(Lake County, IL) - Today, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart launched a new, more accessible website for his office: lcsao.org. 

Rinehart said, “The mission of our office is to make Lake County safer and fairer, to protect Lake County, and support victims of crime. This new website helps achieve that mission by providing a more streamlined user experience so crime victims can easily find assistance and provide feedback. It’s more accessible to those with disabilities, provides transparency regarding our legal system, and better supports those we serve – our neighbors in Lake County.” 

The new website prominently features the Data Dashboard, a project with the MacArthur Foundation and the Lake County Sherriff’s office, a public tool of transparency that helps make the Lake County criminal justice system accountable and fair. 

Rinehart stated “We need data so that people will stop arguing about whether bias exists both inside and outside the Lake County Courthouse – it does. And that’s why our new website prominently features our Data Dashboard, because transparency + accountability = trust.” 

Another highlighted aspect of the new website are all the community panels, programs, and activities the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has spearheaded in the last two years. “Creating safe and healthy communities starts with community input, and I’ve listened to the people of Lake County and their needs. That’s why we’ve expanded the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coordinating Councils, improved Alternative Prosecution and Diversion programs, and created the Lake County Human Trafficking Task Force,” Rinehart said. He continued, “Now, our office’s website properly reflects the needs of the community and describes how we are responding to them.” 

In addition to lcsao.org showcasing the office’s active community partnerships, it is also more accessible to folks with disabilities by ensuring videos have captions, pictures have alt tags, and the fonts and colors were chosen with those who are low vision in mind. 

The new website also provides multiple forms for feedback on the office, including a Victim Feedback form and – for the first time in office history – a labor violations form. Rinehart stated, “Our office is here to protect and advance the employment rights of all Lake County residents. By adding this labor violations form to our website, it will help our office assist enforcement partners in investigating and litigating cases involving violations of wage law or employment practices. It should be easy for every Lake County neighbor – and everyone means everyone, no exceptions – to contact our office if their rights are violated.” 

Rinehart concluded, “This website is another step in fulfilling the promise I made when sworn in as State’s Attorney: to inform, comfort, and seek justice for victims regardless of the victim’s station in life. That means ensuring justice, confronting privilege, and using data to advise our practices and to educate the public, and holding ourselves accountable for any unconscious biases. I’m proud of our staff who made this new website happen so we can better serve the people of Lake County. Finally, I would like to thank the MacArthur Foundation for its partnering with us on this project.”