Republican Mary Cole Runs For Lake County State's Attorney: Patch Candidate Questionnaire

LAKE BLUFF, IL — Republican candidate Mary Cole is challenging incumbent Democrat Eric Rinehart in the race for Lake County state's attorney.

Cole, a Lake Bluff village trustee, is a Gurnee-based attorney who worked as an assistant state's attorney in Rinehart's office until 2021 after previously working as an assistant public defender in DeKalb County.

As part of our commitment to providing voters with information about local elections, we shared identical questionnaires with both campaigns and are publishing each candidate's responses in their entirety and in the order it was received, without edits or alterations.

Read more: Here's Who's Running For Lake County State's Attorney

Cole's answers, offering insight into her policy positions and priorities as he seeks to represent the residents of Lake County, are below.

Name:
Mary Cole

Town of Residence:
Lake Bluff

Position Sought:
Lake County State's Attorney

Party Affiliation:
Republican

Education:
Mary is a proud alumnus of Deerfield High School, Southern Illinois University, and John Marshall Law School.

Occupation:
I have been working in the judicial system, starting as a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate in 2008. Upon graduating from law school, I began practicing law in 2017

Previous or current elected or appointed office:
Lake Bluff, Trustee

The single most pressing issue facing Lake County is _____ and this is what I intend to do about it.

Rise in crime

Currently, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is systematically “undercharging” cases or outright refusing to file criminal charges, which would regularly be approved. This means that even though a crime has been committed, the perpetrator is not held accountable for that wrongdoing.

This undercharging during State’s Attorney Rinehart’s administration allows perpetrators to continue with their criminal behavior. In cases where charges are approved but for a less serious crime than the evidence supports, the perpetrators’ punishments are not in line with the severity of the offense. This pattern of undercharging increases the probability of recidivism.
One of the most straightforward means of correcting this is to do the job of actually prosecuting crimes consistently and fairly. This approach will lead to a direct drop in crime and increased public safety throughout Lake County.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for Lake County State’s Attorney to restore safety, give victims a voice, and remove politics from this office. I will focus on the safety of neighborhoods and work to ensure criminals who should be in prison stay in prison. I will prioritize curbing the gang violence spreading north from the City of Chicago and into our neighborhoods, and I will work hand in hand with all community organizations, non-profits, and faith-based groups to ensure Lake County becomes safer for everyone.

I previously worked for the incumbent and witnessed firsthand how the current administration brought a political agenda to an office that used to function in a politically neutral way. This politicization is one of many moves that created devastating consequences for our communities.
Priorities of the current State’s Attorney fail to keep our communities safe. From awarding violent offender plea deals and freedom from jail (even when judges disagree) to an inability to keep experienced prosecutors working in the State’s Attorney’s Office, Eric Rinehart has spent nearly four years ignoring the community’s needs while prioritizing his own ideological agenda.

What are the critical differences between you and your opponent in this election?

I would fairly and equitably prosecute those who break the law to ensure the safety of residents while treating all in the justice system with dignity and respect.

My opponent releases dangerous criminals back onto our streets, making our county less safe. My opponent released William Fillyaw from prison, only to watch as he became involved in another murder months later. My opponent gave Shorbonia Poole, a violent gun offender, a plea deal; the offender went on to murder a 15-year-old girl in Round Lake Beach. These are examples of the consequences of my opponent’s priorities. When elected, I will do the job he refuses: hold criminals accountable.

In addition, as a victim of domestic violence, I will protect victims unfortunately wrapped up in the criminal justice system. The State’s Attorney is an essential line of defense between criminals, and our victims deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I will also remove politics from an office that has grown too political under Eric Rinehart’s leadership.

If you win this election, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?

I worked as a prosecutor, defense attorney, victim advocate, and judicial intern, and I am a survivor of domestic violence. This experience gives me a unique insight into all aspects of the criminal justice system. In addition, I worked as a former employee of the office, so I have unique insight due to my time there. I joined the prosecutor’s office to prosecute and make our community safer, but political changes made by my opponent after his 2020 election made it clear that he was not focused on making the community safer. It made me fear for the welfare of victims and the community. This fear became a reality within weeks as Mr. Rinehart often actively took the side of criminals instead of victims. I had a supervisor tell me that “we’re not going to continue to use the word ‘victim’” to describe people who have been victims of crime, and I was told to drop numerous cases without rhyme or reason within weeks of his arrival. In 2021, I joined dozens of my colleagues in leaving the Rinehart administration in disgust—to date, over 60% of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office staff have left their jobs.

If you win this election, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?

