A Springfield attorney made history on Tuesday when the U.S. Senate confirmed him to become the next U.S. attorney for the Central District Court of Illinois.
73 year old Gregory Harris will become the first Black person to be the Central District’s top prosecutor.
Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin announced the confirmation, saying Harris’ many years of experience as an assistant U.S. attorney, more than a decade in private practice, and several years of work in the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender along with his diligent and principled approach to law make him the right fit for the job.
Harris will replace Douglas Quivey who had been serving as the acting U.S. Attorney in the Central District since March, after former U.S. Attorney John Milhiser submitted his resignation to President Joe Biden on February 11th. Milhiser, a Republican and the former Sangamon County State’s Attorney, was appointed by former President Donald Trump in August 2018, and was confirmed by the Senate in January 2019 with the support of Durbin and Duckworth.
Harris’ appointment will become official when he is sworn in sometime in January.