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Pat O’Brien slams Kim Foxx record on felony prosecutions at press conference

Under the failed reign of State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, gang-related gun violence has surged in Cook County, and as Chicago experiences one of its bloodiest summers, a national study that analyzes prosecutorial malpractice names Kim Foxx as one of the worst prosecutors in America.

Issued by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, the study identifies Foxx as failing to successfully prosecute offenders, dropping or losing more cases than her predecessor. The study, titled “Prosecutorial Malpractice,” was authored by former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese.

According to State’s Attorney candidate Judge Pat O’Brien, the results of the study should send a very clear message to voters when it comes to the failed Foxx record on public safety. “Kim Foxx has failed the citizens and victims of violent crime in Cook County. She is the criminal’s best friend,” said O’Brien.

“It is the State’s Attorney’s greatest responsibility to stand up for victims of crime and prosecute violent offenders to the fullest extent of the law. Instead, Foxx is violating her oath of office and prioritizing her misguided social agenda, which disregards public safety, victims of crime, and the most vulnerable communities of Cook County.”

Pat O'Brien for Cook County States Attorney — Pat O’Brien for Cook County States Attorney

Among the findings in the study, and supported by Kim Foxx’s own data, Foxx was less successful in securing guilty pleas and winning trials, and has lost or dismissed more cases than the prior State’s Attorneys, resulting in:

· 13% decrease in felony guilty outcomes

· 27% decline in guilty verdicts

· 54% increase in dropped and dismissed cases

· Nearly 20% fewer robbery cases resulted in guilty outcomes

· 9% fewer rape and sex crime cases resulted in a guilty verdict under Foxx.

The report concludes, “Foxx’s results are worsening…for victims, that means that the perpetrators are now more likely to be back on the streets.”

O’Brien also noted that in addition to Foxx’s dismal rate of dropping charges, and failing to obtain guilty pleas and successful trial outcomes on behalf of victims, Foxx has also lost more gun trials than she has won and she has disbanded the State’s Attorney’s Narcotics Bureau.

O’Brien said he would bring a new approach to crack down on violent crime by implementing policy reforms that would give Assistant State’s Attorneys the power to prevent violent offenders from walking free after committing violent criminal acts with nothing more than an I-Bond. In cases in which electronic monitoring is imposed, defendants would be required to have a working GPS system.

O’Brien would also create a Rackets Unit within the office utilizing experienced prosecutors who will prioritize gang, gun, and drug cases. They would also bring a laser focus to gang-related homicide, gun, and narcotics cases — handling these cases from the investigation at the street level all — through trial. This unit would be divided into squads and assigned to target various gangs and territories, working closely with the Chicago Police and suburban police departments.

To learn more about Judge Pat O’Brien and his solutions to stop crime, go to www.obrienforcook.com.

Read the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Study by clicking here.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

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