What the key issues in prosecutor race might be
Wrongful convictions, workplace diversity and prosecutorial experience are expected to be key issues for voters tasked to decide who will be Lake County's next state's attorney.
Democrat challenger Matthew Stanton, 54, of Gurnee, says he'll be the clear underdog when he takes on incumbent Republican Michael Nerheim, 42, of Gurnee.
Nerheim has all the advantages that come with seeking re-election, Stanton said, but he thinks voters are listening to his message of change.
"But, I'm going to make sure that I'm out there meeting voters, will be available to people, and getting my message out," he said.
Stanton beat challenger Michael Perillo, Jr. in Tuesday's primary election to win the Democrat nomination. Unofficial vote totals released by the Lake County clerk's office show Stanton collected 38,804 votes for 52.2 percent of the vote. Perillo took home 35,419 votes, for 47.8 percent of the votes. The votes are unofficial until they are canvassed later this month.
Nerheim ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
The general election pits Stanton, a 12-year attorney with no experience as a prosecutor, against Nerheim, an attorney with 17 years experience, including 12 as a prosecutor.
Four years ago Nerheim defeated Libertyville Democrat Chris Kennedy to replace former state's attorney Michael Waller, who did not seek re-election after 20 years in office. Waller was facing heavy criticism because several high-profile cases were overturned as wrongful convictions.
To address that issue, Nerheim said he has instituted new policies and procedures that have gone above and beyond state laws designed to curtail wrongful prosecutions. He said he created two case review panels made up of current and former prosecutors and retired judges to look over each felony case in the office. Those review panels are also tasked with identifying the cause of wrongful convictions, and work to institute measures to limit the possibility of having a conviction overturned.
"We also agree to all DNA requests that may come up in court," Nerheim said. "In my four years as state's attorney, I have not turned down a single DNA test."
Leading up to the November election, Nerheim said he intends to run a positive re-election campaign and focus primarily on issues and the changes he has made in the office.
"We have worked to address the region's heroin issues with the Lake County Opiate Initiative, which has been recognized nationally," he said. "We are working hard to make Lake County a safe place to live and work."
During the primary, Stanton addressed his lack of prosecutorial experience by saying he has no professional ties to the Lake County state's attorney's office that might prevent him from making tough decisions, especially regarding personnel. He told Democratic voters the office needs a complete personnel overhaul.
Stanton said he will continue to mention controversial prosecutions, including the Melissa Calusinski murder conviction and the efforts by her lawyers for a new trial based on what they say is new evidence. During the primary, Stanton called for Nerheim to drop his opposition to a new trial for Calusinksi.
Stanton said he will also discuss how the state's attorney's office needs to address diversity issues going forward.
"I think the office needs to be more diverse to better reflect the makeup of Lake County," he said. "I also think there needs to be more answers regarding the efficiency of the office, and why Mr. Nerheim kept the same crew in place after taking over from the previous administration four years ago."