Last month, our office celebrated Black History Month and the theme of striving to change the things we cannot accept. We highlighted the achievements and work of Thurgood Marshall in the field of law, Angela DuVernay in the field of arts, John Lewis in the field of politics, and Ruby Bridges for her activism and writings regarding desegregation. 

February 1 – 7 marked the fifth annual Gun Violence Survivor’s Week. The first week of February marks the approximate time that gun deaths in the United States surpass the number of gun deaths experienced by peer countries in an entire calendar year.  

National Gun Violence Survivors Week focuses on sharing gun violence survivors’ stories in their own words. Steve Spagnolo, the Chief of Staff and Government Relations at the State’s Attorney's Office, is a survivor of gun violence and chooses to share his story in hopes of derailing the gun violence we see in our communities every day.  

Steve’s father was murdered by a gun in an attempted robbery when Steve was only three years old and five years ago, Steve was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight along with other colleagues. He said this moment could have turned deadly at any point.  

“Neither of those incidents left me with any physical scars, however, the emotional trauma of these incidents never truly dissipates and remain with survivors forever,” Steve said.  

Even though Steve feels he was spared immediate heartache after his father passed away because he was so young, he said the heartache has been replaced by a sense of wonder throughout his life of who his father was, an important person he doesn’t remember, and wonders how his life may have been different if he were still alive.  

He stated, “As I’ve grown older, surreally surpassing his age when he was killed, having my own son and knowing he’ll never know his grandfather, experiencing life without him, the weight of his death becomes greater and more frustrating to me.” 

No one should have to live with the physical and emotional trauma created through gun violence, which is why Steve is proud of the work our office has done to start the first ever Gun Violence Prevention Initiative in Lake County. He emphasized the importance of addressing gun violence by investing in social services that focus on the root cause of crime. 

Steve continued, “Gun violence is a multi-faceted issue, and we need to continue addressing the issue by securing quicker data on gun violence incidents locally and across the state, continuing to increase resources devoted to violence interruption, and advocating for legislation to keep guns out of the hands of those who are dangerous to themselves and others.” 

On Valentine’s Day, members of our community gathered for the 10th annual Lake County Rising, an awareness event focused on the violence against women 

The night opened with singing from Mundelein High School students. Speakers from A Safe Place and Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center discussing the changes they have seen over the past 10 years. The program ended with awarding the art, essay, and poetry winners, which included students from River Trail School and Zion-Benton Township High School.  

Thank you to everyone who came and to our other partners, Nicasa Behavioral Health Services, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, and National Louis University.    

Former First Assistant State’s Attorney/Chief of Criminal, Sharmila Manak and former Assistant State’s Attorney, George Pappas, were recently sworn in as judges this year. 

Sharmila Manak started in the State’s Attorney’s Office in December 2020, as First Assistant/Chief Deputy of Criminal. Manak was not only the first woman to ever hold this position in Lake County, but she was also the first person of color to ever serve in that role. She is also the first woman of color to be elected as a Circuit Judge. Manak was officially sworn in on January 19. 

George Pappas started at the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office 28 years ago. Throughout his time at the office, George became a mentor to many and always gave a helping hand to others when he could. Pappas was sworn in on January 23.  

Both of their dedication and passion will be missed in the State’s Attorney’s Office, but we know will be a huge gain for the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois. 

Our office congratulates Sharmila Manak and George Pappas on becoming Lake County Judges.   

Dr. Michael Karner, Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools, will be hosting the 2nd Annual Safety Conference, which is dedicated to making schools safe and spreading awareness about gun violence in our schools. Sponsoring it, will be the Lake County Regional Office of Education, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office.  

Dr. Karner has been in education since 2007, serving our Lake County schools and is passionate about providing youth with opportunities to help reduce the violence we see in our communities. Apart from the conference, Dr. Karner has been working with the youth in Lake County schools as part of the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI).  

“Violence can take on many different forms and I believe it is important that my office helps support schools with tools to address violence,” Dr. Karner said.  

Dr. Karner felt compelled to be involved in more gun prevention programs and help spread awareness after he saw an increase of violence following the pandemic. 

He continued, “The GVPI utilizes resources that exist in the county to help provide people support. Lake County has many resources to offer stakeholders and it is my hope that through education, prevention and assistance, we will curb violence.” 

The School Safety Conference will include speakers that will discuss safety, warning signs, trauma, and the importance of good leadership. The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, March 6. Make sure you are registered to attend.