Andy Scharf graduated from Litchfield High School in 1981 with All Conference honors in football and basketball and All State honors as a baseball pitcher and was recruited for and was a member of the University of Illinois baseball team in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Scharf graduated from the University of Illinois in May of 1985 and subsequently graduated from Chicago Kent College of Law in May of 1988, becoming licensed as an Illinois attorney in November, 1988.

Andy Scharf worked for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office as a certified 7-11 intern/law clerk from 1986 through 1988 while in law school. As a 7-11, Andy Scharf was able to prosecute several felony criminal trials including, but not limited to, preparing witnesses, directing trial strategy, handling the direct and cross-examination of witnesses and completing opening and closing arguments.

In November of 1988, after having passed the Illinois bar exam, Andy Scharf was hired by the Boone County State’s Attorney’s Office in Belvidere, Illinois, by long-time Boone County State’s Attorney, Roger T. Russell, whereupon Scharf handled the prosecutions of all cases that are handled by any State’s Attorney’s Office in the State of Illinois including, but not limited to, felony cases, misdemeanor cases, traffic cases, juvenile cases, criminal forfeiture cases, as well as civil cases.

As the First Assistant State’s Attorney in the Boone County State’s Attorney’s Office, Scharf was the lead prosecutor in over 30 jury trials that were tried to conclusion. Included in Scharf’s extensive jury trial experience as a prosecutor were in excess of 12 felony jury trials ranging from felony theft to attempted murder and sexual assault. The remainder of Scharf’s jury trial experience involved DUI and misdemeanor trials. All but two of Scharf’s jury trials as a prosecutor resulted in convictions.

In 1991, Andy Scharf relocated to his home town of Litchfield, Illinois, where he has practiced law with his father, Ronald E. Scharf, and grandfather, J. Bert McWilliams, and currently is employed as a sole practitioner in Litchfield, Illinios.

Andy Scharf is a fifth generation attorney in the City of Litchfield following Major Robert McWilliams, born in 1830, Judge Paul McWilliams, born in 1873, Paul McWilliams, Jr., born in 1923 and J. Bert McWilliams, born in 1914, amounting to a continuous presence of a Litchfield attorney in the McWilliams/Scharf blood line since 1854, likely the longest streak in the country.

Andy Scharf has extensive litigation experience as a Boone County Prosecutor as well as in the South-Central Illinois area where Scharf has tried 41 civil and criminal jury trials to a conclusion since 1982. Such trial experience includes extensive focus on criminal defense, including the defense of three separate murder trials, two of which were capital cases in which the State sought the death penalty.

Jury trial highlights include a Macoupin County, Illinois, criminal case tried to a conclusion in 2004 where the State initially sought the death penalty and which trial resulted in a jury verdict to a lesser felony charge and a 4-year prison term.

Scharf has particularly excelled in the defense of DUI jury trials with a career 13-0 mark in DUI jury trials, two jury trial convictions as a prosecutor and eleven jury trial acquittals as a defense attorney, including three felony DUI victories.

Scharf has also handled hundreds of bench trials (trials before a Judge) in many different types of cases including, but not limited to, criminal cases, traffic cases, small claims cases, collection actions, personal injury trials, probate trials, divorce hearings of all types (including custody, visitation, property distribution, child support determination, alimony determination and real and personal property division/distribution) and other miscellaneous-type cases.