Q&A with Bianchi

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what? What will be your main priority?

I am seeking re-election as McHenry County State's Attorney to continue the important work that I began when I first took office. 1.) We have put more criminals in the penitentiary and we will continue to do so. 2.) We have saved the taxpayers more than a million dollars and we will continue to save them more money. 3.) We have given "new hope" to those suffering from mental illness and charged with crimes by spearheading the creation of the mental health court. 4.) We look forward to helping establish a specialized drug court for those individuals dependent on drugs and/or alcohol. 5.) We have created a special prosecution unit that has two experienced attorneys assigned to the larger, complex cases involving serious crimes or complicated legal issues.

2. For incumbents and non-incumbents. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

Three important contributions: 1.) We put more criminals behind bars than ever before by: a.) Hiring great lawyers with over 237 years of combined experience and who have tried 414 jury trials. b.) Bringing witnesses to court (330 subpoenas issued before I was in office; 1,300 subpoenas served in 2007). c.) Going to trial more often. The year before I was elected, five felony cases went to jury trial; within the past eight months, 34 cases went to jury trial. 2.) We saved taxpayers over a million dollars by: a.) Handling civil suits, with few exceptions, brought for and against the county in-house at a cost of $44.66 an hour as opposed to the hundreds of dollars an hour for outside counsel. b.) Collecting over $100,000 in the last 1 years for McHenry County business owners with our Check Enforcement Program. c.) Recovering more than $40,000 for the county that previously was abandoned. d.) We helped the county avoid a judgment of over $6 million on the Indeck case. 3.) We have given new hope to those suffering from mental illness and charged with crimes by spearheading the establishment of the mental health court. Twenty-three individuals currently participate.

3. The past three years have seen a high level of turnover among staff at the state's attorney's office, particularly among assistants. How has this turnover helped, or hurt, the administration of justice in McHenry County?

I kept the promise to the voters that I made in 2004 when I changed the status quo of "making deals" and "negotiating all the cases". One of the first things I did as state's attorney was to establish longer office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the attorneys. I felt this is a public office that should be open and available to all citizens as well as law enforcement during normal working hours. This required the attorneys to work 2 hours a week more for no extra pay. I also expected attorneys to work harder and try cases. These changes caused some to leave. Others left for more lucrative private practice offers. What I can say is that our office is now staffed with 32 experienced, energetic and professional attorneys with a combined 237 years of experience who have collectively tried 414 jury trials.

4. A hallmark of the current state's attorney's administration has been its willingness to take more cases to trial. What are the benefits of that policy and do those benefits outweigh the risks, namely a larger number of acquittals?

One of several promises that I made and kept to the voters after my election was to elevate and enhance the prosecution of criminal cases. We have accomplished this by having our attorneys better prepared and ready to go to trial. This has allowed us to seek and obtain longer sentences and tougher penalties on those convicted, rather than always being forced to negotiate. When negotiation is necessary or appropriate, it is easier to do when the defense knows the state is willing and prepared to go to trial. We need to continue to be tough on those who commit crime in our vigorous pursuit of justice. Our mission is "To Do Justice for All." As prosecutors, we are to seek out justice not merely to convict. This posture elevates the entire system, resulting in a better job representing the people and protecting the citizens of McHenry County. The fact that convictions and acquittals both occur is a testament to the strength of our criminal justice system. It is why our legal system is the greatest in the world.

5. The state's attorney's office played an important role in the establishment of a mental health court for McHenry County. What other changes or new ideas should be incorporated into the county's justice system in the next four years and what part should the state's attorney play in leading the charge?

Crime is unfortunately a growing problem in our county. This is a consequence of rapid growth. As state's attorney, I will continue to work to see to the creation of a specialized drug court. I believe such a court would benefit law enforcement efforts in the war on drugs. Drug dealers and those who would distribute drugs to our children would be dealt with severely. Those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol could be punished with an eye on helping them recover and learn how to control their addiction so they do not re-offend and can again become productive members of our community. This court, I believe, would be successful in much the same way the mental health court has been. We have already seen the real impact the mental health court has had on a number of individuals as well as the family members of participants who have been suffering from previously untreated mental illness. We started the mental health court with three participants and in a short time that number has increased to 23. Clearly, there is a tremendous need. The monies spent by government up front on these courts saves taxpayers in the long run.

6. A stated goal of the current state's attorney administration was to outsource less work to private law firms and handle more cases in house. Has this been accomplished and what are the benefits, and negatives, of that policy?

Another promise I made and kept to the people when I was elected state's attorney was to handle lawsuits filed by or against the county within the office. We have built a strong, qualified in-house civil division resulting in a savings to taxpayers of over $1,500,000 (in three years). This amounts to $8,000 to $10,000 per week since I have been in office. Outside attorneys are consulted only in rare cases, when the issue presented requires specialized knowledge of a particular area of law making it cost effective to do so. I will continue this practice if re-elected. The cost to the taxpayers for legal services in-house amounts to $44.66/hour as opposed to the hundreds of dollars an hour that it cost the county previously when it was regularly using outside counsel for this work. This cost effective policy clearly benefits McHenry County taxpayers.

7. Not including those issues already identified above, is there another issue you believe will affect your office over the next four years? If so, define it and explain how you would like to see it addressed.

There is significant need for additional victim-witness personnel in the state's attorney's office to address the needs of victims of crimes in this county. With our county's growth and increase in crime, this need will only become greater. Similar sized counties have 6-9 victim-witness coordinators while our office has two. When I was elected, we only had one coordinator and I was able to get the county board to approve another position. Our victim-witness coordinators are also now certified by the National Organization for Victim Assistance demonstrating the significant qualifications of these advocates. Victim advocates are needed to adequately help victims of juvenile crime, domestic violence and other misdemeanors as cases proceed through court. Victims play an integral role in the criminal justice system. They have the right to have assistance in obtaining information from the courts about the cases they are involved in. Victim-witness coordinators facilitate this by working closely with victims and advocate for them to ensure their voices are heard. I will continue to seek to expand the number of victim advocates approved by the county board so that we can better address the needs of victims of all kinds of crimes.

8. Please list the names of all relatives employed by or involved in contracts with McHenry County, their relationship to you and their position or area of business.

I have no relatives employed by or involved in contracts with McHenry County. My wife, Jean, has been an unpaid volunteer working with the Mental Health Court Task Force established by the county board. She was instrumental in the research and organization of the court and still attends the task force meetings.