McHenry County state's attorney candidates make their cases to voters

CRYSTAL LAKE – Heroin use, expanding the county's specialty courts and reducing the budget are among the top priorities of the McHenry County state's attorney candidates.

Assistant State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally and Woodstock lawyer Ray Flavin made their cases to voters who attended a forum Monday evening held by the McHenry County League of Women Voters.

The candidates are running to replace current State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi, who decided against seeking a fourth term.

Kenneally said that as someone with experience in almost every job at the state’s attorney’s office, his primary goal is to treat everyone fairly and take every situation on a case-by-case basis. His experience, he said, is what makes him the most qualified candidate for the position.

“It’s not like you just take the law, apply it and out pops justice,” Kenneally said, speaking to the experience and understanding it takes to fill the state’s attorney position.

Flavin, an attorney with more than 23 years of experience, said he is looking to bring a new direction to the office if elected in November. Making all specialty courts more accessible is at the top of his list of priorities.

Flavin has said he is interested in implementing a Veterans Court into the McHenry County specialty court system.

“Veterans have problems unique to themselves. A lot of them don’t ask for help because they are self-reliant,” Flavin said.

Kenneally said McHenry County already has a smaller Veterans Court. He said the next state’s attorney will have to decide whether expanding the program is necessary based on the county’s veteran population.

Flavin said he was frustrated that no one has talked much about the program if it already exists when many of his clients could potentially qualify and are in need of the service. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation in August that would require the chief judge of every judicial circuit in Illinois to establish a veterans and service members court program.

On the topic of heroin use in McHenry County, Kenneally said he is working with the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition in aiding those who are seeking treatment.

He said the group is in the process of starting a program that would allow someone with a substance abuse problem to walk-in and receive the necessary treatment with the assurance that no criminal charges will be brought if they complete the program. The initiative is comparable to Lake County’s Way Out program, which was implemented over the past several months.

Flavin said the number of heroin-related overdoses has increased four times since 2000. In 2014, 32 people died of drug overdose deaths in McHenry County and 12 were heroin-related, according to statistics from the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.

He said he is interested in expanding the county’s drug court program, in addition to the other specialty court programs because the programs are currently too restrictive. For example, when someone is charged with driving under the influence, they are not allowed to participate in drug or mental health court.

Kenneally’s goal at the end of the first term is to cut the state’s attorney’s office budget by 10 percent or $300,000. In order to do so, he said he plans to cut staff positions, reduce the need for out-of-county office training, eliminate the need for outside counsel for labor law cases and cut the number of county-owned vehicles used by the office.

While he understands the need for efficiency, any cuts made by the state’s attorney’s office would not be significant to the taxpayer, Flavin said. The office currently costs each McHenry County taxpayer about $9, he said.

Instead, Flavin said he plans to consolidate the state’s attorney’s office staff because there has been a decrease in the caseload, but an increase in staffing.

The candidates for McHenry County recorder and McHenry County Board chairman also spoke Monday evening. Democratic candidate Jack Franks declined to participate, so McHenry County Board chairman Republican candidate Michael Walkup made a statement. Both Republican recorder candidate Joe Tirio and Democratic recorder candidate Lynn Gray were present.

Candidates for three state offices are scheduled for the second forum Sept. 19. They include candidates for the 26th and 32nd Illinois Senate districts, and the 63rd Illinois House.