Bernard Carey was an American politician who served as Cook County State's Attorney from 1972 through 1980. Afterwards, he would serve on the Cook County Board of Commissioners and as a judge on the Circuit Court of Cook County . A Republican, he was twice elected (in 1972 and 1976) State's Attorney in strongly Democratic Cook County, Illinois.
After Carey's 2018 death, Richard A. Devine, a Democrat who had served as Cook County State's Attorney from 1996 through 2008, remarked, "Bernie was a good guy. He worked hard to do a good job. He recruited professional prosecutors."
In 1972, Carey was nominated by the Republican Party for Cook County State's Attorney. His victory over incumbent Democrat Edward Hanrahan was attributed largely to African-American voters' outrage over the 1969 police killings of Black Panther Party leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark under Hanrahan's leadership. [2]
Later in life, Carey became a Cook County judge and a county board member. He unsuccessfully ran for attorney general in 1986. At 59, he announced his retirement from the bench.
In 1976, the elder Daley recruited a judge, Edward Egan, to oppose Carey, who campaigned against Egan by declaring, “I spell my opponent’s name D-A-L-E-Y.”
Daley called Carey “ineffective” and accused him of “a deliberate, calculated strategy of deception” as they traded charges.
Mary Rita Carey said the two loved to travel and Carey liked to collect stamps and had more than 3,000 toy cars in the den.
When reputed mob hit man Harry Aleman was acquitted in 1977, Carey “made his displeasure known” in the media, Hake said. Privately, Hake said, Carey complained to Sullivan about cases being fixed.
A former FBI agent, Carey became Cook County’s top prosecutor in 1972 and feuded with the Daley family. He defeated a judge backed by Mayor Richard J. Daley to win re-election in 1976 before losing to the mayor’s son, Richard M. Daley, in 1980.
Carey was in the Navy Reserve and became an FBI agent and while working there met Joseph Woods, who became a Republican sheriff in Cook County.
Bernard Carey, when he was Republican candidate for Cook County board president, speaks at City Hall on Oct. 26, 1982. (James Mayo / Chicago Tribune)
State Attorney Bernie McCabe, who prosecuted notorious criminals in local history while trying to steer young people away from crime, tempering justice and mercy with an equal hand, died late Friday after a lingering illness.
Sprowls, one of McCabe’s most notable mentees, released a statement on Twitter, stating “Our hearts are with Denise and the entire McCabe family at this difficult time. Among prosecutors and law enforcement officers, Bernie McCabe was a towering, heroic figure. A true public servant, he led a life committed to justice, fairness and truth.”
McCabe was first elected State Attorney in 1992, and served up until his death, accumulating eight terms in his career. During his life, McCabe mentored hundreds of young attorneys, including current Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls, who called McCabe “the smartest state attorney in Florida,” in 2016.
One notable achievement in his career is the State Attorney Safe Schools Program (SASS), which McCabe created in 1999. The program worked to place prosecutors in middle schools to divert youth from the justice system. SASS is credited for a significant drop in the number of offenses on campuses and thus, referrals for criminal prosecution. In 2008, referrals were reduced to the point that the program was discontinued.