Next U.S. Marshal in Chicago search begins

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Nearly a month after the ABC 7 I-Team revealed the abrupt resignation of United States Marshal Darryl McPherson, a bipartisan committee has been named to help select the next U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Illinois.

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk have tapped five people for the committee, including two retired federal judges, two law enforcement officials and an attorney. They will review all applications and then make recommendations to both senators.

Joel Kirch will serve as the acting U.S. Marshal until a new one is confirmed.

The I-Team first reported that McPherson resigned from the presidentially-appointed position late last month. McPherson accepted a demotion and is now a Judicial Security Inspector. He remains in Chicago but reports directly to headquarters in Washington, D.C.

McPherson was part of a Justice Department investigation targeting financial mismanagement of the office. Results of that investigation have not been publicly released. Federal sources tell the I-Team McPherson was being pressured for some time to resign.

Applications for the position are available on the Senators' websites, http://www.durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hot-topics?ContentRecord_id=4f92cdf2-b376-41ef-9b9d-e155d1f02762 and http://www.kirk.senate.gov/ The deadline to apply is October 7.

The Senators will review the committee's recommendations and then agree on what names to submit to the President. Mr. Obama's nomination will then need to be approved by the full senate.

List of committee biographies from press release:

Screening Committee for the Northern District of Illinois:

Chief Tim McCarthy (committee chair): Chief McCarthy has served as Chief of the Orland Park Police Department since 1994. He retired from the United States Secret Service in 1993 after 22 years of service, including eight years assigned to the Presidential Protective Division in Washington D.C. and 14 years as a criminal investigator in the Chicago Division. Chief McCarthy also served as a special agent in charge of the Chicago Division from 1989 to 1993. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana his master's degree in criminal / social justice from Lewis University.

The Honorable Wayne Andersen (Retired): Judge Andersen served as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois for 19 years. Before joining the federal court, he served seven years as a state court trial judge. He has presided over thousands of cases during his tenure on the state and federal judiciary. His private practice in law has covered federal and state court general litigation, estate planning, real estate, property taxation, corporate law, banking, probate, and bankruptcy. He is currently an arbitrator and mediator working with JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services).

The Honorable Arlander Keys (Retired): Judge Keys served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Illinois from 1995-2014, including service as Presiding Magistrate Judge from 1998-2003. Previously, he served for nine years as an Administrative Law Judge in the Social Security Administration Office of Hearings and Appeals. He also worked as a Regional Counsel for the Federal Labor Relations Authority and as a Trial Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. He is currently affiliated with JAMS as a mediator/arbitrator. He received his B.A. and J.D. from DePaul University. Judge Keys served in the United States Marine Corps from 1963-1967.

Lori Sweeney: Lori Sweeney retired in 2014 from her position as Deputy Chief of the Rockford Police Department after serving the Department for 20 years. She was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief in 2006, serving as the Deputy Chief of Administration from 2006 to 2011. From 2011 to 2014, Sweeney served as leader of the Department's Field Services Bureau, which includes uniformed patrol officers, traffic investigators, community services and the school liaison unit. She serves on the board of Directors of the Rockford YWCA. She has an associate's degree in police science from Blackhawk Technical College, a bachelor's degree in human resources from Judson University and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Judson University.

David Weisman: David Weisman is currently a partner at the law firm of Miller Shakman & Beem LLP where he focuses on federal civil and criminal litigation. Mr. Weisman served ten years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, and held various supervisory positions, including Deputy Chief for Project Safe Neighborhoods, where he worked with the U.S. Marshal's Office and other agencies in investigating and prosecuting federal gun offenses. Mr. Weisman also worked closely with the U.S. Marshal's Office in several large-scale gang investigations resulting in more than 70 individuals being prosecuted in federal court. Mr. Weisman has received two U.S. Department of Justice Director's Awards, including one for his work as the lead prosecutor of Matthew Hale, a white-supremacist who solicited the murder of a federal judge. Mr. Weisman also previously served as a federal law enforcement officer, beginning his professional career as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.