Key federal magistrate judge in Chicago to retire

The presiding magistrate judge for the federal courts in Chicago is retiring.

Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown will step down on June 15, 2016, Chief Judge Ruben Castillo announced.

Castillo said Brown has been a leader in the U. S. District Court in Chicago since she was first appointed a magistrate judge in 2000. Brown was reappointed in 2008.

Brown practiced law in Chicago for 25 years before joining the federal judiciary. She also was an adjunct professor of law at Chicago-Kent Law School.

Magistrate judges conduct preliminary proceedings and trials of federal misdemeanor cases.

Castillo said the court will begin the process to replace Brown in September. A magistrate judge panel will screen applications and make a recommendation to the court for Brown’s replacement.