It had been five years since Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez tried a bench trial on her own.
She ended that streak Sept. 19 when she took a chair in the Cook County Criminal Courts Building for a highly publicized case against Shawn Gaston, charged with first-degree murder in the June 1 shooting death of Chicago police officer Alejandro Valadez.
Alvarez became the first Latina and female Cook County state's attorney when she became the office's leader in December 2008. Twenty-two years prior, she started as an assistant state's attorney after graduating from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1986. A native of Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, she obtained her undergraduate degree in social work in 1982 from Loyola University.
Alvarez's experience as an assistant state's attorney provides her with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the office she runs; she has tried about 50 felony jury trials and exponentially more nontrial felony cases. She's held supervisory titles ranging from the chief of staff to the Cook County state's attorney to deputy chief of the Narcotics Bureau.
Despite the fact that she's the state's attorney of the largest county court system in the United States, Alvarez has trouble containing her excitement over trying a new case.
Such a reaction might be expected from a career state's attorney who is just as familiar with the "trenches" as the about 850 assistant state's attorneys she oversees: She's proof that no matter how high you climb in the ranks, the itch for the courtroom never goes away for many prosecutors.
How has the experience been for you overall?
It's been great. I've spent my entire legal career here at the state's attorney's office, so I've grown up here and I love it. But there definitely are some challenges sitting in this seat as opposed to if you're first chair in a courtroom.
What has it been like having the perspective of filling both sets of shoes?
In those days when I was a young assistant saying, "Well I'm doing this because 'downtown' wants me to" and now I'm the downtown. It's a big change, but when you're coming up through the system as an assistant and you're trying cases and in the trenches, you don't really have to think about the budget and all these policy changes. Obviously being up here is much different, and with the economy it's been bad, and it's gonna continue being bad. It's been challenging to fill that role.
What was a key issue for you when stepping into the role of state's attorney?
The first area we focused on when I took over was a reorganization of the office. I eliminated an entire bureau (Public Interest Bureau); so many of the functions we were doing were in duplicate — we were doing it in other areas of the office, and facing the budget that we had, it was better fiscally to eliminate the bureau and reassign those duties to other bureaus.
With personnel changes, once I got that in place, we focused on just trying to implement some of the things that I thought were important just to make this office better: We looked at certain legislation; gun laws that we felt we wanted to pass and we focused on that as well as new initiatives like our Human Trafficking Initiative. What we need to do when we're talking about the budget — because we're not going to get more money from the county board — we needed to be creative and think outside the box as to where we could get some more money to help us. So we focused on looking at our grant monies. We actually received a lot through the stimulus grants and we doubled the amount of grant money we had, so we went from 2008 receiving $9 million in grant monies, we now have $18 million.
That has helped us tremendously, especially with our Human Trafficking Initiative. We were one of only three jurisdictions in the entire country (Boston, California's Alameda County and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation) that got money to do this, so we're really happy with that and it allowed us to put our unit together.
(The second issue) is mortgage fraud — we've been applying for every grant we could apply for and we were able to receive a grant to create a separate mortgage fraud unit, allowing state's attorneys to handle those cases in Community Justice Centers. I opened my fourth (center) last month. That was a promise in my campaign to bring those back. That's my primary focus: Try to do new things without, because we know we're not gonna get the money.
I also wanted to make this office more attractive to other young minority lawyers who sometimes think that they shouldn't be on the prosecution side — they should instead be public defenders. Every minority lawyer in this office will tell you that at some point in their career, they've been asked that question. It's certainly happened to me. You do so much for your community by speaking up for the victims of crime, so we've made a real focus on increasing the number of minorities we have hired in this office: Our last class was 43 percent minority, which is the highest we've ever had.
How do you think you've dealt with ongoing financial issues?
It was a rough couple months just to get to the point where we're at. Obviously our job is public safety, and eliminating assistant state's attorneys, to me, is not a good thing. Losing bodies is really something that infringes on public safety, so we did our best to make sure we weren't going to lose positions. On our administrative side, it was looking pretty grim up until the 11th hour because the union that represents our administrative bureau at the last minute agreed to those furlough days. If they hadn't agreed, it would have caused us to lay off close to 200 people, which would have affected how we operate in every office. It was rough … we lost positions and lost money, but it could have been worse. We just started our next budget process and we'll see what the next couple months bring.
What assistant state's attorney role were you in that gave you the most insight into being the Cook County state's attorney?
