A press release from McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi:

Illinois Prosecutors Advance Best Practices Agenda Conference is Part of Ongoing National Effort

State’s attorneys and senior prosecutors from across Illinois gathered Wednesday, April 29, 2015, at the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles to discuss techniques aimed at improving the state’s criminal justice system.

Participants in the conference.

The Illinois State’s Attorney’s Best Practices Committee met to collaborate on issues such as witness and photo identification, custodial statements, post-conviction review, diversion program effectiveness, charging crimes and discretion, plea offer procedures, officer-involved crimes, and working with informants.

Prosecutors from Boone, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Jackson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, St. Claire, Sangamon, Stark, Tazewell, Whiteside and Winnebago counties were in attendance.

“It was good to have the opportunity to talk about these critical issues, and to recognize how to best use them in the pursuit of justice,” said Kane County State Attorney Joe McMahon, who hosted the meeting.

“This is a critical time for us because police and prosecutors nationwide are struggling with a crisis of public trust. When the guilty are held accountable through the framework of the constitution and the critical lens of fairness to everyone, justice truly is served.”

The best practices effort is non-partisan and is built to be effective within the broad demographic of Illinois, from its largest county to suburban counties and Illinois’ many rural counties.

Lou Bianchi

“I am pleased to be a part of this important work,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi said.

“Ongoing discussions about these important issues holds those guilty accountable with clear, credible, accurate and sustainable evidence while protecting the innocent and our community.”

The Illinois effort, which began in 2013, is a product of the nationwide “Best Practices for Justice” initiative being led by Kristine Hamann, visiting fellow at the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Hamann is a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan (N.Y.) District Attorney’s Office and has worked with prosecutors from 15 states in the formation of the committees.

Already, the committee has been successful in working with police to examine certain law enforcement and investigative techniques to determine where new models might be possible.

The mission of the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Best Practices Committee is to seek justice by equipping prosecutors with the tools necessary to ensure the full confidence of the communities they serve.