A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney:
ASSISTANT STATE’S ATTORNEYS RITA GARA, RANDI FREESE AND DANIEL WILBRANDT PROMOTED TO KEY MANAGEMENT POSITIONS WITHIN OFFICE
Patrick D. Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney, is pleased to announce that Rita Gara has been named First Assistant, and Randi Freese and Daniel Wilbrandt have been named as Co-chiefs of the Criminal Division.
New leadership in the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office: Daniel Wilbrandt, Randi Freese and Rita Gara.
They bring a wealth of experience to their positions.
Rita Gara received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Roosevelt University and graduated cum laude from Northern Illinois University College of Law.
While in law school, Rita was a judicial intern in Boone County and also interned for the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Following graduation, Rita worked at Filler and Associates in Marengo, Illinois, handling civil litigation and divorce cases.
In 2011, Rita joined the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office and worked in the misdemeanor division prosecuting a variety of misdemeanor and traffic offenses.
As a felony attorney, Rita has prosecuted a wide variety of criminal cases, including homicides, sex offenses and other violent crimes.
Randi Freese received a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Ball State University and her Juris Doctor from DePaul University.
While in law school, Randi interned in the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office and was hired as an Assistant State’s Attorney following her graduation. While working in the misdemeanor division, Randi prosecuted a variety of misdemeanors including traffic and domestic violence cases.
In 2012, Randi was awarded Turning Point’s Peace and Justice Award for her prosecution of domestic violence cases.
Randi has handled Drug Asset forfeitures for the office and successfully forfeited houses, vehicles and United States Currency from narcotics dealers.
As a felony attorney, Randi has prosecuted a wide variety of criminal cases, including murders, drug-induced homicides and sex offenses.
Dan Wilbrandt has been in the State’s Attorney’s Office since 2012 after receiving his law degree cum laude from the John Marshall Law School.
Dan had been serving as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and previously served as the Misdemeanor and Traffic Unit Supervisor, a member of the Drug Induced Homicide Unit, Felony Review Unit, Misdemeanor Unit, and Juvenile Divisions.
He is also a prosecutor for McHenry County Specialty courts, including Mental Health Court, Drug Court, and DUI Court.
Before attending law school, he received both a M.A. in Communication and B.A in Speech Communications from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
Dan has previously served in the public sector with law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies.
We know Rita, Randi and Dan will continue to excel in their pursuit of justice for the citizens of McHenry County.
Can any of them read a time card?
Top heavy like a school dist?
Which one will be prosecuting the Millers?
The Government Prosecution Business, is a magnet for 2nd tier cow college grievance studies majors and throne sniffing choads.
These are good, qualified people.
Second and third tier law schools.
Can’t we do better?
@ DJ and MrsKroon
These aren’t new hires so you have a great opportunity to showcase what crappy lawyers they are based on their exhibited legal skills rather than a guess based upon the school they attended.
So let’s hear it.
Explain in what way they are deficient in the practice o0f criminal or civil law?
Just a couple verifiable examples will do?
Nothing to say?
Okay, then pour yourselves a cup or two of STFU and come back when you have something intelligent to say.
John Marshall, NIU and DePaul are not Harvard, Yale or Northwestern, but there’s nothing wrong with their law schools, Mrs. Croon.
Which institution conferred your J.D. to you?
There are ~200 law schools in this country, and they are traditionally divided into four tiers based on admission standards, academic reputation, bar pass rate, etc..
John Marshall Law School has been considered a 4th tier school for as long as I can remember.
NIU is on the cusp between T3 and T4, and DePaul is a solid T3.
Considering what the SA’s Office pays, it’s unreasonable to expect graduates of top law schools to flock there.
It’s pretty tough to pay off law school loans when you have to work for years to even come close to making $100k/year.
Sheriff’s Deputies make more than a lot of ASAs, and they only need a GED.
What concerns me more is the number of judges that are products of the bottom feeder law schools.
Always fascinating, this hair on fire apoplexy, over aspiring political flunkies.
But count on ole DJ, to continue heaping all the insults and degradation on the Public Sector, that is so richly deserved.
Employees of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s office participate in the regular IMRF pension fund.
These people are all rather dull. Not socially. Just mentally!!!!
They want their pensions! Pensions they would NEVER receive in the real world. They LOVE their 45 coffee breaks.
Kenneally will show them how to do these things in great style!
Did they all take their Miller Crime Family Oath of Allegiance!?? they must have, they ‘work’ for Kenneally!