307 felony cases filed; 47 sentenced to prison

Union County state's attorney's office annual report for 2017

Union County State’s Attorney Tyler R. Edmonds last week released an annual report for 2017.

The report reviewed activities in the state’s attorney’s office for last year.

Edmonds presented copies of the report to members of the Union County Board of Commissioners last Friday morning. The commissioners were meeting in regular session at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro.

Highlights featured in the annual report include:

•A total of 3,980 cases were filed, including 307 felonies. Forty-seven people were sentenced to prison.

•The state’s attorney’s office collected more than $285,000 in fines and fees from criminal defendants. The total included more than $68,000 in restitution to crime victims.

•The office provided services and assistance to 767 crime victims.

•Expenditures in the state’s attorney’s office were almost $5,000 under budget.

The report also includes a variety of information regarding case filings and outlines the structure, staffing and funding of the office.  

The annual report can be accessed in PDF format on the Union County state’s attorney’s office’s website at www.unioncountyil.gov/sa.

In a letter which opened the report, the state’s attorney stated that “publication of the State’s Attorney’s Annual Report is an important means to promote transparency and accountability while also updating elected officials, law enforcement and social service agencies and the citizens of Union County on efforts of the State’s Attorney’s Office during the past year.

“This Annual Report provides information regarding the structure, staffing, funding and expenditures of the State’s Attorney’s Office as well as a breakdown of cases filed, fines and restitution to crime victims.  

“The services provided by the State’s Attorney’s Office are only possible because of a dedicated staff and the efforts of law enforcement and other agencies such as the Department of Children and Family Services and the Child Advocacy Center. 

“I hope this Annual Report increases public awareness of the hard work of these individuals while also providing important information regarding the efforts of this office in 2017.”

Further highlights from the report follow:

Office Overview

The Union County State’s Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting all violations of criminal law occurring within Union County on behalf of the People of the State of Illinois. 

Additionally, the office serves as legal counsel to Union County government including the Board of County Commissioners and other elected officials. 

The State’s Attorney’s Office also prosecutes violations of Union County ordinances and represents the County in civil court proceedings. 

The State’s Attorney’s Office consists of two full-time attorneys and three full-time legal assistants.

The office’s Victim Advocate Unit provides services to crime victims and consists of one full-time Victim Advocate and a part-time Victim-Witness Coordinator. 

The guiding principle for the Union County State’s Attorney’s Office is found in Illinois Supreme Court Rule 3.8:

The duty of a public prosecutor...is to seek justice, not merely to convict. 

In each individual case, the office seeks to ensure that justice is served for all parties involved and for the People of the State of Illinois. 

Significant Office Accomplishments

An Anna man and Buncombe woman were sentenced to 14 years each for a Dongola home invasion.

An Anna woman was sentenced to 14 years and  an Anna man was sentenced to 10 years for a Jonesboro home invasion.

An Indiana man was sentenced to nine years for the burglary of a tavern near Ware.

A Marion man was sentenced to six years for aggravated possession of stolen firearms.

An Anna woman and a Jonesboro woman were sentenced to six years each for methamphetamine manufacturing.

An Anna man was sentenced to six years for a continuing financial crimes enterprise.

An Anna man was sentenced to five years for violation of an order of protection.

The state’s attorney filed a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers for fraud and deceptive practices.

Criminal Prosecution

The State’s Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting all crimes that occur within Union County and pursuing certain civil matters including juvenile abuse and neglect cases and involuntary mental health commitments. 

During 2017, 3,980 cases were opened. A breakdown of the types of cases included:

Criminal felony, 307. Criminal misdemeanor, 144. Conservation, 52. Driving under the influence (DUI), 105. Juvenile abuse/neglect, 27. Juvenile delinquent, 15. Ordinance violation, 37. Mental health, 117. Traffic, 3,176. 

Felony Cases

The state’s attorney noted at Friday’s commissioners meeting that the 307 felony cases which were filed in 2017 appeared to have been a record for Union County.

The report showed the following number of felony cases which had been filed for each year since 2005:

2005, 219. 2006, 218. 2007, 212. 2008, 183. 2009, 292. 2010, 213. 2011, 203. 2012, 223. 2013, 241. 2014, 280. 2015, 265. 2016, 251. 2017, 307.

Felony Dispositions

Beginning in 2009, the State’s Attorney’s Office undertook a concerted effort to reduce the backlog of open cases and achieve dispositions in as timely a manner as possible. 

Moving cases quickly and efficiently through the court system results in better outcomes at trial, protects the public from repeat offenders and provides certainty and closure for victims and the community. 

During 2017, dispositions were achieved in 246 felony cases, a number again significantly higher than the pre-2009 average.

The report showed the following number of felony case dispositions which had been recorded for each year since 2005:

2005, 174. 2006, 221. 2007, 168. 2008, 183. 2009, 314. 2010, 297. 2011, 164. 2012, 197. 2013, 255. 2014, 265. 2015, 283. 2016, 251. 2017, 246.

Illinois Department of Corrections Sentences

In certain felony matters, sentences to the Illinois Department of Corrections, are necessary to protect the public. 

In 2017, the State’s Attorney’s Office obtained convictions resulting in 47 IDOC sentences. 

The report showed the following number of sentences which had been recorded for each year since 2005:

2005, 39. 2006, 34. 2007, 33. 2008, 25. 2009, 27. 2010, 43. 2011, 32. 2012, 40. 2013, 79. 2014, 56. 2015, 58. 2016, 54. 2017, 47.

Fines and Restitutions

During 2017, the State’s Attorney’s Office collected $286,089.09 in fines, forfeitures and other costs from criminal defendants. The amount included more than $68,000 in restitution to crime victims.

The types of fines and judgments, along with the amounts, included:

County criminal and juvenile, $72,444.04. Traffic (Illinois State Police) $62,447.22. Traffic (Union County Sheriff’s Office) $36,073.89.

Bond forfeitures, $8,405.50. Restitution, $68,598.81. Municipal traffic and conservation, $38,119.63.

Victim’s Advocate Unit

The State’s Attorney’s Office’s Victim’s Advocate Unit, VAU, provides a variety of services to crime victims to help lessen the trauma associated with victimization. 

The VAU consists of one Victim’s Advocate and one Victim-Witness Coordinator who provide a variety of services, including:

Assistance in seeking orders of protection. 24-hour crisis intervention. Orientation to court process and procedure.

Regular updates regarding case status and disposition. Personal, legal and medical advocacy as well as emotional support. Referrals to appropriate social service agencies.

Assisting in applying for victim compensation through the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Enrollment in Illinois Automated Victim Notification System providing victims with automatic updates regarding case and custody status. 

During 2017, the VAU provided services to 767 crime victims. 

Civil Practice

The State’s Attorney’s Office is responsible for legal representation of the County of Union as well as Union County elected officials. 

The office provides a variety of services in fulfilling these obligations, including pursuing and defending civil litigation, employment law issues, real property transactions and contracts and representing the County in grievance and administrative proceedings. 

Budget, Expenditures

During Fiscal Year 2017, expenditures of the State’s Attorney’s Office were $5,032.86 under budget, with total expenditures of $411,226.14 and total budget of $416,259.

 

 

 

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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