Rising domestic violence and DUI cases strain Kane County's legal resources
Kane County domestic violence and DUI cases rose so much in 2022 that State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said she will need additional staff to handle the cases.
The information came as Mosser presented her annual report to a county board committee. The office's 77 lawyers handled 200 more felony cases in 2022 (2,414) compared to 2021. That included 10 murder cases and 23 offenders receiving prison sentences of 25 or more years.
Mosser told the board she sees prison as the last option in most cases. She prefers diversion programs that help people overcome addiction and gain life skills to make better choices. But sometimes, Mosser said, prison is where someone belongs.
"Mass incarceration doesn't work," Mosser said. "But these individuals deserved every single day they got in prison. These are the worst of the worst offenders we have."
The office also handled 220 cases involving some form of unlawful use or possession of a gun. Mosser said gun violence is on the rise in Kane County. Her office distinguishes lawful gun owners who transport a gun improperly versus weapons used to commit violent crimes.
"There are a lot of people who possess guns who are not a danger," Mosser said. "They have a FOID card. They own the gun legally. But they haven't applied for their concealed carry license, and they are found to be transporting (the firearm) illegally. We treat those individuals much different (than gang members)."
Mosser's office filed 421 new felony drug cases in 2022. Nearly half of those cases involved cocaine, making it, by far, the illegal drug of choice in Kane County.
But the casework that flooded Mosser's office involved a continued uptick in domestic violence cases that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and has yet to subside. The office prosecuted 948 misdemeanor violence cases and 451 felonies. Strangulation of a victim was involved in 118 of the felony cases.
"This is terrifying, and this is trending throughout the United States," Mosser said. "Strangulation results in death. If we don't intervene, we are going to see our domestic homicides increase. We can't keep up with the cases."
Felony DUI cases jumped by 56% in 2022. Of the 1,368 DUIs, 360 of them were felonies, including 27 defendants with at least three prior DUIs. Mosser said that increase is part of a trend that also will require an additional attorney to keep up with the caseload.
"With the felonies, 12 involved great bodily harm or death," Mosser said. "That is very significant. And what we see is every time they kill a family, they kill children, but they always live."