As Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez gears up for her first contested Democratic primary in eight years, she is trying to remind voters of her humble background, highlight her long history of prosecuting crimes and paint herself as a reformer concerned as much with justice as notching up convictions.
She plans to release a web video Tuesday that will serve as her formal campaign announcement for the March 15 contest. Preparing to challenge her are Kim Foxx, a former prosecutor backed by County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Donna More, also a former prosecutor now in private practice.
“I grew up in Pilsen — neither one of my parents had a high school education,” Alvarez says, as video of her is interspersed amid older photos and background music that sets a dramatic tone. “My dad was a waiter, and my mom worked as a seamstress, after he passed away when I was 12 years old.”
Alvarez goes on to note she’s worked as a prosecutor for 29 years, saying it is “my calling … my passion” to make sure victims “get the justice that they deserve.” Then, addressing criticism that she’s not done enough to reform the criminal justice system and been too slow to probe some alleged wrongful prosecutions, she declares, “The role of a prosecutor is not rackin’ up convictions. It’s about getting to the truth.”
* Yes, this is a web video, not a TV ad. But I don’t know what sort of folks they believe will watch it for two and a half minutes…
She won’t win any personality medals and she’s not a role model for collegiality either, but she’s done a creditable job as State’s Attorney. I was particularly impressed with how she dealt with the devious work of the Northwestern Wrongful Convictions crew. There have been a few bumps in the road, but her opponents have no business seeking the office.
- After Further Review - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:52 am:
With a few notable exceptions, third term elections have been exceedingly difficult for candidates for Cook County State’s Attorney (the same is true for Illinois Governor).
While the message is positive, why wasn’t this biographical information common knowledge by now?
Like others, I’m not clear as to the purpose of this. Perhaps people want to see something like this before writing a check, or after to reassure themselves?
In any case, I thought it was pretty good. She’s clearly identified Hispanic voters as her base. They are strongly featured. You wonder if that strong emphasis might leave other groups feeling less represented.
For what it is, I give it a solid B. It is not going to change minds, but it might convince people not to abandon ship.
This video is such a crock of bs! She won’t even address the plethora of issues overflowing at her office. This lady spews more cow dun then she can keep up with.
Perhaps the message of her passion and life-long commitment to prosecution, which is believable, says as much about her perceived shortfalls as her strengths.
How broad do we expect the role of the State’s Attorney to be? Given that she’s ethical, can she be considered too “prosecutorial,” and not enough about “justice” generally?
That seems to be the crux of the matter for those who care about the office, and I, for one, am unsure.
The “new divisions/task forces” she speaks of lead to witch hunts because they need to justify the cost. Patronage/pandering needs cover. It costs a lot of money.
The courts are packed because all the SA wants is convictions. Ask anyone involved.
The judges ask the SA to cut deals to clear the docket of minor infractions. Alvarez stalls/intimidates because someone/interest has targeted the accused … or because it is a gang kid selling drugs. These are little kids.
Kids are convicted without regard to the facts because its too hard/takes work to get to the truth/reality/dealer of the situation.
I do not envy the job, but this film just tries to cover/deny the major problems of the Cook County justice system.
If this is as good as she can do, give someone else a chance.
Note to Alvarez, it’s not “innovative” when you are playing catch up.
And regarding the role of a prosecutor, was it about justice when she railroaded the Koschman family? Was it about justice in her slow walking of “conviction integrity” cases? Let’s not forget there are murder and rape victims and their families who have not had justice done because of the cabal of corrupt cops and prosecutors.
not sure what the forum or audience is for the video. it is long but it moved along faster than I imagined for the length. the first half hit at justice for victims, which is forgotten by most of her critics(gg you just don’t get that criminals get arrested and SAO deals with them) , but then shifted to the kinds of programs that her critics demand so that was kind of more two sides of the coin and perhaps not linked adequately to make it understandable . B
I think this is a pretty solid piece that can be edited into effective 30 or 60 second spots.
Outside of the Kotchman stuff, Alvarez has had a pretty solid run in what is one of Illinois’ four or five toughest elected posts. She really is a career prosecutor — that’s not just political spin. And she’s a better prosecutor than she is a politician, which can actually be an impediment come election time. Her predecessors (Devine, O’Malley, Partee, Daley) were all politicians first and foremost who knew how to kiss up to the press and fellow pols. Alvarez shuns those things, which is causing her some peril now.
- change of subject - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 1:47 pm:
@Beebee says the CC States’ Atty is “one of Illinois’ four or five toughest elected posts.”
Good topic for a Question of the Day! My list for the 5 toughest:
1) Mayor of Chicago (all the headaches of being governor, plus dealing with street crime, plus dealing with a bigger and more aggressive press corps.)
2) Governor (only way to credibly govern right now is to raise taxes AND cut spending, not to mention dealing with that pesky GA.)
