ST. CHARLES – Kane County’s judiciary has added three new judges to its ranks, including the county’s first Hispanic judge, its first openly gay judge, and a former chief prosecutor.

On Thursday, the three judges – former Kane County State’s Attorney John Barsanti, Aurora lawyer Rene Cruz and Elgin lawyer John Dalton – took the oath of office in a ceremony before a capacity crowd in the Kane County Branch Court in St. Charles.

Cruz, who becomes the county’s first Hispanic judge, praised his parents for the example they set in decades of service to their family and country, including his father’s military service in Vietnam.