who was the illinois state's attorney before alvarez

by Hugh Gaylord 6 min read

Who is Alvarez?

The United States Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a Chicago rapist in a case that had potential negative implications for prosecutors across the country and was personally argued by the Cook County State’s Attorney, according to …

Who is Cook County state's attorney Victoria Alvarez?

2022 IL 126927 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS (Docket No. 126927) THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS ex rel. ANITA ALVAREZ, Appellee, v. $59,914 UNITED STATES CURRENCY et al. (Ameen Salaam, Appellant). Opinion filed April 21, 2022. JUSTICE MICHAEL J. BURKE delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

Who ran against Cook County state's attorney Tom Alvarez in 2012?

Apr 22, 2015 · Statement on State's Attorney Alvarez's Policy Change. JHA supports Cook County policy shift on diverting low welve drug offenses from criminal prosecution. Founded in 1901, the John Howard Association (JHA) is Illinois’ only non-partisan prison watchdog and justice reform advocate. Our mission is to achieve a fair, humane, and effective criminal justice system by …

Who was the first Hispanic woman elected to the Illinois Attorney General?

20 minutes ago · On Friday, April 22, 2022, federal prosecutors and defense attorneys battled over alternate stories about the fatal beating of Earvin, an Illinois prison inmate four years earlier, in …

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Why did Alvarez resign?

In the wake of the release of video of the shooting of Laquan McDonald, protestors and Chicago politicians called on Alvarez to resign for having waited 13 months to prosecute police officer Jason Van Dyke.

What is the case of Sammy Tate?

Another controversial case was a Wicker Park shooting of a homeless man, Sammy Tate, involving two falsely accused black minors. Alvarez approved the keeping of a 16-year-old minor (Deandre Washington) in solitary confinement in Cook County Jail for 4 years pending trial. The trial lasted 45 minutes in 2003 where both defendants were acquitted. Alvarez also refused to resign when asked, yet settled suit against the city in 2012 for malicious prosecution by local Cochran offices for $1 million. Additionally, Alvarez had no response when asked why she kept a minor in solitary for so long. At a 2018 Chicago City Club event, Alvarez's then-press agent still defended the ex-Cook County State's Attorney for not knowing how many minors were kept in solitary confinement during her term in office. This does qualify her for prosecution for crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Where did Alvarez go to high school?

She attended Maria High School and received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University of Chicago in 1982. She earned her J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1986. Alvarez has spent her entire legal career in the State's Attorney's Office. Alvarez began her career as an Assistant State's Attorney in 1986.

Who is Anita Alvarez?

Alvarez (born January 16, 1960) is the former State's Attorney for Cook County, Illinois, United States . Alvarez was the first Hispanic woman elected to this position, after being the first Latina to win the Democratic nomination for state's attorney of Cook County.

When did Alvarez run for reelection?

She won reelection in 2012. She ran for reelection again in 2016, but was defeated in the primary election by Kim Foxx . During her first five years in office, Alvarez drafted a law that has increased criminal penalties for gang members arrested with guns.

Who shot Rekia Boyd?

In 2013, Alvarez's office charged Dante Servin, the police officer who shot Rekia Boyd, with involuntary manslaughter. In 2015, Servin was cleared of all charges by the presiding judge, who pointed to the inconsistent charges as the reason for his decision. Alavarez was heavily criticized for undercharging Servin, and his consequent acquittal, which some critics alleged was an attempt by Alvarez to curry favor with the police department.

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Education, Teachings, and Memberships

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Anita Alvarez earned her undergraduate degree from the Loyola University of Chicago and subsequently earned her Juris Doctorate from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is an active member of various bar associations, including serving as the 2009 President of the Chicago Bar Association – one of the oldest …
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Some of Her Important Prosecutions

  • The substantive and prowess of Anita Alvarez in prosecution have brought her to successful litigations and convictions, among which is the famous case she handled, known as the ‘Girl X’ Case in widespread media. The case involved Patrick Sykes, who was later convicted for the predatory criminal sexual assault of Shatoya Currie, who was brutally attacked in the Cabrini Gre…
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Honors and Awards

  • The entire legal career of Anita Alvarez has centered around providing excellent public service to Cook County, in which she was well recognized and awarded. In 2001, she was named by the Chicago Lawyer Magazine as the Person of the Year. The same year Alvarez was awarded for her outstanding work on the Girl X case by the Council for Disability Rights. The following year, she …
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Office Jurisdiction and Contributions

  • As the former Cook County State’s Attorney, Anita Alvarez oversaw the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the United States. With the help of over 900 attorneys and 1,500 support personnel, Atty Alvarez has made vital changes in the office and the state. In this capacity, she has significantly developed and established public safety initiatives, including the “Street Gang R…
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Overview

Anita M. Alvarez (born January 16, 1960) is the former State's Attorney for Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alvarez was the first Hispanic woman elected to this position, after being the first Latina to win the Democratic nomination for state's attorney of Cook County.

Background

A Chicago native, Alvarez was born and raised in the Pilsen neighborhood. She attended Maria High School and received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University of Chicago in 1982. She earned her J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1986.
Alvarez has spent her entire legal career in the State's Attorney's Office. Alvarez began her career as an Assistant State's Attorney in 1986. She has argued before the Illinois Appellate Court and t…

State's Attorney

Alvarez was elected Cook County State's Attorney in 2008. She won reelection in 2012. She ran for reelection again in 2016, but was defeated in the primary election by Kim Foxx.
During her first five years in office, Alvarez drafted a law that has increased criminal penalties for gang members arrested with guns. Gang members convicted under the new law face a mandatory prison sentence and are no longer eligible for parole.

Personal life

Alvarez was married to Dr. James Gomez until May 2021. She has four children. Alvarez resides with her family in River Forest, Illinois.

External links

• Cook County States Attorney website