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January 6, 2023
Justice for All
Dear residents and community leaders,
Happy New Year to each of you. I hope that the holiday season has been safe and that everyone was recharged and fulfilled by time with family and friends.
In this January edition of Justice for All, we are highlighting Human Trafficking Awareness Month 2023 as well as some of our 2022 events from November and December.
Our anti-human trafficking work is being fully implemented since receiving funding in mid-2022. We are proud to be one of only six entities to receive federal dollars to launch a Human Trafficking Task Force. Since mid-2022, we have conducted law enforcement trainings, launched pro-active investigations, connected with stakeholders in state and federal governments regarding exploitation of the labor force, and listened to survivors about how to end this devastating crime in Lake County and beyond.
None of this success would be possible without the amazing courtroom prosecutors, our diligent investigators in the streets, or the victim specialists who shepherd survivors through the entire process. By putting the right amount of resources into these cases and hundreds more, we secure justice for the survivors and serious consequences for the offenders.
We will continue our restorative justice work by increasing diversion and deflection for non-violent offenses so that we can efficiently connect first time, non-violent offenders with classes and treatment so they learn from their mistakes and are held accountable if they do not take rehabilitative steps.
Finally, in 2022, we launched a new grant-funded WEBSITE that we hope will educate the public about these programs and so much more.
In 2023, our office will continue to focus on violent offenses, victim services, and reducing racial disparities throughout our legal system.
Yours,
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Every person deserves the right to live a life free from abuse. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Our office stands with victims of trafficking and is committed to prosecuting traffickers to the full extent of the law. We were proud to receive U.S. Department of Justice grant funding this year to form the first every Lake County Human Trafficking Task Force.
In this newsletter, our office would like to highlight two dedicated members of the Task Force. Both are passionate about helping others and eager to bring awareness about this crime that affects millions worldwide.
Shea – Human Trafficking Task Force Coordinator
Shea is the Human Trafficking Task Force Coordinator and Victim Specialist. Human Trafficking has always been a great passion of Shea’s. She said Human Trafficking first caught her attention when she attended a presentation about it in college. After that, she became interested in the field and knew she wanted to work in helping victims.
As the Coordinator and Victim Specialist for the task force, some of Shea’s responsibilities will be to oversee the unit, bring all coalitions and organizations together, and to assist survivors throughout the criminal justice system.
Through her work, Shea has seen the damage this horrendous crime does to people’s lives.
“Anger fuels my passion. Remembering all the survivors and helping them reach new milestones in their healing journey keeps me going,” Shea said.
The office feels fortunate to have Shea and all her knowledge that our office needs to strengthen the Human Trafficking Task Force.
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Devin – Human Trafficking Investigator
Devin is the Investigator for the Human Trafficking Task Force. Before he joined our office, Devin was a Waukegan Police Officer for over 25 years. He’s passionate about law enforcement and initially got into it because he wanted to stop the bad guys from hurting good people and wanted to help people in general.
Devin said that even though he has many years of experience, he is eager to continue learning, especially about human trafficking, which can be very complex. He is most looking forward to being able to continue to help those who get taken advantage of. Our office is excited to see the impact Devin will make on survivors’ lives.
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Looking back at 2022
Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Newly Appointed First Assistant
In December 2022, the State's Attorney's Office announced that Lauren Callinan would be serving as the new First Assistant State’s Attorney, the second woman to ever hold this position in Lake County. The office also offered its congratulations to former First Assistant/Chief Deputy of Criminal, Sharmila Manak, who was sworn in as a newly elected Circuit Court Judge for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit.
First Assistant Callinan said her goal as the First Assistant State’s Attorney is to keep the office thriving by maintaining strong, positive relationships with all our justice partners and to make Lake County a fairer and safer place.
“I am honored to be working alongside Mr. Rinehart in a position that will help shape the future of the office and our community. I am excited to utilize the leadership skills that I have developed in managing the Domestic Violence Division for the good of the entire community of Lake County,” First Assistant Lauren Callinan said.
Callinan lives in Vernon Hills with her husband and two children. After graduating from law school in 2008, Callinan’s first job was at the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. First Assistant Callinan has worked in every division of the office and has prosecuted thousands of cases. Like Judge Manak before her, Callinan will continue to prosecute several murders even as she takes on her new responsibilities.
In December 2020, State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart appointed Callinan to be the Chief of the Domestic Violence Division.
