Cook County State's Attorney
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The Cook County State's Attorney functions as the district attorney for Cook County, Illinois, and heads the second largest prosecutor's office in the United States. The office has nearly 900 attorneys and 1,600 employees, and has an annual operating budget of approximately $131 million for fiscal year 2010. The Assistant State’s Attorneys in the Office prosecute all misdemeanor and felony crimes committed in Cook County, one of the largest counties in the nation encompassing nearly 1,000 square miles. In addition to direct criminal prosecution, the State’s Attorney’s Office files legal actions to enforce child support orders, protect consumers and the elderly from exploitation, and assist thousands of victims of domestic violence every year.
Subdivisions of the State’s Attorney’s office
The Criminal Prosecutions Bureau is the largest bureau in the office. The bureau is divided into three divisions: Felony Trial, Sexual Crimes, and Municipal. Each division is further divided into specialized units located throughout the county. The bureau is also charged with prosecuting thousands of domestic violence cases each year as well as cases of child sexual abuse through the Child Advocacy Division.
The Juvenile Justice Bureau contains two divisions: Delinquency and Child Protection. The Delinquency Division handles cases involving juveniles who have been charged with committing misdemeanors or felonies. The Child Protection Division files civil actions against parents and guardians who abuse or neglect their children.
The Narcotics Bureau consists of the following units: Preliminary Hearings/Grand Jury, Felony Trial, Narcotics Courtrooms, Drug Treatment Programs, Complex Narcotics Prosecution, and Asset Forfeitures.
The Special Prosecutions Bureau is responsible for investigating and prosecuting complex criminal and public corruption cases. It includes units for Auto Theft, Gang Crimes, Government and Financial Crimes, Organized Crime/Cold Case, and Professional Standards. It also initiates civil and criminal lawsuits to protect individuals and the general public interest. Consumer Fraud and Seniors and Persons with Disabilities are also units in the bureau.
The Civil Actions Bureau defends the county and its officeholders and employees in civil suits, provides a full range of legal services for all county agencies, and represents the county's interests in actions brought to collect monies owed for taxes and fees. The bureau has sections dedicated to Child Support Enforcement, Complex Litigation, Labor and Employment, Torts and Civil Rights, Industrial Claims, Revenue Recovery, Municipal Litigation, Transactions/Health Law, and Real Estate Taxation.
The Investigations and Administrative Services Bureaus supply investigative, technical and administrative assistance to the office. The Administrative Services Bureau supports all the other bureaus with administrative personnel and contains the office's national award-winning Victim Witness Assistance Program that provides services to crime victims.
Appearance in fiction
A fictionalized version of the office is a major backdrop in the TV series The Good Wife.
List of Cook County State's Attorneys
- Charles S. Deneen 1896–1904
- John J. Healy 1905
- Robert E. Crowe 1921 – ?
- Thomas J. Courtney 1932–45
- John S. Boyle 1948–1952
- Ben Adamowski 1956–1960
- Daniel P. Ward 1960–1966
- John J. Stamos 1966-1968
- Edward Hanrahan 1968–1972
- Bernard Carey 1972–1980
- Richard M. Daley 1980–1989
- Cecil Partee 1989–1990
- Jack O'Malley 1990–1996
- Richard A. " Dick" Devine 1996–2008
- Anita Alvarez 2008–2016