Seymour Simon

Seymour Simon (August 10, 1915 – September 26, 2006) was an American lawyer, Appellate Court and Supreme Court Justice in Illinois, and City Council member (alderman) in Chicago, Illinois. Life Simon was born in Chicago, and grew up in the Albany Park neighborhood. In 1931 he graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School, and in 1935 from Northwestern University, having earned a bachelor of science degree. Simon also attended law school at Northwestern and graduated first in his class in 1938. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1954, he married Roslyn Biel, a widow with three children. Political career Simon was a member of the Democratic Party. His politics, however, were noted for being independent of the party line. Simon served on the state Supreme Court from 1980 to 1988, and prior to that had been an Illinois appellate court judge from 1974 to 1980. According to the Chicago Sun-Times: "After nearly 20 years on the Council and the board, Simon was elected to the bench, where he served 14 years as an appellate court and Supreme Court justice. He became a staunch death penalty opponent and wrote a 1988 opinion that helped prevent wrongful executions for the 1983 Jeanine Nicarico slaying."