Candidates for Boone County Public Defender Announced John S. Lowry, Chief Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court announced the following list of candidates who have applied to fill the position of Boone County Public Defender: Kathryn Cross Matthew Jura John Palmer Frank Perri Derrick Schmidt The Circuit Judges of the 17th Circuit are inviting written comments regarding these candidates from any interested individuals and organizations. Comments must be in writing and received by the Chief Judge no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 14, 2022. Anonymous letters will not be accepted. Anyone wishing to comment should direct their correspondence by U.S. mail to Chief Judge John S. Lowry, Winnebago County Courthouse, 400 West State Street, Suite 215, Rockford, Illinois 61101 or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. PDF of Press Release