New Bureau County State’s Attorney Daniel Anderson talks about his goals

Bureau County State’s Attorney Daniel Anderson said his mission in his new role is to prioritize cases with victims, particularly violent crimes.

He said he’ll do so by working closely with Freedom House and other entities to ensure victims are getting what they need from the system.

“That’s No. 1,” he said. “I think we can make an effort to get cases involving victims to trial or resolved in one way or another so they’re not waiting for extended periods of time to get the justice that they deserve. I think there’s always room for improvement in that area.”

Anderson, a Princeton resident with 17 years of experience in the Bureau County State’s Attorney’s Office, was sworn in Wednesday as the top prosecutor.

His election comes after former State’s Attorney Thomas Briddick, who was appointed in August 2022, announced he would not seek election.

Anderson graduated from Princeton High School in 1996, earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University in 2000 and his law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2003. He then began his career with Russell, English, Scoma & Beneke in Princeton and then spent the past 17 years with the Bureau County State’s Attorney’s Office. He is married with three children.

Anderson said he developed an interest in law during college as an ability to help people and do some good.

“Specifically with regard to criminal prosecution,” he said. “I’ve always had a sense that society functions best under a system of law and order that is fairly and justly enforced and now [as state’s aattorney] this is my way of doing my part in that.”

Anderson wants to work with the Probation Department among others to bring specialty courts to Bureau County. He said he will be meeting with some people from the Probation Department sometime this month.

There are four types of specialty courts, also known as therapeutic or problem-solving courts in Illinois; mental health, drug and substance abuse, veterans and DUI. These courts offer specific resolution techniques to persons who suffer from certain behavioral health issues and aim to achieve and maintain permanent recovery for low-level criminal offenders, according to the Illinois court website.

“The criminal justice system is evolving in that way, where we are seeing more defendants with mental health issues, particularly,” Anderson said. “I think the criminal justice system has to adjust to deal with those issues appropriately.”

Interstate 80 runs through Bureau County, and has seen an increase in drug related offenses in recent years. Anderson said the increase in drug offenses ties into a need for a mental health court – as those issues have been on the rise as well.

“I think it’s our duty to respond appropriately to those matters and try to target the reasons why,” he said. “I think one of those is there seems to be a mental health crisis and the criminal justice system traditionally has been fairly inadequate as far as dealing with mental health issues.”

He said I-80 is a pipeline for the substances to come through the heart of the county and men and women are working to combat those issues but it’s important to keep in mind the drugs don’t just affect the user.

“It affects their family,” he said. “It affects victims in terms of property crimes and things of that nature.”

Anderson spoke on the two open murder cases in Bureau County; Matthew Pairadee, 33, of Ohio who has been charged with the killing of 69-year-old Jerome Lauer of Ohio and the Cherry Mine investigation.

Pairadee was found mentally unfit for trial. His next fitness hearing will be Dec. 16.

Regarding the Cherry Mine investigation, Anderson said the investigators are working to determine what happened and who is responsible.

“The investigation process doesn’t always happen as quickly as the public would like,” he said. “I think that thoroughness and meticulousness is more important than speed when it comes to investigating a crime like this, we have to be sure we get it right and leave no stone unturned because ultimately we have to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Anderson said he also would like to focus on local government issues, such as advising the County Board.

“Zoning has been a big thing here in the county recently with the solar farms and the wind farms,” he said. “I want to be able to support and be able to give the county sound advice on what matters and run the office in a fiscally responsible manner.”

Now in office, Anderson said he wants to earn and keep the trust the voters have placed in him and make sure they know they got what they voted for.

“Over the next four years and hopefully beyond,” he said. “I want to give them a state’s attorney they can be proud of, trust to do the right thing. It’s one thing to earn the public’s trust and it’s another thing to work to keep the public’s trust.”