With a cloud of controversy hanging over the Lake County state’s attorney’s office, six candidates in this hotly contested race fielded questions about DNA evidence, which touched off a firestorm of criticism late last year when an appellate court overturned the murder conviction of Juan Rivera.
Although no one spoke directly of the high-profile case, about half the questions for Democrats Reginald Matthews, Chris Kennedy and Karen Boyd Williams and Republicans Mike Nerheim, Louise Hayes and Bryan R. Winter were about DNA evidence.
The forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Lake County, was held Sunday afternoon at the University Center in Grayslake. Candidates for Lake County Coroners Office, Clerk and Recorder of Deeds also participated.
The current states’s attorney, Michael Waller, who is stepping down after more than two decades, had been criticized for his office’s handling of the case in which Rivera was convicted of killing 11-year-old Waukegan girl, Holly Staker, even though none of his DNA or fingerprints were found at the crime scene.
One questions from the audience–”Have you prosecuted cases using DNA evidence?”–revealed that the candidates’ experience varied widely, with some working for years on cases involving DNA evidence while others had little or no experience. But when asked about initiatives they would implement first if elected the county’s top law enforcement officer in the March 20 primary, most said some sort of a review board to to address wrongful convictions.
Matthews, a former probation officer turned assistant state’s attorney, believes he knows the job inside and out after prosecuting cases involving DNA for more than a decade, calling himself “the total package of experience.” To shore up the office’s reputation, he’ll implement what he called a vertical prosecution unit designed to help assistant state’s attorneys focus on DNA evidence earlier in the trial process, he said.
Kennedy is an attorney who defends victims of negligence and fraud, he said. But as a former assistant state’s attorney, he has worked on cases involving DNA evidence. To address wrongful convictions, Kennedy would created what he calls “a conviction integrity unit.” Its members would independently review convictions, make recommendation and in some cases, challenge convictions. It would also address cold cases in which DNA evidence are major factor.
Boyd Williams, a private attorney with a master’s in business administration, has no direct experience with DNA. If elected, she would implement a community outreach program to teach residents what the state’s attorney’s office does and how to improve it.
“One of my top priorities is to talk to police chiefs in Lake County to find out what their priorities are,” Boyd Williams said.
In the Republican field, a municipal attorney and two assistant state’s attorney’s are hoping to be chosen among voters.
Nerheim has worked with DNA evidence on both sides of the fence as a prosecutor and defense attorney. If elected, Nerheim will implement a conviction review board made up of volunteer judges, police officers and attorneys who would be tasked with researching previous conviction to ensure they were handled properly.
Hayes, who has worked in the Lake County state’s attorney’s office since 1990, has prosecuted cases using DNA evidence, she said. If elected, she’d oversee the county’s newly implemented conviction review board, which she said last summer the office should create. Under her guidance, it would be staffed with a wide array of professional, including police, scientists and attorneys, s he said.
Winter, who’s in private practice now, has worked on murder trails as a former prosector in his 27 years as an attorney. Lately he has been chief legal counsel for the villages of Gurnee and Kildeer. However, DNA evidence has also figured in some of the civil cases he’s tried, he said.
To address wrongful convictions, he’d implement a conviction integrity panel whose members would review former cases where there’s new evidence presented. Outside consultants and experts may figure prominently in this panel, he said.
