Politics: LaHood announces for state’s attorney
I attended the announcement at Peoria City Hall, but didn’t have time to write a full-blown article. So, I’m printing the press release:
(Peoria, IL)—Darin LaHood, a Peoria attorney and former Federal prosecutor, formally announced today that he will seek the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s office in the November 2008 general election.
LaHood was joined at a Peoria City Hall news conference by his family, friends, and supporters. LaHood said that he would bring his years as a U.S. Justice Department prosecutor, his extensive courtroom experience, and his background in public service to the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s office to make it more effective in fighting crime.
At today’s news conference, LaHood also unveiled a five-point crime-fighting plan that he plans to implement when elected State’s Attorney. The plan calls for evaluating and improving programs in the State’s Attorney’s office, implementing crime-fighting programs in neighborhoods, and fostering a spirit of cooperation with officials and citizens who are interested in reducing the crime rate in Peoria County.
LaHood mentioned that over the past five years, Peoria County has had the highest crime rate of any county in the State of Illinois. He believes that the community needs a renewed emphasis on fighting crime, and that it must start in the State’s Attorney’s office.
Darin LaHood’s Five-Point Plan to revitalize the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office and Reduce Crime in Peoria County
- Evaluate the current State’s Attorney’s plea bargaining system.
This evaluation would aim to determine why repeat offenders are receiving plea agreements that involve no jail or prison time.- Initiate a Community Prosecution Program.
This program will be implemented in high crime areas of the County and involve a proactive partnership between the State’s Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, Neighborhood Associations, and public and private organizations. The State’s Attorney’s Office would be used to solve problems, improve public safety and enhance the quality of life of Peoria County citizens. Specifically, under the program, a criminal prosecutor will be assigned to a “high crime†area within our County and will work with the local police officers and neighborhood groups on a daily basis to prosecute crime in that area.- Create a Gang and Violent Crimes unit.
This would be a new unit under the direction of the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office. This unit will specifically focus on the apprehension and prosecution of gang members and violent offenders in our County.- As State’s Attorney, LaHood will actively meet with and participate in the City of Peoria’s Crime Task Force.
LaHood will work personally with the Task Force’s members in a cooperative effort to help reduce our crime problems.- LaHood will partner with community leaders from our urban and high crime areas to re-build a level of trust.
LaHood will work with urban leaders to re-establish a level of trust that no longer exists between law abiding citizens who live in our urban areas and our Criminal Justice System. LaHood will enhance the level of diversity within the State’s Attorney’s Office by initiating a plan to hire and employ minority attorneys in both the Charging and Felony Trial Units.
My two cents: Basically, LaHood’s platform is that he’s going to be the anti-Kevin Lyons. In other words, he’s not going to treat the public like what they think doesn’t matter, he’ll treat other law enforcement agencies like equals, and he won’t consider it a victory to plead defendants with prior convictions down do sentences that require no jail time.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Someone should set up a contest to see how soon LaHood uses “Kevin ‘Catch and Release’ Lyons” in his anti-Lyons campaign literature.
It just begs to be used and used often.
how is he going to pay for this.
Could someone do me a favor (since I don’t have the time nor investigative talent to do it)? I would like for someone to investigate what Darin LaHood’s record was in Vegas… what his duties were, and how well (or poorly) he performed them. Do a thorough investigation. Come back with the facts… to explain why he did not stay there, or why he did not move on to, say, Los Angeles, because he was so damned good and never let ANYONE get away with a crime, etc.
Maybe he just missed home… maybe he thinks north Peoria or Dunlap is THE place to raise kids… but I wonder what he’s doing back here after being in Vegas… let’s find out what Darin’s RECORD IS before we start shooting off how he will be such an improvement over Lyons.
Do you think Billy MIGHT do this? Or is it just easier to tout Darin for the next election simply because?
We’re talking about a State’s Attorney job….no one is going to put that much effort into research.
Well, they should. I think it would be essential for a reporter at the PJS to do a quick check-up by simply phoning around Vegas.
Maybe I’ll just call out there and say I’m a cub reporter for the Peoria Pundit…
It wouldn’t hurt to know what his background is like. We already know that Lyon’s stinks at the job, otherwise the chest thumper would have been making an effort to climb a little higher on the old political ladder by now.
I know that Republicans support Republican candidates, and vice versa, almost regardless of how they feel about the incumbent. But I was impressed at the number of big names in politics who showed up to support him.
“how is he going to pay for this.”
Most of it looks like reallocation of existing resources. #4 & #5 would be an expenditure primarily of the SA’s time; #1 should be occurring in-office on an ongoing basis anyway (and if it requires outside help, is the PERFECT kind of labor for unpaid law students from UIUC looking for research to do); #2 and #3 could require money or could be simple reallocation of resources. Moving prosecutors to focus on those specific tasks wouldn’t cost anything extra; it would simply move them from what they were currently doing (this occurs all the time in prosecutorial offices as political and other priorities change). Or 2 and 3 could involve some small amount of money for set-up and running costs, depending on how they do it; or 2 and 3 could entail the hiring of two entirely new prosecutors, which would be costly.
As he said at the press conference, it would involve reassigning one to three current assistant state’s attorneys.
I searched for Darin LaHood in the Las Vegas Sun and Las Vegas Review Journal and got one hit – a 2003 article about the sentencing of someone prosecuted for impersonating a Federal Marshal.
*whew* Well, that sure is a relief. Now, THAT case sounds like a it was a rough one to prove in court, by golly.
Hmmmmm… how do you think Darin was able to land that job with the Feds, anyhow? Do you think… ? Nah, of course THAT would have had no impact on his being hired…