The office’s success is certainly worthy of the community’s attention and praise. But, so too are the dedicated members of this office who made it happen.
In 2023, the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office succeeded in its number one priority: the aggressive prosecution of violent crime.
Last year the office:
● Achieved a 75% conviction rate in murder jury trials. Our overall murder trial conviction rate (bench and jury) for 2021, 2022, and 2023 is 79%.
● In armed habitual criminal firearm cases, achieved an 89% success rate with an average sentence of 8.4 years in prison.
● In felony domestic violence cases, executed an evidence-based prosecution strategy which resulted in a success rate of 83% from July to December.
● 25 Stalking convictions, up from 20 in the prior 3 years combined
● In child sexual abuse cases, obtained a 95% conviction rate.
At the same time, we also succeeded in our efforts to divert certain offenders from the traditional prosecution model, particularly those with mental health concerns.
These and other successes are described in more detail in our 2023 Year in Review, which can be found at winnebagocountystatesattorney.com.
The office’s success is certainly worthy of the community’s attention and praise. But, so too are the dedicated members of this office who made it happen.
The State’s Attorney’s Office is the largest law office in Winnebago County.
It consists of skilled trial attorneys, hardworking staff, caring victim service providers, and dogged investigators.
As talented as these employees are, they are more importantly — and without exception — great people.
They are your neighbors. You see them at the grocery store and at your kids’ soccer games. Nearly our entire office lives in Winnebago County and calls it home.
They are of our community just as much as they are for our community, and they serve their community tirelessly, each and every day, to keep it safe.
In them, I see the things I love about this County — its strength and its humility. I see its heart and its sense of humor. Above all, I see its resilience.
Our community has experienced its share of hardship, and the past few years have not been without their challenges in our court system. Covid-19, a courthouse fire and system-altering legislation eliminating cash bail have all taken their toll.
These external pressures are only compounded by the ever-present stress of high caseloads, daily courtroom conflict, and the secondary trauma inherent in difficult subject matter. But as this past year’s successes demonstrate, we didn’t just survive, we thrived.
Recently, we surveyed our employees, asking what motivates them to persist in their line of work despite its challenges. Overwhelmingly, their answer was simple and direct: They believe in the mission of the office.
Every day, in every interaction and decision, I am witness to our employee’s dedication to the office’s mission. They are the embodiment of what it means to “seek justice.”
To the justice seekers of the State’s Attorney’s Office — and to the community supporting them: Thank you.
J. Hanley is the Winnebago County State’s Attorney. He was elected in 2020.
Your Turn J. Hanley Guest columnist