Cook County State’s Attorney-elect Eileen O’Neill Burke announces full transition team
November 22, 2024 / 5:22 PM CST
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CHICAGO (CBS) — As she prepares to take office next month, Cook County States Attorney-elect Eileen O’Neill Burke on Friday shed some light on the future of the prosecutor’s office, announcing the members of her transition team, which will weigh in on a range of hot-button topics.
The 29-person team will advise the prosecutor’s office on everything from handling gun violence cases to wrongful convictions to public corruption.
After winning the Nov. 5 election, O’Neill Burke is wasting no time forging a path forward as the county’s top prosecutor, replacing outgoing State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who is stepping down after two terms.
O’Neill Burke announced three transition co-chairs – Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability president Anthony Driver, and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who now runs the violence prevention group Chicago CRED.
The trio will be leading nine subcommittees, staffed with a who’s who of Cook County advocacy organizations and lawmakers.
Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) will be an advisor on the juvenile diversion committee.
“I’m honored that my number was called,” he said. “I remember, you know, three or four years ago, former [Chicago Police} Supt. David Brown talking about the most prolific carjacker in Chicago being a 13-year-old kid. You know, that story within itself should give us pause, and make us want to rethink the way we operate in the juvenile justice space.”
Buckner’s own uncle was murdered in 2016, caught in the crossfire of two groups of juveniles. He said there’s an important balance that needs to be weighed.
“We’ve got to be able to be smart on crime, and also we got to make sure that we create some true accountability,” he said.
In the lead-up to the election, O’Neill Burke said updated training for prosecutors, police, and others connected to prosecuting crime was on the top of her to-do list.
“That changes how we do our jobs. That makes us all better,” she said.
Over the next few months, the subcommittees will meet and provide recommendations on each topic.
Also on the team is Ald. Bill Conway (34th), a former Cook County prosecutor.
“I worked a lot of network effects in terms of financial crimes and public corruption,” Conway said.
His subcommittee will be tackling another contentious issue for the office: gun violence prevention.
“There are several existing cases that are in the pipeline, and perhaps we can take those and investigate them further to see do they lead to a major broker and folks like that? And really re-establish that tie between the U.S. Attorney’s office and the State’s Attorney’s office about getting at these crimes really at a more root cause,” Conway said.
Foxx also had a transition committee when she took office in 2016. Notably, one of the co-chairs was then U.S. Sen.-elect Kamala Harris.
O’Neill Burke will be sworn in on Dec. 2.