My term in office would be a success when Lake County isn’t held under the grip of crime, residents are safer again, the State’s Attorney’s Office functions as it should, and victims are cared for again.

Independent statistics show the county is not as safe as my political opponent claims since taking office in December 2020. These statistics from the Lake County Coroner’s Office show there were 129 homicides in Lake County for four years before Rinehart arrived but 128 homicides in Lake County since December 1, 2020.

In addition, statistics obtained from Waukegan Police show Waukegan had 119 shootings from 2018 through 2020, but this number increased to 178 between 2021 and 2023.

Over the last four years, 106 employees have left the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office due to Mr. Rinehart’s failures to actually prosecute offenders. The prosecutor’s office cannot thrive when there is so much turmoil that 106 people have called it quits in four years.

Finally, I would serve as the line of defense between criminals and victims. As a former victim of domestic violence, I have a unique perspective on the importance of prosecutors and how victims should be treated with dignity and respect. I would be the State’s Attorney who ensures victims have a voice. My opponent likes to say he does this, but when he refused to file objection letters for 35 hardened criminals seeking clemency from the Illinois Governor, he showed he doesn’t stand for victims. This was a slap in the face to all the victims of these crimes and clearly showed Lake County victims he does not stand with them.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I believe in expanding access to behavioral and mental health care in Illinois. Far too often, offenders within the justice system are unable to receive proper care from licensed mental health care workers. This lack of access to care leads to substance abuse disorders that have resulted in 550 deaths in Lake County in the last four years. We need to focus on breaking down barriers to behavioral and mental healthcare.

I would introduce a Drug-Induced Homicide Task Force to curtail the tragedies taking place on our streets. According to the Lake County Coroner’s Office, there have been 550 overdoses in Lake County since 2020. Statistics from the Lake County Circuit Clerk’s Office show only six people have been charged with drug-induced homicide since 2020. Fentanyl and deadly synthetic opioids are killing Lake County residents, and no one is immune to their danger—young and old, men and women. Additional details of this plan can be reviewed on my website at maryforlakecounty.com.

I would correct another of Mr. Rinehart’s failures involving the county crime data hub. My opponent issued a news release regarding the implementation of the data hub that would feature crime data, release data regarding case types like misdemeanors and felonies, and grow to include criminal case filings and diversity arrests. That data hub has remained dormant since July of 2023, the case tracking system never came to pass, and the data showing the number of charges per offense, the diversity charges, and other important items the public was promised never happened.

If elected, I will pick up the data ball he dropped. I promise to keep the data hub up-to-date and ensure this data and case tracking system works. Residents have the right to access data, so I will take over the program he failed and make it successful.

Regarding transparency, my campaign has filed multiple freedom of information requests on the State’s Attorney’s Office during the last 15 months. On at least three occasions, the office attempted to hide information, resulting in my campaign needing to take these issues to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Rinehart isn’t transparent because he’s trying to hide the truth from residents. I will remain transparent to voters seeking any information allowed by law.

What questions should be asked of current government employees accountable to your board?

We do not have a board; the State’s Attorney is able to stand on an island and only answer to taxpayers. So, in that regard, I would do my part to restore safety to Lake County, give the victims currently ignored a loud voice in criminal proceedings, and remove politics from an office that has become much too political in recent years.

In addition, I would pick up the balls my opponent continues to drop. I would fight for victims and object to clemency petitions filed by the most hardened Lake County violent offenders, which my opponent does not do. To stop misappropriated spending, I would eliminate the practice of hiring political consultants to create unnecessary six-figure jobs. Instead, I would require all consultants to submit contracts that comply with Lake County’s regulations.

Finally, junkets to places like Hawaii for a “conference” would stop altogether. I’m for continuing education, but there are plenty of places within driving distance and or far less money that would help our residents better.

Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office (or board)?

My opponent has used taxpayer money to hire campaign strategists and employees to fake positions and six-figure salaries. He has used consultants without signed procurement contracts to drive paid social media ads for his political campaign and other projects the office is doing for unknown reasons. He has hired a Springfield lobbyist after receiving campaign money from that lobbyist’s other clients. He hired a computer consultant to set up the data hub in 2022, then left the data hub dormant after the consultant left one year later. Finally, my opponent has used government funding to send a campaign consultant and five staff members to Hawaii at a cost of $25,000 in hotel bills, food, and airfare.

When elected, I will ensure that the money allocated to the State’s Attorney’s Office will be used to help protect our neighborhoods and residents from crime and enhance victim services. The money my opponent uses for his own service comes from taxpayers and should be used to protect the people of Lake County.

