Biography  

Terry Mertel

Terry graduated from Notre Dame with a batchelor of arts degree in 1972 and with an MBA in 1974.  He then obtained a JD from Creighton University.  Terry became interested in the criminal law and research when he was a summer intern in the LaSalle County State's Attorneys Office and did research on questions presented in a murder trial in that county. 

 

He started work with the agency in 1978 when the agency was first formed as the Appellate Service Commission.  As a staff attorney, he was able to present several important issues to the Illinois Supreme Court, including People v. Badoud  which was the first case in that court to consider the requirements of a sworn report in a statutory summary suspension proceeding and People v. Allen which determined that there is no privilege against self-incrimination in sexually dangerous persons proceedings.  Terry was appointed deputy director of the third district in September of 2007.  He has been married to his wife Rita since 1981 and have two children.