3) Cook County Sheriff (Cook County Jail is a ticking time bomb and almost all your employees carry badges and guns — that’s a lot of exposure.)
4) Cook County State’s Atty (when you’re Attorney General, you pick your cases. When you’re states’ attorney, the cases pick you. In police shooting incidents, you royally tick-off half the electorate regardless of which action you take.)
5) Secretary of State (Rutan, Shakman and the ban on organ donor ads have eroded the perks. What’s left is a hard to manage operation spread out over hundreds miles with lots of employees at lots of locations, many of whom are susceptible to taking “tips.”)
- crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 2:11 pm:
==Given that she’s ethical==
Who gave that?
==When you’re states’ attorney, the cases pick you.==
No, not usually.
- crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 2:15 pm:
As we saw in the 60 Minutes video, Alvarez does a thorough job of standing up for victims of real or imagined necrophilia, I suppose.
Living victims tend to be much more complicated than her prosecutorial ethos contemplates.
change of subject is exactly correct…SA is very hard. SAs get the cases handed to them for the overwhelming majority of the time. police arrest, misdemeanors and juvys move forward, felony review makes some clearing from the police but police have some override power to ensure a felony case moves forward. the AG, and the Feds for that matter, pick and choose. way more to do in any SAO/DAO. and depending on the office…for example, different states have different kinds of organizations included or not like Civil or Juvy might not be in the office…so the CCSAO is one of the largest such offices in the country. lots to do.
- Change of subject - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 5:56 pm:
–crazybleedingheart– –mrJM–
You’re taking me too literally. Even if the SA decides not to prosecute, the case still “picks you” because you have to own the political consequences of the decision not to prosecute. Conversely, the Attorney General rarely faces “heater” cases because that office’s duties are mostly limited to serving as a civil lawyer for the state — not criminal. As such, the AG can mostly pick feel good cases to pursue (”let’s sue a utility company today!”) while the SA gets heater cases dropped in her lap (say a cop just shot a kid with a toy gun) and she has to make a tough legal and political decision.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:21 am:
Good message, needs editing. B.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:27 am:
Nice job “getting to the truth” in the Koschman case. Atta girl!
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:36 am:
I don’t understand the purpose of these long online videos.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:47 am:
“The role of a prosecutor is not rackin’ up convictions.”
She’s already droppin’ her G’s?
Next up, Anita Alvarez wearing a cheap watch & a spotless barn coat.
– MrJM
- OneMan - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:48 am:
I guess it is aimed a Capfax readers or people who don’t click skip ad on youtube (when it ends up a youtube ad)..
Getting to the truth…
Unless, it is like embarrassing to me, my office or powerful people….
- Otto Didact - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:49 am:
Too long for the average 30 second attention span.
Couda just put up a sign that reads Anita!…Like Jeb did to hide behind the Bush.
- chiatty - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:51 am:
She won’t win any personality medals and she’s not a role model for collegiality either, but she’s done a creditable job as State’s Attorney. I was particularly impressed with how she dealt with the devious work of the Northwestern Wrongful Convictions crew. There have been a few bumps in the road, but her opponents have no business seeking the office.
- After Further Review - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 9:52 am:
With a few notable exceptions, third term elections have been exceedingly difficult for candidates for Cook County State’s Attorney (the same is true for Illinois Governor).
While the message is positive, why wasn’t this biographical information common knowledge by now?
- Gooner - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:04 am:
Like others, I’m not clear as to the purpose of this. Perhaps people want to see something like this before writing a check, or after to reassure themselves?
In any case, I thought it was pretty good. She’s clearly identified Hispanic voters as her base. They are strongly featured. You wonder if that strong emphasis might leave other groups feeling less represented.
For what it is, I give it a solid B. It is not going to change minds, but it might convince people not to abandon ship.
- Slick - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:33 am:
It’s better than how she did on 60 minutes….
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 10:38 am:
This is public because she wants it to be.
- Ohhhpuhlease - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:14 am:
This video is such a crock of bs! She won’t even address the plethora of issues overflowing at her office. This lady spews more cow dun then she can keep up with.
- walker - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:21 am:
Perhaps the message of her passion and life-long commitment to prosecution, which is believable, says as much about her perceived shortfalls as her strengths.
How broad do we expect the role of the State’s Attorney to be? Given that she’s ethical, can she be considered too “prosecutorial,” and not enough about “justice” generally?
That seems to be the crux of the matter for those who care about the office, and I, for one, am unsure.
- gg - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:22 am:
IMO
The “new divisions/task forces” she speaks of lead to witch hunts because they need to justify the cost. Patronage/pandering needs cover. It costs a lot of money.
The courts are packed because all the SA wants is convictions. Ask anyone involved.
