Michael J. Perillo Jr.: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: GrayslakeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake County State's Attorney Age: 60Family: Wife and one daughter (20 years old)Occupation: AttorneyEducation: BA Drew University, JD (cum laude) New York Law SchoolCivic involvement: Member, Standing Committee, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago (2005 #8211; 2010)Elected offices held: No prior offices heldQuestions Answers Has enough progress been made to prevent recurrence of past problems with wrongful convictions or investigate accusations in existing cases? If not, what would you do to accelerate progress? The issue of wrongful convictions is not just a moral, political and human rights issue, it has cost Lake County millions in settlements and associated costs of litigation. In order for the office to avoid and prevent such matters in the future, a committee comprised of senior attorneys within the office should be charged with reviewing and monitoring the prosecution of serious felony matters from the outset of same. The committee would meet on at least a monthly basis for the purpose of insuring appropriate, professional quality control in such cases. The committee would also review past cases as necessary and would provide a written report on each such case to the State's Attorney within six months of the State's Attorney's term in office. Additionally, a policy prohibiting employees of the office from undertaking employment outside the office should be implemented immediately. Such a policy would serve to avoid potential conflicts of interest and would insure that attorney employees would not be distracted from their official duties.How will the placement of a medicinal-marijuana center in Lake County affect the county's prosecution of crimes involving marijuana possession? What position do you advocate for the prosecution and sentencing of people convicted on marijuana charges? Where does marijuana-possession fit in your priority for prosecuting crimes?The State's Attorney's responsibility is to enforce the law as it exists. The Illinois Cannabis Control Act notes that, #8220;previous legislation enacted to control or forbid the use of cannabis has often unnecessarily and unrealistically drawn a large segment of our population within the criminal justice system, without succeeding in deterring the expansion of cannabis use.#8221; This should weight in the exercise of the State's Attorney's discretion in prosecuting violations. It is doubtful that a medical marijuana facility in Lake County will pose a significant threat of criminal activity. The law makes ample provision for education and rehabilitation of those charged with cannabis possession and correctly targets with increasing penalties those engaged in trafficking. This, I believe, is the right emphasis.If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?I have been a lawyer for over thirty years as prosecutor, defense attorney and private civil attorney. My background as a Navy JAG officer at Great Lakes combined with my experience as both an assistant Public Defender and an assistant State's Attorney in Lake County affords me ample, relevant experience with regard to the role of the State's Attorney in both civil and criminal matters. My priority would be to insure that the people of Lake County are served by the best State's Attorney's office in the entire state. Nothing less is or should ever be acceptable.Describe your position regarding the allocation of resources in the state's attorney's office. Are personnel allocated as they should be? Are there capital expense or other budgetary items that the office must address, and, if so, how do you propose to address them?I am not aware of any budgetary crises faced by the office. It would be premature for me to comment on allocation of resources until I have had the opportunity to review the office's budget in detail. With that said, I believe attention must be paid to the crucial role of support staff in the office. I am personally sensitive to the importance of support staff in the delivery of professional legal services. These dedicated employees assist and support the attorneys and permit them to function to their fullest capacity. I would closely examine the role and function of support staff within the office in order to maximize their effectiveness and by implication, the effectiveness of the attorneys with whom they work.Please list any elected office you've ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?I have never been appointed to fill an unexpired term of elected office. In 2010, I ran for Circuit Court Judge in Lake County's Sixth Subcircuit. Despite being endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, I lost that election.Please name one current leader who most inspires you. It is difficult for me to respond to this question by identifying a current #8220;leader,#8221; but if permitted to look back historically I find Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower inspiring. Each in his own way helped save the world from tyranny.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Always give your best and make your best effort in every task or undertaking.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on? If given the chance, I honestly don't know that I would do anything differently.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History was and has remained my favorite subject. It has helped me in understanding the basis for why things are the way we find them and how events happen on a large (and sometimes smaller) scale.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Always treat others with respect, in the manner you expect to be treated.