State’s attorney primary gets heated with pancakes update

C.L. Smith

Reporter

BELVIDERE –Tricia Smith traded pancakes for cash at her fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Belvidere Community Complex, 111 W. First St.

Smith is vying for the Republican nod in the March 2016 primary election for Boone County state’s attorney. The winner will then start preparing for the November general election.

Smith is confident she will secure the nomination against incumbent, Michelle Courier, and plans to hit the ground running once elected.

“I would start by going through the staff and making sure everyone was properly trained,” Smith said. Smith is concerned that not everyone currently working in the State’s Attorney office is on the same page. “When the current administration’s success rate for felony cases is only 63 percent, you have to start wondering what’s going on,” she said.

According to Tricia, 80 percent to 85 percent is the minimum success rate for such cases.

Along with the lack of successful felony convictions, Smith is concerned with the backlog of cases.

“The backlog is so bad that it’s taking 1100 days for DUI cases to reach trial,” she said.

The bottleneck of piling cases could indicate a lack of efficiency within the office, according to Smith.

Another aspect of the current State’s Attorney administration that Smith finds troubling is the high turnover of attorneys.

Courier has had 17 different attorneys, including seasoned prosecutors; something Smith said could be a clear indicator of a lack of leadership. Smith said this information can be confirmed through the County Clerk and Recorder Office.

But if you asked Tricia Smith to pick one issue in which to campaign, she would pick her experience and training.

“I am far and away the most experienced, and my experience covers the entire spectrum,” Tricia said. “I’ve worked as a police officer, in private practice, and have plenty of felony trial experience.”

With any campaign, endorsements are vital to a candidate’s success, and Smith wants voters to know she has some great supporters in her corner.

Currently, Smith is endorsed by former Boone County Sheriff Duane Wirth, Mary Olson of the Circuit Clerk’s office, retired Rockford Police Lieutenant Mark West, and former three-term Boone County state’s attorney John Maville.

Smith said of Maville, “having John’s endorsement is huge. He was so effective while in office, and the people of the community know that.”

With the March 15 primary election less than two months away, both candidates are putting their campaigns into overdrive to secure the nomination and have the opportunity to represent the Republican Party in November’s general election.