Chief Deputy Levi commented, “I am so incredibly proud to work for an office that recognizes the importance of rehabilitation in the criminal justice system. I’m excited to now lead so many amazing prosecutors and staff in the critical work of safely and efficiently scaling up our local programs that have helped so many people.”   

Karen has been the Chief of Juvenile Justice for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office since 2020. Since then, Karen has led the office's efforts to hold youth accountable while also addressing the root causes of crime. Karen has led the Juvenile Justice Council since 2021, and the Illinois Supreme Court named her to the Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts in 2023. In 2025, Karen was appointed to the Illinois Judicial Task Force on Juvenile Detention Practices.  

Karen has delivered numerous presentations to law enforcement, bar associations, and the community regarding both the technical aspects of juvenile law and the important social issues around juveniles committing crime. She has also presented to numerous educators and police officers about how to make our children safer in our schools and in our community. 

Lake County Board Chair stated, “The State's Attorney's Office continues to be at the forefront of strategic planning when it comes to long-term safety. The office’s prosecutors are successful at trial in violent cases, but they are also making sure restorative justice measures reach more individuals to decrease crime in the future. State's Attorney Rinehart and I are committed to decreasing the docket backlog in nonviolent cases so that we can better serve victims and other residents of Lake County.” 

Rinehart further stated, “We are reducing crime in Lake County with a holistic approach to addressing crime and safety in our community. After we created the Violent Crimes Unit and upgraded our internal forensics lab, homicides, shootings, armed robberies, and many other violent crimes have decreased according to police and coroner data. At the same time, our rehabilitation programs are helping nonviolent offenders receive the services they need so that they don’t escalate in their offenses and hurt people. Despite these past successes, challenges remain. Our nonviolent cases are moving too slow, and not enough services are reaching non-violent offenders.”   

Under the office’s new structure, the new Chief of Juvenile Justice (Levi’s former job), the Chief of Specialty Courts, the Diversion Coordinator, and the Deflection Coordinator will report to Levi. Levi will utilize her training experiences around juvenile prosecutions to lead the office’s work with law enforcement in all areas. Levi will also be responsible for internal office training, working closely with current division chiefs to ensure the staff is exposed to regular and valuable trainings.