Endorsement: Rinehart for Lake County State’s Attorney

When Illinois was making the move to a cashless bail system under the SAFE-T Act, state’s attorneys from across the state lined up in opposition. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart was one of just two to publicly back the move.

It would have been easy to stand with the majority of state’s attorneys in opposition to the bill, but Rinehart believed in the new system. One year into the cashless bail, the system appears to be working as designed, and Rinehart deserves credit for standing up to critics and working to make the system run smoothly.

His opponent in the election is Republican Mary Cole, a former Lake County prosecutor now in private practice. While praising parts of the SAFE-T Act, including mandating body cameras for officers, she would like to see judges given more discretion to detain offenders.

Rinehart points to detaining 100% of suspects charged in child pornography cases as one of the big successes of the act.

If elected, Cole says she will create a drug-induced homicide task force to tackle overdose deaths in the county, which she says Rinehart is not doing enough to stop.

Rinehart has made the prosecution and prevention of domestic violence a priority in his first term and says he would continue that work if reelected. He says he’s increased the number of domestic violence prosecutors and victim counselors during his term in office and that has led to more charges being filed.

Cole points to high turnover among attorneys and says that office has grown too political under Rinehart — citing his support of cashless bail reform — and that she would restore safety and give victims a voice.

Rinehart says that work is part of the job and working with legislators is part of helping people.

Voters in Lake County have two very good options to pick from on Nov. 5. Both candidates have experience and are qualified to lead the office.

Rinehart’s done a good job in his first term and has earned another term in office. He is endorsed.