Kim Foxx: Candidate Profile

Back to Cook County State's Attorney

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: FloosmoorWebsite: www.kimfoxx.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Cook County State's Attorney Age: 44Family: Kelley (husband), Kai and Kendall (daughters)Occupation: ConsultantEducation: BA, Southern Illinois UniversityJD, Southern Illinois UniversityCivic involvement: Past Board Chair--Planned Parenthood of IllinoisPast President/Current Board Member--Free Spirit MediaBoard Trustee-- Adler UniversityAdvisory Board Member--University of Illinois, Institute of Policy and Government AffairsPast Board Member--Get In Chicago2009 Fellow--Leadership Greater Chicago2014 Edgar FellowPast Board Member--Leadership Greater Chicago Fellows AssociationPast Vice President---Chicago Council of LawyersPast President--Chicago Chapter National Black Prosecutors AssociationElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers To what extent do you perceive that there is widespread mistrust of the Cook County justice system, particularly among black residents? What, if any, changes are needed in the state's attorney's office to address this?Integrity, trust, and credibility must be hallmarks of the State's Attorney's Office. Too many neighborhoods are plagued by violent crime; our communities deserve a prosecutor's office that will aggressively build successful cases against these offenders. At the same time, maintaining trust and credibility also requires meaningful ongoing dialogue between law enforcement and community residents. Finally, trust can be cultivated by building an explicit system of checks and balances, including a high quality conviction integrity unit, an internal audit function, and an external advisory group to review the work of the office.Is the state's attorney's office biased toward police, whether in determining when to press charges in criminal arrests or in cases of police misconduct? Please give examples.The job of the Office of the State's Attorney is to pursue justice. That means working in close partnership with law enforcement, but it also means taking a critical look at the evidence and applying independent judgment to the facts when determining whether to pursue charges. That independent judgment extends to cases of alleged police misconduct, which the office must pursue with a neutral and critical eye. In addition, I have called for an independent prosecutor in police-involved shooting cases so the public can have faith that all evidence and allegations were seriously investigated.What should Northwest suburban voters, specifically, know about how you would operate as state's attorney?As the front line practitioners, prosecutors see the incredible toll that crime takes on victims -- but also witness firsthand the toll that wrong-headed criminal justice policies can take on communities. As State's Attorney I will work hard to ensure there are consequences for violent offenders, but I will also pursue data-driven and evidence-based programs that provide alternatives to incarceration for people struggling with addiction or mental health issues. There is no one size fits all solution in the justice system, and the State's Attorney's office must pursue justice in all its forms.What, if any, organizational changes within the office would you make to address specific crime issues in Cook County, particularly regarding drugs and guns.The State's Attorney's Office must act more collaboratively with federal partners in the ATF, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Attorney's Office to address those offenses that are most harmful and destabilizing to our citizens, particularly the persistent flow of guns into our communities, and the resulting violent offenses committed with guns. Additionally, I will establish a unit to address gun trafficking, making sure we are working with police and our federal partners to fully investigate, build and prosecute cases against people who profit by bringing illegal guns into our communities.List any relations (including those related to you by marriage and nieces/nephews) who are on the public payroll in Illinois, their jobs and who they work for.Aaron Anderson (brother), Attorney, Cook County Health and Hospital SystemWhat other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?One of the greatest challenges facing the criminal justice system in Cook County is the large number of young people who are becoming tangled in the system before they are even old enough to vote. The juvenile justice system must aim to rehabilitate and intervene with young people before they move deeper into the system; this requires effective interventions, and evidence-based tools to identify youth likely to benefit from such programs. As State's Attorney, I am committed to building an infrastructure of prevention, intervention, and response strategies to put youth on a productive path before they become adult offenders.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Supreme Court Justice Sonia SotomayorWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My grandmother instilled in my brother and I the cardinal rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have spent more time with my grandmother and mother, documenting their stories to pass on to my daughters.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English was my favorite subject. I enjoyed reading as a child and wanted to write the great American novel.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Refuse to accept societal imposed limitations--believe that you can achieve the impossible.