I spent almost four years in the Gang Unit prosecuting gang-related homicides. As a trial attorney, that's when I was at the top of my game because I tried so many cases and worked with so many people. Just being a minority (assistant) state's attorney and seeing the types of crime we unfortunately dealt with in our communities — our young people killing each other and destroying their families for no good reason. A lot of that saddened me, angered me, so I think that unit really defined me.
From there I held various supervisory positions. With each supervisor position, you grow in that role because it's much different than being a line assistant. (The Public Integrity Unit) was my first supervisory role and that was a turn from me going to just trying cases and working hand in hand with police to actively looking for corruption. That was a big turning point for me because it provided a different perspective.
Do you have a singular success that you're more proud of than others?
Our Human Trafficking Initiative. The issue of human trafficking … obviously people always think it's just some kind of international thing, like it doesn't happen here. But it does happen here …. it can happen anywhere in this city because Chicago is a transportation hub; a convention hub. It's ripe for this.
We've seen gangs are also getting into human trafficking and mortgage fraud because it's more lucrative; they think it's under the radar and it's less violent … for them, anyway.
As a mother of four kids, the idea of some child being out there at 11, 12 years old and prostituted at that age … they're not doing it willingly, someone is making money off of it. It's a big initiative because the first thing we did was change the law to create the Illinois State Children's Act: It's the most comprehensive law out there. I was in New York last year and they were jealous because we passed the law on the first try and it took them five years to pass something similar called the Safe Harbor Act.
I'm also really proud of restoring those Community Justice Centers. I talked a lot about it during the campaign and we closed them in 2007 because of the budget. But the people in those communities were complaining because they really liked those offices — you could walk in off the street with a question and maybe it's not a criminal matter; maybe it's just to refer them to the appropriate city agency. My assistants out in those offices love it. They help put a better face on their communities.
Do you miss being in the trenches?
That's an easy one: I do! I was in court yesterday just observing and you kind of miss it. I was watching the assistant, thinking, "Say this, say this, say this! I hope he's gonna say this!"
How often do you get to other branches?
I try to spend two days a week at 26th Street (Cook County Criminal Courts Building) and I get to other branches. It's not as often as I'd like, but we try to have meetings with other district branches. Visibility is important: When we went through the budget process, I went out to the districts just to explain to them what we've been through with the county board and what the negotiations were and it was appreciated. People hear things, the rumors start, and I have to tell them, "This is what's gonna happen."
What would you like to see change with the office by the time you go?
We're the second largest (state's attorney office) in the nation, but statutorily we have more responsibility than any other office. That this be the best office there is and I never lose focus as to why we're here: To do justice, speak on behalf of the victim and never lose sight of that. No matter where you are in the office, it's important that you're here for a purpose and maintain the same passion you had on your first day 10 years later.
See Anita on NewsViews
On Sunday, May 23, 2010, Anita discussed her first year and a half in office on ABC's NewsViews. Please click the link below to see the complete story.
State's Attorney Cracking Down On Local Corruption
May 4, 2010 - CBS News Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez
A crackdown on local corruption has netted everyone from a city treasurer with sticky fingers to a financial manager who stole funds earmarked for special education students. CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez has more on "Operation Cookie Jar."
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez says corruption occurs at every level, and we all deserve better.
"We really have to chisel away at the problem, and so you have to start there. So that's what we've been focusing on, moving from the ground going up," she said.
Accused of stealing the most in Operation Cookie Jar: 62-year-old Donald Jacobs, a former treasurer of the Posen Park District.
Authorities say he wrote $266,000 worth of checks to a company that never did business with the park district, and listed only him and his wife as signers on the company account.
Martin Boyd, 62, former accountant for Harwood Heights, is charged with stealing $135,000 by overpaying himself for three years.
Charged with stealing more than $55,000 from the Southwest Bar Association in Tinley Park is 48-year-old Michael Tracy, who simply wrote checks out to himself.
And Robert Baldwin, 67, used a Niles Township credit card to buy more than $10,000 worth of stuff like airline tickets, computers and cell phones for himself. The money came from a fund for special education students.
"Charging a special education director may not be as glamorous as indicting a governor," said Alvarez. "But when a person steals public money needed to help children with special needs, this is a high priority for those children, their families, and of course for the Cook County State's Attorney's office."
If you have your hand in the cookie jar, or know someone who does, the state's attorney's office is looking for you.
Alvarez stressed having checks and balances, no matter how much you trust someone. The men charged today face between two and 30 years in prison.
