Race for Lake County state’s attorney draws large field

Most people who will vote in the 2012 election to pick Lake County’s next state’s attorney weren’t old enough to cast a ballot the last time the contest was held under similar circumstances.

An incumbent state’s attorney is not on the ballot for the first time since 1968, meaning any voter under 65 years of age will be without that option for the first time in selecting someone to head that office.

Instead, voters will choose from among six candidates — three from each party — running in the March primary for the right to succeed Michael Waller.

Waller announced last year he would not seek re-election to the post he has held since 1990.

Turning up the heat a bit more in the race is the criticism the office has faced recently for its handling of some high-profile cases involving DNA evidence — chief among them Juan Rivera and Jerry Hobbs — in what has surfaced as a key issue.

Each party has one candidate currently employed as a Lake County assistant state’s attorney, one who is a former assistant and one with no experience prosecuting at the felony level.

What follows is an introductory overview of each candidate and what they see as an important position in their campaign.

Democrats

Christopher Kennedy of Libertyville is in private practice in Lake Forest and served as an assistant state’s attorney in Lake County from 1994 until 1998.

Kennedy said he will establish a conviction integrity unit in the office to closely monitor procedures throughout the investigation, charging and prosecution of serious cases.

“I have road experience as a prosecutor and civil attorney with an outsider’s perspective and a proven record of leadership,” Kennedy said. “The first conviction integrity unit in Illinois and other reforms will prevent costly lawsuits, wrongful convictions and further crime.”

Reginald Mathews of Lindenhurst is an assistant state’s attorney prosecuting felony cases and was a probation officer in the county prior to becoming an attorney.

Mathews pledges to develop new and innovative methods for prosecuting sexual crimes against children and said he will set up a gang crimes prosecution unit in the office.

“Of all the candidates, I have the experience, dedication and commitment that is required to serve as Lake County state’s attorney,” Mathews said. “For over 13 years, the last 10 as an assistant state’s attorney, I have been standing up for the people of Lake County and seeking to protect them.”

Karen Williams is a Mundelein attorney who is on the ballot, but she did not respond to several requests to discuss her campaign.

Republicans

Louise Hayes of Lake Bluff is an assistant Lake County state’s attorney assigned to the felony review division.

She said she wants to increase funding for the cyber crimes prosecution unit in the office and establish a post-conviction review board of attorneys, law enforcement, scientists and other community representatives.

“I am the only career prosecutor in this race and the only one with the experience to run the office the way it needs to be run,” Hayes said. “I am well aware that there are changes that need to be made and have a plan to implement them.”

Michael Nerheim of Gurnee was an assistant prosecutor in Waller’s office from 1999 until 2007 when he went into private practice in Waukegan.

Nerheim said he will establish a case review panel to review old cases and convictions and create a public integrity unit to investigate and prosecute crimes involving public corruption, official misconduct and fraud.

“The office of state’s attorney is one of the most important in government because it has the power to ensure that victims, witnesses and defendants are treated with justice and fairness,” Nerheim said. “The job of a prosecutor should not merely obtain a conviction, but rather a prosecutor’s mission should be to seek justice.”

Bryan Winter of Lake Barrington has been in private practice in Lake County for 26 years and has prosecuted municipal ordinance violations and DUI cases as a local prosecutor.

Winter pledges to use every proven advancement in forensic science and technology to separate the guilty from the innocent in criminal cases.

“I am running to bring my leadership experience representing local governments to the county level,” Winter said. “I will bring a fresh approach to the evaluation of DNA evidence and will work to increase cooperation among local law enforcement agencies.”