In January 2024, Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ editors emailed a questionnaire to both candidates in the contested March 19 Democratic primary race for Cook County State’s Attorney, requesting biographical information as well as their views on several issues. Answers have been lightly edited for typos, minor grammar and consistency in styling, but not for content or length. Age was calculated as of Feb. 6, 2024.
Clayton Harris III: Ending cash bail sends an important signal that Illinois will no longer criminalize poverty, and allows our justice system to focus on pursuing violent and dangerous offenders, instead of those who simply may have been too poor to post bond. We must combat the false narrative that under the Pretrial Fairness Act, those who commit crimes are going free. Prosecutors are given significant power to make good decisions about when to charge a crime, what the proper charge is for a given crime, and in sentencing recommendations. My office will be committed to petitioning for pretrial detention for violent offenders, or when the offender has a high likelihood of committing additional crimes when on pretrial release based on their previous record.
As we continue to evaluate the implementation phase of the law, it may become clear that additional legislative changes are needed. I am ready and willing to stand with law enforcement, reform advocates and gender-based violence policy experts, or any other stakeholders to pursue improvements as needed in Springfield.
Clayton Harris III: For too long, Cook County had the unfortunate reputation as the wrongful convictions capital. I am committed to continuing the work of undoing that painful legacy. As State’s Attorney, I will uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and integrity. I recognize the profound impact that wrongful convictions can have on individuals, families, and communities. My approach to addressing claims of wrongful conviction involves a multi-faceted strategy that balances the pursuit of truth, respect for victims, and acknowledgment of the decisions made by judges and juries.
First, we will bolster the number of ASAs in the Conviction Review Unit (CRU) within the office. Second, working in collaboration with defense attorneys, independent investigators, and, where appropriate, external review boards, we will meticulously examine claims of innocence. The CRU will operate independently and transparently, following clear protocols to ensure a thorough and impartial review process.
The CRU will conduct thorough and impartial reviews, leveraging advancements in forensic analysis and technology to determine the veracity of the conviction. Additionally, I would have these ASAs trained on recognizing the trauma that wrongful convictions can cause to victims and their families. We will approach these cases with sensitivity, providing support and resources as needed partnering with our victim witness service unit. We will collaborate with defense attorneys, innocence projects, and other stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives and insights into each case.
Throughout the review process, we will maintain transparency, providing regular updates to the public while respecting the confidentiality of certain investigative aspects. Learning from past mistakes, we will implement policies and training programs to reduce the risk of wrongful convictions in the future. Finally, to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future, my administration will work closely with the legal community, legislators, and advocacy groups to implement legislative reforms that enhance the reliability and fairness of reversing any wrongful convictions.
Clayton Harris III: As a former Assistant State’s Attorney myself, I know that the talented and dedicated prosecutors who choose to stand up and fight for justice for victims by working in the State’s Attorney’s Office are second to none. But they need resources and more capacity. Having been recruited myself, I will commit additional resources to the recruitment and retention of well-trained and highly skilled prosecutors to the State’s Attorney’s Office to ensure the staff is operating at full strength.
I will bring my extensive managerial experience to the office, making sure it’s a healthy and appealing work environment that keeps talented attorneys on board throughout their careers.
One of the most important steps we can take is increasing the number of paralegals in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office to ensure that attorneys have the resources they need to effectively and efficiently prosecute cases. By doing so, we also open up more entry-level opportunities to people across Cook County and can effectively hire more attorneys since they know they will have the requisite support staff. I also believe as a manager of large organizations, the personal touch as a leader is essential to building a team and ensuring everyone shares a common vision and goal for the office.
Clayton Harris III: Guns affect all of our communities — including my own. Just recently, I was reading to my youngest son, and we had to rush him out of the room because there were bullets flying just outside. First and foremost, I will work with federal partners including the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Bureau, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others, to get to the source of gun crimes — the traffickers moving weapons from states like Florida, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky, across Illinois’ borders. We’ll make sure the people using guns to terrorize our communities are detained and aggressively prosecuted.
I also understand the degree to which firearm possession charges disproportionately impact the young, Black male population in Cook County. Often, these individuals are carrying firearms for self-protection in communities where they do not feel safe. We must be aggressive about getting guns off our streets and focus on holding violent offenders accountable, all while understanding and considering the social problems leading to the circumstances causing residents to feel compelled to carry weapons in the first place.
Clayton Harris III: I strongly believe that having a collaborative working relationship with mayors and police chiefs of every community in Cook County is vital toward restoring trust and faith in our criminal justice system. One of my top priorities will be increasing collaboration between the State’s Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to ensure an effective working relationship.
I have already begun outreach to each township and jurisdiction’s police department to meet with chiefs and other local leaders to hear the issues facing their communities and how the State’s Attorney’s Office can help. I will also activate permanent liaisons with each local police department to ensure smooth and regular communication.
Clayton Harris III: The State’s Attorney has pursued important reforms that I would certainly continue, especially with respect to overturning wrongful convictions, and leading the way marijuana conviction expungements.
As State’s Attorney, I will chart my own course forward, focused on both holding violent offenders accountable as well as ensuring that justice is served appropriately. One area where I believe the State’s Attorney’s Office can improve is in communicating to the public a clear sense of what the office is doing. When I’m State’s Attorney, you’ll know how the office is working with law enforcement, community interest and victim advocates as well as how we’re keeping our communities safe through just convictions.
My administration will work to tell a clearer story about the job it has to do. The office is full of brilliant, talented lawyers who are doing the work every day. Every day, those assistant state’s attorneys go out and seek justice. They could have made more money somewhere else. They could have gone down another path. They stayed on to do this work. I will be a champion of their work and lift up their stories, and in so doing, I’ll aim to inspire confidence in the office among the public.
