FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 7, 2024
Pursuing longer sentences will be a priority for Rose
Making sure that the punishment fits the crime will be a top priority, should he get elected to DeKalb County State's Attorney, says Democratic candidate Chuck Rose.
“I have been walking the streets of communities all over DeKalb County, knocking on doors and meeting constituents. One of the most common concerns I hear is that criminals are getting off too easily. I will work to change that,” Rose says. “This is not just a campaign promise, this is my history. This is what I did as an Assistant State's Attorney, and I can tell you from experience that it works.”
Rose, of Sycamore, is the only candidate in the race for DeKalb County State’s attorney with experience as a prosecutor. He spent five years as an assistant state’s attorney in DeKalb County in the 1990s. He left DeKalb County to take the position of first assistant state’s attorney in Jo Daviess County. For more than three years he prosecuted all criminal cases in Jo Daviess and helped advise the county board on legal matters.
Prior to that, Rose spent eight years in local law enforcement, five years as a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy and three with local police departments and the North Central Narcotics Task Force. If elected he will be the first DeKalb County state’s attorney to have worn a badge.
Since 1998, Rose has worked as an advocate for children and adults with disabilities, first at the Illinois Guardianship Advocacy Commission and then in private practice. He has also spent many years teaching law courses at Kishwaukee College and Elgin Community College.
“I believe that broad range of experience better prepares me to step into the job of DeKalb County State’s Attorney and effectively represent the people of DeKalb County from Day One,” Rose says. Among Rose’s priorities, if elected, will be pursuing tougher sentences for criminals, speeding up the time from arrest to trial and more effectively supporting victims of violent crime.
During his more than eight years working as an Assistant State's Attorney in DeKalb and Jo Daviess Counties, Rose earned a reputation as a prosecutor not afraid to press for tough sentences, whether a case was argued before a jury or a plea bargain was negotiated.
“The ultimate job of the State's Attorney’s office is to make DeKalb County a safer place. One of the most basic ways to do that is to work to ensure that convicted criminals are taken off the street for as long as possible,” Rose says .
Of course, Rose said , the State's Attorney does not ultimately have control over sentencing, but they can come to the table pursuing tougher sentences that keep criminals in prison for as long as possible.
“Ultimately it is up to the judge,” Rose says. “But the State's Attorney’s office has the ability to start the conversation suggesting that the judge apply a sentence closer to the maximum than the minimum, and that is what the office will do if I am elected.”
“Especially in instances related to violent crime, I see no reason not to. Pursuing longer sentences in those cases signals that we are serious about keeping our communities safe by working to ensure that convicted criminals are serving a sentence that reflects the severity of the pain and suffering they have caused,” Rose says.
Of course, pursuing that course may prompt more criminals to opt for jury trials, which is fine by Rose.
“If a criminal turns down the offer, we bring to the table pre-trial, that’s fine by me. Once they say they want a jury trial, we will be ready to try the case. We will show up in court ready to pursue the maximum sentence. The word will soon get around to criminals and defense lawyers that we are not here to cut sweetheart deals and are willing to take the case to a judge and jury,” Rose says .
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