April 9, 2010
Chinatown brothel probe leads to felony charges
Accused leader of prostitution ring paid thousands to undercover officer, police say
By Matthew Walberg, Tribune reporter
The day after Chicago police busted his alleged Chinatown brothel, Sheng Quan Dong called the undercover officer who posed as a john and asked to have dinner with him, authorities say.
The call launched a lengthy undercover investigation in which Dong regularly paid $1,000 a month to the officer to protect his prostitution business from law enforcement, according to charges released Friday. Dong's trust in the Mandarin-speaking officer was misplaced; he was only posing as a crooked cop as their meetings were audio- and video-recorded.
Dong allegedly paid the officer a combined $17,300 in cash over more than a year, Chicago police and the Cook County state's attorney's office said in announcing multiple felony charges against Dong, his wife, a doorman, two suspected prostitutes and a suspected customer.
"This was not your typical prostitution ring," Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said. "Asian women from around the nation were being flown into Chicago to work as prostitutes for weeks at a time."
As part of the undercover operation, police even staged a raid in 2006 to convince Dong that the officer was indeed dirty.
Hate crimes a priority for Alvarez as reports continue to decrease
By John Flynn Rooney Law Bulletin staff writer
While reports of hate crimes continue to decline in Chicago and throughout Illinois, prosecutors, police and others must remain committed to prosecuting such crimes, said Cook County State's Attorney Anita M. Alvarez.
Hate crimes are a priority for her office and will be fully prosecuted, Alvarez said Wednesday at a gathering of the office's Hate Crimes Prosecution Counsel in Skokie.
"In my view, no one should have to endure the pain and humiliation of a hate crime, which is truly a repugnant act," according to a copy of Alvarez's prepared remarks. "The damage of a crime such as this goes well beyond the original victim and extends through the entire community."
Orli Gil, consulate general of Israel to the Midwest, delivered the keynote remarks during the event at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 9603 Woods Drive. About 70 people attended the event, said a spokesman for the state's attorney's office.
When Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez ran for office in 2008, she was told there was no way the county's voters would elect a woman, let alone a Latina, to lead the second-largest criminal justice system in the U.S.
But not only did Alvarez win the election, she did so against five men, three of whom were politically connected in Chicago.
The "glass ceiling" for women, and Hispanics, is disappearing, Alvarez told about 50 women and men Tuesday at the first Wise Latinas brunch at Elgin Community College. The event was put on by the school's Organization of Latin American Students in honor of Women's History Month, club President Karla Lopez explained.
Alvarez also was asked to speak to recognize the leadership of Hispanics like herself and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Lopez said.
Alvarez never expected to become an attorney, growing up in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, she said. But her parents stressed the importance of education. Alvarez went to Loyola University to study social work, and taking the Law School Admission Test was a last-minute decision, she said.
Durbin swears in Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez before her testimony at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law hearing. Durbin also chaired the hearing.
Alvarez Tells Senators of Child Prostitutes' Ordeals Cook County state's attorney says office treats them as victims, not crimnals
February 24, 2010 Some young Chicagoans are practicing "survival sex" and selling their bodies for food, clothing or a safe place to sleep, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez told a U.S. Senate hearing Wednesday.
Alvarez, addressing a subcommittee looking into human trafficking, told of a girl who didn't want her pimp to face charges because he bought her a Subway sandwich whenever she wanted one. Another girl had sex for cash to buy food and clothing, unable to rely on her mother, a drug addict.
The state's attorney said her office rarely charges juveniles arrested for prostitution-related offenses, treating them instead as victims who need "support, services and a safe future."
The hearing was called by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. He estimated that 100,000-plus U.S. children become sex-trafficking victims every year.
For nearly two hours, the subcommittee heard graphic, sometimes gruesome testimony about kids trading sex in the streets — or up and down interstate highways — and becoming addicted to drugs while veering between feelings of love for and fear of their pimps.
CHICAGO - Charles Flowers no longer will be able to use his public office as if it were an ATM. On Thursday, the superintendent of the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education was arrested and charged with theft by the Cook County state's attorney's office.
In a series of stories by staff writer Duaa Eldeib over the past nine months, the SouthtownStar has exposed a long list of corrupt and questionable practices by Flowers.
Although he inherited an office already $425,000 in debt, Flowers put his two sisters and a nephew on the payroll.
As the debt mounted to $1 million, the office defaulted on a $190,000 loan from Cook County, was evicted from its headquarters for failing to pay the rent and failed to make payroll.