Do you think Illinois’s SAFE-T Act/no cash bail has been effective?

I favor specific aspects of the SAFE-T Act, such as expanding education and using body-worn cameras. However, public safety would be improved if we allowed judges more power and discretion in court decisions. The Act would have been devastating if it had not been halted and amended by other seasoned prosecutors throughout the State.

As currently written, judges do not have the discretion to hold an offender without bail unless the State’s Attorney files the necessary paperwork. This lack of authority has resulted in numerous issues in Lake County.

Specifically in Lake County, Darion Flowers was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and charged with manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance to undercover officers while on probation for various gun charges. These drug deals were also taking place in a home where an autistic child was living. Mr. Flowers was brought before Judge Theodore Potkonjak on November 16, 2022, where he was ordered detained under the SAFE-T Act. This decision prompted someone in the audience to scream at the assistant State’s Attorney, stating State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart had personally ordered Flowers released. About an hour later, the assistant State’s Attorney asked the judge to return to the courtroom because Mr. Rinehart had ordered Flowers released despite previously ordering Flowers detained under the SAFE-T Act.

In addition, a recent report from Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez said three of four unconfined defendants have failed to show up for court dates since the SAFE-T Act went into effect and that defendants have failed to appear in court for hearings in roughly 67,000 of 90,000 cases since last September.

Should the state stiffen gun laws?

The job of the State’s Attorney falls squarely within the “enforcement” branch of the government. Therefore, I will leave legislation to those elected to do that job. Instead, I will focus on enforcing the laws passed by the state legislature and executive branch.

Are there any state laws that you don’t think are constitutional and shouldn’t be enforced or prosecuted?

Again, I firmly believe that the job of the State’s Attorney falls squarely within the “enforcement” branch of the government. Therefore, I will leave legislation to those elected to do that job. I will focus on enforcing the laws passed by the state legislature and executive branch.

What steps will you take to reduce gun violence in Lake County?

[No response]

How will you address domestic violence in Lake County and more effectively protect victims and survivors?

In college, I encountered the criminal justice system for the first time as a victim of a domestic violence case. This experience gave me a unique perspective on the importance of prosecutors treating victims of crime with dignity and respect and reinforced why I chose a career practicing law. After this experience, I worked as a domestic violence advocate while I finished college. After graduating, I became a judicial paralegal, helping judges here in Lake County. After I finished law school and passed the bar exam, I worked as a public defender before being sworn in as a Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney.

Due to the high turnover rate in the State’s Attorney’s Office, there is a lack of extensive training and daily oversight regarding domestic violence cases. These cases need to be handled professionally to make sure victims feel they can reach out without being revictimized through the criminal justice system. My first move would be to increase training for these important prosecutors to assist victims through this horrible crime.

What role do you see the State’s Attorney’s Office playing in addressing mental health issues, and how would you collaborate with other agencies to provide support for individuals in crisis?

I firmly believe in expanding access to behavioral and mental health care in Illinois through therapeutic means at the State’s Attorney’s Office. Far too often, offenders within the justice system have an inability to receive proper care from licensed mental health care workers. This leads to very dangerous substance abuse disorders that have resulted in 550 deaths in Lake County in the last four years. We need to focus on breaking down barriers to behavioral and mental healthcare.

Currently, the Lake County judicial system has therapeutic monitoring courts designed to assist people who have a mental illness to break free of drug and mental health challenges. Still, more needs to be done to enhance these programs for the betterment of our communities. In addition, I stand behind the mental health initiatives the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and our other law enforcement partners brought on to assist people with mental health challenges.

In light of the legalization of cannabis and a recent Illinois Supreme Court ruling on searches based on the scene of marijuana, how will you handle expungements for past marijuana convictions, what is your approach to prosecuting marijuana-related crimes that remain illegal, and how would you handle cases that resulted from searches like the one recently ruled unconstitutional?

As stated previously, as State’s Attorney, I will ensure my office enforces all current laws in Illinois. Illinois has decriminalized cannabis, so I will ensure that my office’s expungement policies reflect that.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have the heart of a prosecutor, and my opponent does not. I went to law school to prosecute offenders to ensure our community is safer, and my opponent, before he was elected as State’s Attorney, hadn’t even prosecuted a case.

I’ll work with everyone in our Lake County community to get the State’s Attorney’s Office on the right track. We’ll focus on focus on the safety of our neighborhoods, ensure that violent offenders actually stay behind bars, and prioritize fighting back against gang violence coming from Chicago.

My opponent is endorsed by political organizations that have nothing to do with public safety, while Illinois Law Enforcement has endorsed me.