“Lauren will be an excellent First Assistant as we continue to focus on violent crimes, increased cyber-crimes investigations, and enhanced victim services. First Assistant Callinan has already led our efforts to improve our domestic violence prosecutions, and she was critical to implementing the office’s first law enforcement enhanced screening protocol. In addition, Lauren has also been our primary point of contact with our partners: A Safe Place, Prairie State Legal Services, and North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic – all of which provide first rate legal services to survivors of domestic violence,” said State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart.
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Marijuana Warrant Call
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In early 2020, Illinois legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. But several misdemeanor cases that were filed prior to legalization remained in bench-warrant status within the Lake County courts.
“Making sure that people aren't arrested for behavior that is no longer criminal is a critical step in ensuring equitable justice,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
With this principle in mind, in 2022, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office was able to dismiss dozens of simple marijuana possession cases that were filed prior to legalization in 2020.
State’s Attorney Rinehart and now former First Assistant Sharmila Manak, initiated the months-long project shortly after taking office. They worked in coordination with the Circuit Clerk’s Office and the courts to ensure that correct cases were selected. The project was led inside the office by Assistant State’s Attorney Olaide Adeniran of the misdemeanor-traffic division.
“We cannot thank the Clerk and Courts enough for their assistance and diligence in 2022, but it is the prosecutors’ job to take the initiative in bringing instances of injustice before the courts. These warrants should have been dealt with by the last administration when marijuana was legalized in 2020. I want to commend my team, including First Assistant Sharmila Manak and ASA Adeniran, who put in the time, work, and research on each and every case to make sure that the defendants had no other cases pending,” State's Attorney Rinehart said.
Assistant State’s Attorneys and other staff from the office did the bulk of the work in isolating the defendants that had only marijuana cases pending from 2020 and before. They vetted each defendant to make sure there was not a warrant on a separate case. After selecting the cases, the office sent notices to defendants throughout Lake County and Illinois to make sure defendants were aware of the dismissals and expungement possibilities.
“This is an excellent example of the legal system pulling in one direction to make sure that defendants weren’t wrongfully arrested on low-level drug crimes, that, after 2020, were crimes no longer,” State’s Attorney Rinehart stated after the courts granted the State’s motions to dismiss in July 2022.
Veteran’s Day History Project
State’s Attorney Rinehart was honored to join other members of the State’s Attorney’s Office in the annual Veteran’s Day History Projects. Several participating attorneys used court reporters to interview veterans so their personal stories of service and bravery could be memorialized in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.
State’s Attorney Rinehart noted, “We would not have courtrooms to argue in or ballots to count without the unfailing service and sacrifice of America's Veterans. Our office thanks veterans every day for protecting our freedoms.”
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Deflection/Diversion Summit
The event was opened by Chair of the Lake County Opioid Initiative, Chelsea LaLiberte, who focused on the success of a local program named “A Way Out” that connects individuals with treatment options after they have initial police contact. SA Rinehart also welcomed participants and focused on the power of diversion within the courthouse. Rinehart stated after the summit that racial disparities that existed in the diversion programs prior to 2020 had been eliminated and encouraged all participants to visit the State’s Attorney’s dashboard that included diversion statistics.
Experts presented national statistics that demonstrated how mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and expanded housing options prevent crime and decrease incarceration costs. The summit included a panel discussion by program leaders in Lake County. The event ended with informal breakout meetings on how to connect more Lake County residents with rehabilitation, even when arrested for low level crimes.
Upcoming Events
Juvenile Expungement Clinic – January 21
The Lake County Juvenile Justice Council will be hosting their first Juvenile Expungement Clinic on January 21, from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Individuals with juvenile records will be able to walk in and fill out the paperwork necessary to get their records expunged.
Participants will be asked to bring their case number and arrest details with them in order to fill out all the expungement paperwork.
The JJC will then submit the paperwork to the Clerk’s Office and participants will be informed of their court date.
Volunteers will be on-site to assist and answer questions.
Anyone interested can register online or scan the QR code on the flyer.
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Human Trafficking Candle Vigil – January 30
 Join us at the end of January to recognize victims and survivors of human trafficking here in Lake County. This event is open to the public. Please contact Shea Needham (sneedham@lakecountyil.gov) or Jessica Lomelin (jlomelin@asafeplaceforhelp.org) with any questions or concerns.
Lake County Rising – Love Unchained: Finding, Defining, and Reclaiming Our Voices – February 14
This year’s Lake County Rising’s annual event will be on February 14. The theme is Love Unchained: Finding, Defining, and Reclaiming Our Voices. This year's event is a significant milestone for Lake County Rising, marking 10 years since beginning the event.
A resource fair will be part of this event. Nonprofit organizations providing services to women and/or children are invited to have their information on hand. Interested organization may email lakecountyrising@gmail.com and indicate resource fair in the subject line.
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