Press Release

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Reflects on 2023 Accomplishments

CHICAGO – Ahead of the upcoming budget season, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) is reflecting on its accomplishments over the first half of 2023. Each initiative and policy launched by the CCSAO advanced its mission to do justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities and aligned with the office’s core values of integrity, fairness, accountability, respect, collaboration, and its commitment to transparency.

“This office continues to take the necessary and unprecedented steps to address many of the inequities found in our criminal justice system and be on the right side of history,” said State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. “This year is no exception as we implemented new and updated policies designed to increase our prosecutorial integrity and transparency, create even more ways that residents can see our work and hold us accountable, and boost the fight for the fairest outcomes for everyone who finds themself in this system.”

CCSAO FY23 Accomplishments 

Integrity | Accountability | Transparency 

  • Published a “Do Not Call List” of law enforcement officers who will not be called to give witness testimony as part of the broader modernization of the Brady Giglio Policy which outlines how prosecutors are to disclose information on witness credibility. 
  • Implemented the NICE Investigate System to streamline the collection, dissemination, and use of digital evidence to improve criminal case handling. 
  • Relaunched the Hacking 4 Justice data workshop which trains members of the public on how to use statistical programming to conduct original, self-directed analysis using CCSAO case-level data. 
  • Implemented a new Search Warrant Policy and database to assess warrant reliability and then track warrant requests, outcomes, and evidence details. 
  • Closed nearly 13,000 felony cases. 
  • Defended the County’s Assault Weapons Ban in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. 
  • Released 2022 Year in Review, highlights among which include the Office’s nearly nine out of ten felony approval rate. 

Fairness 

  • Introduced a new policy directing Assistant State’s Attorneys (ASAs) to no longer object to waiving court fines and fees for low- to no-income defendants. 
  • Supported the expansion of the First Time Weapons Offence Program which removes the age gap and allows for personalization making the program a more realistic option.  
  • Named a new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to help create an even more inclusive work culture, attract, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce, and advance policy for a more equitable criminal justice system. 

Respect 

  • Resumed in-person recognition events honoring local leaders impacting the communities they serve: 
     
    • CF Strafford Awards 
    • Pride Awards 
    • Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Awards 
    • Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Awards 
    • Honoring a Phenomenal Woman: Women’s History Month Celebration  
  • Presented CCSAO efforts and data collection to engage with Asian American and Middle Eastern North African populations to the Cook County Board. 

Collaboration 

  • Connected with more than 1,000 residents across a dozen communities through the Keeping up with Kim community talk series with local and community leaders and stakeholders. 
  • Conducted five sessions of the Citizens Academy Youth Edition engaging with 75 middle and high school students. Citizens Academy Youth Edition is an interactive six-part curriculum that allows youth to engage in activities and discussions on the role and impact of the Criminal Justice System.  

In addition to initiatives designed to improve its service to residents, the CCSAO also launched several measures to honor its most important resource, its staff, including: 

  • A 10,000-dollar retention bonus program for front-line ASAs through the Cook County Pilot Retention Program, 99% of eligible employees accepted. 
  • Cost of Living Increases with Cook County. 
  • Permanent Telework Policy: In response to the evolving work landscape and growing need for flexibility, the CCSAO has made telecommuting permanent. 
  • Employee Investments: To boost employee morale and avoid burnout, the CCSAO has various fun, team-building activities planned for Summer 2023, such as “Jeaning in June and July,” Food Truck Thursdays at the Leighton Courthouse (26th and California), and its annual softball tournament.           
  • Streamlining the hiring process and candidate experience through the ClearCompany Talent Management platform.  

 

“Execution of any new policy would not be possible without the entire staff, and I am incredibly fortunate to work with such dedicated professionals whose passion and unwavering commitment to justice never cease to inspire,” continued State’s Attorney Foxx.  “This office is a premier destination for attorneys and administrative professionals, so it is vital that we also make investments in our employees so that we are able to attract and retain the best and the brightest people and show them the appreciation they deserve.”  

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) is the nation’s second-largest prosecutor’s office and is led by Cook County’s first Black woman State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx. Foxx brings her vision to this office to fairly administer justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities for every person who steps foot in Cook County, no matter their race, income, or zip code. Foxx has been recognized as one of the most progressive prosecutors through her forward-thinking, innovative strategies to intercept the cycles of violence and crime and bringing change to a criminal justice system rooted in systemic racism. Follow @SAKimFoxx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and @CookCountySAO on Twitter and Facebook.