Anita Alvarez, the first Hispanic female CBA President, is focusing on expanding CBA services. Alvarez, who was elected Cook County State’s Attorney in November 2008, had spent 22 years as a prosecutor before she ran for the top job and bested six Democrats in the primary and then handily won the general election. Prior to becoming States Attorney, Alvarez already had a distinguished legal career in the office that she now heads. She served as the Chief Deputy State’s Attorney, Chief of Staff to the Former Cook County State’s Attorney DickDevine, Chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Bureau, and Supervisor of the Public Integrity Unit. Her list of awards is long. In 2001 she was named Person of the Year by Chicago Lawyer Magazine. In 2002 she was the recipient of the Professional Achievement Award from Chicago-Kent College of Law. In 2005 Alvarez was named Person of the Year by the Latin American Police Association and also named States Attorney of the Year by the Illinois State Crime Commission.
If you’re a local prosecutor and want to go after gangs or drug dealers, state law gives you an arsenal of powerful weapons. One of the most potent: the ability to eavesdrop on conversations by tapping a telephone.
But if you’re a local prosecutor going after a Chicago alderman or suburban mayor who’s on the take? Sorry. State law says you can’t tap the phone even with a court order.
No wonder corrupt pols here fear only one person: U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald.
Most government corruption cases are brought by the U.S. attorney’s office, in large part because federal prosecutors have the tools to pursue them. They aren’t hamstrung by Illinois’ stifling anti-anti-corruption laws.
Fitzgerald has made crooked pols a priority: He has convicted one former governor and indicted another. He has convicted 148 federal, state and local officials in seven years. He has at least eight prosecutors working on public corruption cases.
Reforming Illinois: Who's listening in? Not county prosecutor - yet
Say you’re an ambitious county prosecutor who wants to stamp out political corruption. Say you’ve got solid evidence that a certain politician is a crook, but the only way to really get the goods on him is to listen in on his phone conversations – and you’ve exhausted every other investigative option.
In Illinois, if you’re a county prosecutor, you simply can’t do it. You can’t wiretap the phone. State law doesn’t allow it.
Federal law does, so federal prosecutors can do it, as they did in the case of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
In one of the more curious twists of Illinois law, county prosecutors are prevented or hamstrung in using listening devices to go after public corruption and other white-collar crimes. They have to jump through many more legal hoops that the feds for instance, if they want to put a wire on a snitch to record conversations with a bad guy – whether it’s a gang leader or a political boss.
So many hoops, in fact, that using a wire is often all but impossible for county prosecutors.
The applause-o-meter wildly careened as the tuxedoed politicians strutted across the stage Saturday night at the annual Equality Illinois gala. Dawn Clark-Netsch, the grand dame of progressives, floated by in a billowy green and red gown, reprising Christmas. The meter went through the roof.
The main attraction was the parade of politicians, who each stepped briefly into the spotlight and wooed the 1,100 or so supporters of the gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender rights group. It’s a must do for any politician who cares about Chicago’s GLBT vote.
The state’s top pols were there though the next big election isn’t until 2010. Dozens, including a U.S. Senator, a governor and an eager passel of congressional wannabes all jostled for the limelight.
Cook County's next state's attorney will take the job at a treacherous time: The murder count in Chicago is escalating, citizens in many communities distrust law enforcement, and economic hardship could well lead to troubling increases in robberies, burglaries and property crimes. Add to that Cook County government's chronic financial dysfunction, plus the probability that political insiders will pressure the new chief prosecutor for jobs and other favors, and you have a near-perfect storm.
We like all three of the available choices for state's attorney. We also want all three of them to stay where they are now. Let us explain:
This page frequently praises Cook County Board member Tony Peraica for his courage in combatin the arrogance, bloat and corruption that suffuse county government.
Green Party candidate Thomas O'Brien, an assistant state's attorney for two decades, is broadly respected for his work in Juvenile Court on behalf of children; lawyers who've practiced there especially praise his work in child-abuse cases.
Democrat Anita Alvarez, though, has demonstrated the crime-busting skills, the professionalism and—this is crucial—sufficient independence from the office's old-boy culture to now retool it to negotiate its mounting challenges. We have a few quibbles with Alvarez. But we're confident she will grow in office, realize that taxpayer-provided resources are finite, and say a resounding no to the County Building mismanagers and the Democratic insiders who'll try to take advantage of her. That confidence on multiple levels leads us to endorse Anita Alvarez for Cook County state's attorney.
For Cook County state's attorney, Anita Alvarez is the clear choice for her experience, understanding of the office and dedication to its mission.
