Hayes 'Derides Another Candidate,' Loses a Vote

I am bothered by Louise Hayes' flyer for her State's Attorney campaign in which she derides another candidate, Mike Nerheim, for defending “criminals,” as she puts it. 

I am appalled that she would go to the length of publicly mentioning pending cases, which could sway public perception and influence a jury's verdict - a clear violation of the code of conduct she should be holding herself up to. I also resent her use of the word "criminal" when the accused has not yet been convicted. 

We might as well go back to lynching people because we don’t like the color of their skin or their creed. But, then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if the State’s Attorney’s Office hasn’t already deteriorated to that level after hearing about the Juan Rivera case. We need a change in direction.

As a taxpaying citizen, I am seriously disturbed when I hear of false convictions that were discovered decades after the innocent victim was sent behind bars. For every one we discover, there could be hundreds of others who simply didn’t have the money for a viable defense. It's sad.

Dignified lives and reputations are slandered by such irresponsible prosecution (I recall the innocent Duke lacrosse players who will always be remembered as the guys accused of rape).

At the root of this lies (pun intended) the true criminal: an overzealous prosecutor who blindly sought convictions in complete disregard to the evidence.

I also feel the State's Attorney should not be so "conviction-hungry" to promote the tactical use of ridiculously serious charges in order to scare the accused into a plea deal. This is not justice.

After reflecting on Ms. Hayes' flyer, I am now convinced that the right candidate for the State's Attorney should have experience in both, defense and prosecution. We need a well balanced individual who values human life enough to let the evidence speak for itself.

Although I don't know who I'm going to vote for, it certainly won't be Hayes; for the State’s Attorney’s conduct reflects our values as a community, a county and a nation.

Naser Shams
Lake Forest

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