Amanda Robertson

Some 24 years later, court time is serious business for Allen, now Amanda Robertson.
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Instead of charging the net, Robertson is in charge of putting criminals behind bars as an Assistant United States Attorney based out of Benton.

She's prosecuted hundreds of cases ranging from drug and firearm violations to serious gang activity.
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"It can be a very frustrating job, but it's also very rewarding," said Robertson, a 1981 GHS graduate."As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, if you can help keep violent offenders from further victimizing people, you feel like you've done your job.

"To me, it's an incredible privilege and awesome responsibility to say I'm representing the United States."

Robertson, who received her undergraduate and law degrees from Southern Illinois University, previously served as a law clerk for a state appellate judge in Carterville.Truth be told, she never imagined herself trying cases.

"In law school, I never saw myself as a trial attorney," she said.
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Robertson is one of approximately 30 Assistant U.S. Attorneys serving the southern district of Illinois, which encompasses the 38 most southern counties in Illinois - including the Carbondale and East St. Louis metro areas.She works with federal and state agents from investigation through indictment, with the defendant either pleading guilty or going to a jury trial.

The southern district, according to Robertson, is quite diverse in its case load.

"We see a lot of heavy use of crack cocaine, and in the rural areas, a lot of methamphetamine," she said.

But it was her prosecution of the regional governor of the Gangster Disciples which ranks as her biggest case.

"He had recruited two young followers to murder a rival drug dealer," Robertson said."It was a tough case, but rewarding, since we were dealing with a gang leader who had lead so many young people astray."

Robertson sees similarities between her athletic background - both as a star tennis player and as a member of the GHS girls basketball team - and her position in law.

"Athletics are a lot like trying a case," she said.
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Robertson and Eastman preceded their state runner-up finish by finishing seventh at state in doubles their junior year, the same season future pro Andrea Jaeger won the IHSA state singles crown as a freshman at Lincolnshire Stevenson.
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The year before, Robertson and Eastman advanced to state, but not place, as sophomores.
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Robertson and Eastman entered the 1980 state tournament seeded No. 2 in doubles, a feat in itself, according to Robertson.
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Robertson and Eastman entered the 1980 state tournament seeded No. 2 in doubles, a feat in itself, according to Robertson.
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"Being from downstate makes it very hard to get respect from the suburbs," said Robertson, whose parents Ben and Ruth Allen still reside in Galesburg.
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"We had lost to them in the quarterfinals the year before, and they were definitely the better team," said Robertson, who noted she still plays tennis, but "not nearly as well" as she did at GHS or later SIU.
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Robertson went on to play tennis at SIU, where she won both singles and doubles title to help the Salukis to win the Missouri Valley Conference championship her senior year.

But it was her time with the Streaks which highlight her tennis career.

"I don't remember the wins and losses as much as the friendships and challenges," Robertson said."We were a very close team.And we had a lot of fun."

Care to detail any of that fun, Amanda?

"Well, I made it through the background check to be an Assistant United States Attorney, so it couldn't have been too much fun," she said with a laugh.