He has been in private practice focusing on criminal law for the last 13 years. Prior to that he was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Missouri.

Welby has been a guest lecturer in ethics classes at Washington University School of Law and at the FBI Academy in Quantico. He is on the Criminal Justice Act panel of lawyers for the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Illinois and the Eastern District of Missouri. He has been on the planning committee for the Eastern Missouri Criminal Justice Act Panel Annual Training Seminar and was a past Member of the Eastern Missouri Magistrate Judge Selection Panel.

He is a member of the Illinois Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, National Associations of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and National Trial Lawyers. He has served as district chairperson and member of the board of directors for the Boy Scouts and was involved in starting five new Cub Scout packs in economically-challenged areas of St. Louis.

Thomas Nettles was born January 21, 1944 the son of Harold and Garnet (Jeffrey) Nettles and passed away at home on January 14, 2017 after an extended illness.

Tom graduated from Freeport High School in 1962, where he participated in sports and theatre. He graduated from University of Illinois where his talented voice allowed him to tour and perform in Europe with the Glee Club. He then graduated from Chicago Kent Law School and became licensed as an attorney. Tom became a manager at Rockford Country Club, owned and operated the Plantation Restaurant in Rockford, and resumed the practice of law in Freeport, where he practiced from 1987-2016.

Tom's memberships included: Embury united Methodist Church, Freeport Country Club, Illinois State and Stephenson County Bar Associations, Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association, Alpaca Owner and Breeder Association.

Tom is survived by his wife of 30 years, Judy, brothers Al and Steve, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Sharon Lohmeier. A celebration of Tom's life will be held at a later date to be announced. A memorial has been established in his memory.

Herman Carl Runge, Jr. (Carl) of Collinsville passed away on December 31, 2016 surrounded by his wife and daughters.

Carl was born on September 27, 1932 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin to Herman Runge, Sr. and Clara Hertzberg Runge. He attended St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, received his B.A. from Grinnell College and law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

He was a lieutenant in the Air Force serving during the Korean War. After the war, he worked as an air traffic controller before earning his law degree. During law school, he sailed on Lake Mendota by day and he lived above and worked in a bar by night to pay for his tuition. From 1962-1968, Carl served as an attorney examiner working in the Administrative Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. After Bobby Kennedy became the Attorney General, he became one of the "Irish Mafia," a group of 12 lawyers who would travel three months at a time for Kennedy and then return to Washington, D.C. for three months.

He enforced federal civil rights laws as a special assistant in New Orleans, advocating for the first women and African Americans to be allowed on federal juries. He also worked in Jackson, Hattiesburg and Oxford, Mississippi, as well as Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma, Alabama including representing freedom riders when they were arrested

Clarence O. Redman, 74, of Chicago, accomplished attorney and decorated Vietnam veteran, died on January 30, 2017. He was survived by his wife, Carla J. Rozycki; his sons Scott (Cindi) and Steven (Connie); and four grandchildren. A private memorial will be held at a later date.