Violent Crimes Unit

Open law book with a wooden judges gavel on table in a on blue background

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout Lake County. Recognizing the seriousness and complexity of violent crime investigations and prosecutions, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office created the Violent Crimes Unit (VCU) in 2022 to work more collaboratively with law enforcement while providing the necessary assistance during violent crime investigations. 

The Violent Crime Unit consists of the Division Chief, a Legal Assistant, a dedicated Victim Specialist and two highly experienced felony Assistant State’s Attorneys (ASA). VCU ASAs are primarily assigned to complex homicide cases and cases involving multiple victims and defendants.

The cases initiated by and/or assigned to VCU ASAs are most often prosecuted vertically. This means that ASAs are assigned cases during an investigation or if not involved in the investigation, immediately after a police agency requests felony charges and those charges are approved. The VCU ASA will be the assigned trial ASA and is responsible for that assigned case from arraignment through the final disposition (whether by plea or trial) and will remain assigned through any post-trial filings, appellate review and/or post-conviction petitions. This efficient process allows the State’s Attorney’s Office to better serve victims and witnesses by building stronger cases from the outset and allowing prosecutors (and Victim Specialists) an opportunity to immediately build rapport with victims and witnesses by remaining with the case from the beginning of the investigation through disposition.