A judge named to the federal bench in Chicago 39 years ago by Republican President Gerald Ford is retiring. The last day on the job for Judge John F. Grady is Friday.
The 85-year-old was appointed in 1975. He served as chief judge for the northern Illinois judicial district from 1986 to 1990.
The district's current chief judge says Grady has a reputation as an "exceptional judge" with a "strong work ethic."
Grady graduated from Northwestern University's law school in 1954. And from 1956 to 1961, he was the chief of the criminal division at the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago. He was in private practice for more than 10 years before becoming a federal judge.
