The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will demonstrate a commitment to legal excellence that has been missing for the last eight years. The office’s mission is so important: to protect communities while doing justice. The current office has failed in this mission as violent crime has gone up over the last eight years, and botched prosecutions have become commonplace.

First, we will end the nepotism and “backroom” politics that have dominated hiring decisions in the office for forty years. We will recruit the best attorneys from throughout the State who also represent the diverse county that we live in.

Second, we will streamline how the attorneys work in the courtroom so that they do not waste hundreds of hours updating judges when they should be preparing for trial, meeting with witnesses, supporting victims, and visiting police stations and crime labs. Wasted court time has prevented good, hardworking attorneys from excelling at the legal practice, and mistakes are being made.

Third, we will end the culture of “shaming” that is too prevalent now. Instead of prosecutors hiding their mistakes from their supervisors, we will have dynamic supervisors who will mentor and engage in strategic planning instead of docket management. I will meet with each division monthly to listen, to help, and to solve problems collectively.

Fourth, when a judge or jury does make a ruling adverse to our office, we cannot gaslight ourselves or our constituents by blaming the judge or the jury. We must devote ourselves to training and improving at all times. We will study the reasons for the adverse ruling and train others on our own mistakes. 

Fifth, with respect to this office’s chronic struggles in complying with the speedy trial statute, we must increase oversight and expect each assistant to electronically log the relevant timelines for each individual case. 

Sixth, we will have the courage to make tough personnel decisions at times. If a prosecutor is making too many mistakes, he or she will have to seek other work where the stakes are not so high.