Patrick Kenneally: 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: Crystal LakeWebsite: kenneallyforstatesattorney.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: McHenry County State's Attorney Age: 37Family: Life and marriage have blessed me. I am the proud husband to Colleen, the beautiful love of my life. Colleen and I have been further blessed with two sons, Patrick R. (2 years old) and John (4 months).Occupation: Assistant McHenry County State's AttorneyEducation: I earned my law degree from Washington University School of Law in 2005 and also have a master's degree in environmental law from the University of Vermont. Prior to law school, I earned my bachelor's degree in biology and liberal arts from the College of the Holy Cross. At Holy Cross, I was a member of the All-Time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.Civic involvement: My family and I are members of St. Thomas Church in Crystal Lake. I am also a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Thomas In 2014, I was selected to join the Office and Peace and Justice for the Archdiocese of Chicago's Encyclical Working Group (EWG). The EWG, which included clergy, faculty from a number of Chicago's Catholic Universities, and lay Catholics, was assembled to promote the message of Pope Francis most recent encyclical. I also volunteer on a weekly basis as a counselor helping patients overcome alcohol and drug addiction issues.Elected offices held: n/aQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?I am running to ensure the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office (SAO) is the best, most ethical, and most effective office in the State. I am running to maintain McHenry County as a wonderful and safe place to raise a family, do business, and live. Victims of crimes, many of whom remain haunted by crimes long after the police have been called, are of special importance to me. I am motivated to ensure that the process allows victims to take a central role in attaining and securing their vision of justice, which is a critical part of the healing process.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?Priorities:1) Ensuring SAO's relationship with law enforcement is sterling and based on mutual respect;2) Spearheading a McHenry County Opioid Initiative involving a broad coalition of stakeholders - including law enforcement, SAO, treatment providers, high schools, etcetera - to prevent opioid addiction, overdose, and death; 3) Aggressive prosecution of violent and sexually dangerous defendants;4)Obtaining warrants to draw the blood of repeat drunk driving offenders who refuses to submit to a breathalyzer;5) Establishment of a sex crimes and domestic violence division;5) Increased use of electronic monitoring of defendant's accused of domestic violence related crimes.With the advent of medical marijuana in Illinois and the actions of other states legalizing marijuana, what are or should be the county's priorities toward 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?I support Governor Rauner's proposal making possession of 10 grams or less a petty offense punishable by a fine instead of arrest and a possible jail sentence. 84% of marijuana arrests are for possession of small amounts, costing the State up to $364 million annually. I do not condone marijuana use nor do I believe it harmless. Nothing in Governor Rauner's proposal or my policies as SA would affect the targeting of dealers or high-volume possession. I believe that Governor Rauner's proposal strikes the right balance between a proportional response to a small amount of marijuana possession and fiscal responsibility.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?Currently, SAO allocates resources responsibly. SAO has not increased its budget in many years and voluntary reduced spending in 2016. SAO's personnel are allocated effectively. Over the past few years, SAO has increased both trials and convictions without increasing staff. Moreover, SAO's in-house civil division saves the County $10,000 a week.There are, however, a number of capital expenses and unrealized revenues within SAO's control that can be surgically reduced and increased, respectively. To name a few:1) in-house attorney trainings;2) collections of defendant's unpaid fines and court costs, saving the County close to $1 million annually.Please list any elected office you have ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?n/aWhat other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Being the SA is about doing the "right thing" or justice. Justice begins with a SA that is foremost a servant of the law. Politics will have no place in the administration of my duties as SA.Further, doing the "right thing" is not only being uncompromisingly "tough on crime" or negotiating plea deals. It's about both. It's about responding to a crime the right way on a case-by-case basis. Knowing what is right can only be informed by hard-earned experience as a prosecutor.The disparity between my prosecutorial experience and that of my opponent is a clear distinguishing factor.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Gen. Joe Dunford - leader of U.S forces in Afghanistan. He is self-effacing, compassionate with soldiers, and surrounds himself with the best people.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?One's happiness and satisfaction in life begin with the person, their family, and their faithâ#8364;brvbar;full stop.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would not trade away a single of the many mistakes I have made because they have made me the person I am today.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject in school was debate class, for obvious reasons.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Do not harm others and stand up to those who would, help those who are suffering, and treat everyone as you wish to be treated.