The judges ask the SA to cut deals to clear the docket of minor infractions. Alvarez stalls/intimidates because someone/interest has targeted the accused … or because it is a gang kid selling drugs. These are little kids.
Kids are convicted without regard to the facts because its too hard/takes work to get to the truth/reality/dealer of the situation.
I do not envy the job, but this film just tries to cover/deny the major problems of the Cook County justice system.
If this is as good as she can do, give someone else a chance.
gg
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:23 am:
Note to Alvarez, it’s not “innovative” when you are playing catch up.
And regarding the role of a prosecutor, was it about justice when she railroaded the Koschman family? Was it about justice in her slow walking of “conviction integrity” cases? Let’s not forget there are murder and rape victims and their families who have not had justice done because of the cabal of corrupt cops and prosecutors.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 11:49 am:
not sure what the forum or audience is for the video. it is long but it moved along faster than I imagined for the length. the first half hit at justice for victims, which is forgotten by most of her critics(gg you just don’t get that criminals get arrested and SAO deals with them) , but then shifted to the kinds of programs that her critics demand so that was kind of more two sides of the coin and perhaps not linked adequately to make it understandable . B
- My opinion - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 12:02 pm:
she was portrayed well in the ad as a “sketch”
- Beebee - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 12:36 pm:
I think this is a pretty solid piece that can be edited into effective 30 or 60 second spots.
Outside of the Kotchman stuff, Alvarez has had a pretty solid run in what is one of Illinois’ four or five toughest elected posts. She really is a career prosecutor — that’s not just political spin. And she’s a better prosecutor than she is a politician, which can actually be an impediment come election time. Her predecessors (Devine, O’Malley, Partee, Daley) were all politicians first and foremost who knew how to kiss up to the press and fellow pols. Alvarez shuns those things, which is causing her some peril now.
- change of subject - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 1:47 pm:
@Beebee says the CC States’ Atty is “one of Illinois’ four or five toughest elected posts.”
Good topic for a Question of the Day! My list for the 5 toughest:
1) Mayor of Chicago (all the headaches of being governor, plus dealing with street crime, plus dealing with a bigger and more aggressive press corps.)
2) Governor (only way to credibly govern right now is to raise taxes AND cut spending, not to mention dealing with that pesky GA.)
3) Cook County Sheriff (Cook County Jail is a ticking time bomb and almost all your employees carry badges and guns — that’s a lot of exposure.)
4) Cook County State’s Atty (when you’re Attorney General, you pick your cases. When you’re states’ attorney, the cases pick you. In police shooting incidents, you royally tick-off half the electorate regardless of which action you take.)
5) Secretary of State (Rutan, Shakman and the ban on organ donor ads have eroded the perks. What’s left is a hard to manage operation spread out over hundreds miles with lots of employees at lots of locations, many of whom are susceptible to taking “tips.”)
- crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 2:11 pm:
==Given that she’s ethical==
Who gave that?
==When you’re states’ attorney, the cases pick you.==
No, not usually.
- crazybleedingheart - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 2:15 pm:
As we saw in the 60 Minutes video, Alvarez does a thorough job of standing up for victims of real or imagined necrophilia, I suppose.
Living victims tend to be much more complicated than her prosecutorial ethos contemplates.
Not that she is actually their lawyer.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 3:34 pm:
“When you’re states’ attorney, the cases pick you.”
Nanci Koschman would find that news surprising.
– MrJM
- Amalia - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 5:36 pm:
change of subject is exactly correct…SA is very hard. SAs get the cases handed to them for the overwhelming majority of the time. police arrest, misdemeanors and juvys move forward, felony review makes some clearing from the police but police have some override power to ensure a felony case moves forward. the AG, and the Feds for that matter, pick and choose. way more to do in any SAO/DAO. and depending on the office…for example, different states have different kinds of organizations included or not like Civil or Juvy might not be in the office…so the CCSAO is one of the largest such offices in the country. lots to do.
- Change of subject - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 5:56 pm:
–crazybleedingheart– –mrJM–
You’re taking me too literally. Even if the SA decides not to prosecute, the case still “picks you” because you have to own the political consequences of the decision not to prosecute. Conversely, the Attorney General rarely faces “heater” cases because that office’s duties are mostly limited to serving as a civil lawyer for the state — not criminal. As such, the AG can mostly pick feel good cases to pursue (”let’s sue a utility company today!”) while the SA gets heater cases dropped in her lap (say a cop just shot a kid with a toy gun) and she has to make a tough legal and political decision.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Oct 13, 15 @ 6:20 pm:
“I was particularly impressed with how she dealt with the devious work of the Northwestern Wrongful Convictions crew.”
No, you weren’t.
Alvarez took on the Medill Innocence Project. It is located in Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
The Center on Wrongful Convictions at the Northwestern University School of Law remains above reproach.
– MrJM