Republican challenger Anthony Peraica, a Cook County Board member known for his outspoken criticism of the county administration, has tried to make a case that the state's attorney's office is incapacitated by internal politics and needs to focus more attention on rooting out government corruption. But such thinking shows a lack of appreciation for the functions of the office, which certainly has more than enough of a challenge keeping up with the violent crime that is its primary focus.
While it's naive to suggest that politics doesn't play a role in the nation's second-largest prosecutorial office, Alvarez, a Cook County prosecutor for 22 years, demonstrates the strength and independence to address the office's structural problems and shape it into an effective organization going forward. Attorney Thomas O'Brien also is seeking the position from the Green Party, but it's Alvarez who has the best personal and professional qualifications.
COMMENTARY :
Alvarez is our pick for state's attorney
September 29, 2008 The people of Cook County need a state's attorney who is ready to run the office now, not someone ready to learn on the job.
This is the crucial difference between the two candidates running for the job, career prosecutor Anita Alvarez and Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica.
Alvarez has been a prosecutor in the Cook County state's attorney's office for 22 years. After graduating from Chicago-Kent College of Law, she worked her way up from the bottom wrungs of the prosecutor's office -- a rare Hispanic women in an old boy's club -- to the office's No. 3 position.
From this week's Focus ANITA ALVAREZ DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE • COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY
Yes, she's a self-declared "hockey mom" who's — yawn — struggling to balance family and career and has taken to wearing a lot of red power suits lately.
She's also a political novice who made history Feb. 5 by beating five men to become the first woman and Hispanic to win a primary for Cook County state's attorney.
Anita Alvarez, 48, a career prosecutor and marathon runner — her best finish is 4:12 — is still a relative unknown. But that will change if, as expected, she beats GOP nominee Tony Peraica in the general election in November.
ON Q: WITH ANITA ALVAREZ, HISTORIC STATE'S ATTORNEY CANDIDATE
By Demetrius Patterson | N'DIGOnline, March 6-12, 2008
If you ask Anita Alvarez to describe her life in one word today, she doesn’t hesitate with the answer: “Great!”
Alvarez readily admits that the stars appear to have lined up in her favor –– along with a good work ethic –– to position the assistant state’s attorney as possibly the first woman and Hispanic to serve as Cook County’s State’s Attorney if elected in November.
And just like Barack Obama’s realistic bid to become the first African American president, Alvarez appears to have come from out of nowhere as the Democratic Party’s candidate for the state’s attorney position, running against Republican candidate Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica. Alvarez, like Obama, identifies herself as a “new breed” of political candidate for change.
Between doing her job and making appearances at various events, Alvarez, 48, recently took time with N’DIGO to provide some insight on the woman who may be the county’s next state’s attorney.
By John McCarron | Chicago Tribune, February 8, 2008
I was shoveling snow thinking about the results of the Democratic primary for Cook County state's attorney, and suddenly it all made sense..
That's another good thing about shoveling. Something about the rhythmic scrape-and-toss sends me to Zenlike trances of deep thought. For you, it may be a hot shower or a second cocktail. For me, there's nothing like a cold winter's morning at the Irish Health Club, alone in my boots, working up a sweat with no dues and no monthly minimums.
Hardly anybody saw Anita Alvarez coming. A lot of us had her pegged fifth in a six-candidate race.
ONCE COUNTED OUT, ALVAREZ GETS BIG HELP FROM WOMEN, SUBURBS
By Rob Olmstead | Daily Herald Staff, February 7, 2008
It's 8 a.m. on the day after elections and some character Anita Alvarez hardly knows is calling her cell phone asking for a job. A few weeks ago, her press secretary, Sally Daly, could barely keep a prominent television political reporter on the phone long enough to say hello.
This morning, however, he's tripping over himself to congratulate Alvarez on her victory as she makes the obligatory television appearances, starting at 6 a.m., after a light night of watching the returns.
With the exception of her Republican opponent, everyone loves Anita Alvarez.
Now.
But before Tuesday evening, the 48-year-old prosecutor wasn't getting much credit as being able to win the race. Most major politicians' endorsements went to Chicago Alderman Tom Allen, Chicago Alderman Howard Brookins or Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin. Her own boss, retiring State's Attorney Dick Devine, broke his vow to be neutral and backed his first assistant, Bob Milan.
The slights may have irked her just a little -- when a reporter asked her Tuesday night if she thought her opponents had underestimated her, the question was hardly out of his mouth before she forcefully shot back, "YES!" But she also conceded that in some ways that was good. Alvarez avoided many of the attack ads that brought other leading contenders down in the polls.
News 
