Bob Berlin Announces Re-Election Campaign

 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                               

 June 27, 2023

VETERAN EXPERIENCED STATE’S ATTORNEY BOB BERLIN ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN

WHEATON – Incumbent DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert “Bob” Berlin announced today that he will seek re-election to build on the successes of his time as DuPage County’s State’s Attorney. Since being appointed State’s Attorney in 2010, Berlin has been entrusted by the people of DuPage County as their elected law enforcement leader three times (2012, 2016, and 2020).

Berlin brings over 35 years of prosecutorial experience to bear as leader of the State’s Attorney’s office. Berlin’s track record of protecting the public by prosecuting violent criminals and obtaining substantial sentences for violent offenses is unmatched, while his focus on restorative justice for non-violent offenders who can be rehabilitated offers the community both safety and second chances, where earned. Berlin has continued the rich tradition of tough and innovative State’s Attorneys in DuPage County by instituting policies that have bettered the lives of DuPage County residents.

In just the last four years as DuPage County’s State’s Attorney, Berlin has accomplished much, including but not limited to:

  • Berlin has sent the message that criminals who commit crimes in DuPage County will face the full force of the law. Berlin’s focus on prosecuting violent crime has resulted in significant decreases in the number of charged armed robberies, robberies, aggravated robberies, burglaries and aggravated vehicular hijackings.

  • Berlin led the charge to work collaboratively with stakeholders in education and local law enforcement to create the DuPage County School Mutual Aid Response Team (“DuSMART”). The DuSMART agreement will expedite and facilitate the development and implementation of programs designed to provide mutual aid in crises in DuPage County school districts and cooperatives which exceed the capacity of an individual school district or cooperative to respond effectively on its own.

  • From the inception of the legislation, Berlin expressed concerns with the SAFE-T Act’s bond provisions for violent crimes. Once signed into law, Berlin personally lobbied and worked with legislative leaders in Springfield to amend the SAFE-T Act, most notably changing the “dangerousness standard” for detaining a defendant prior to trial. Prior to the amendment, prosecutors were required to demonstrate a defendant's danger to a named person. Now prosecutors need to prove a defendant's danger to the community for the defendant to be detained. This change, among others, will allow judges greater discretion, and prosecutors fair opportunity to keep dangerous criminals from being put back out on the street while awaiting trial. The amendment would not have been drafted and signed into law without Berlin’s advocacy. As a result of Berlin’s work on the SAFE-T Act amendment the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference presented Berlin the 2022 Governmental Leader of the Year Award in January, 2023.

  •  Berlin worked with the Family Violence Coordinating Counsel to incorporate common-sense technology to help protect victims of domestic abuse by providing them with electronic access to resources in a safe and discrete manner. The new initiative will supplement the old domestic violence “tear sheets” with a new QR code, which can be scanned and saved directly to the victim’s cellular phone. Once downloaded, the QR code will not only provide victims with critical information and available resources, but will also do so in a safe, secure and discrete manner. After scanning the QR code, users will be directed to an alternate website from which they can then safely navigate to direct links to many valuable resources including: the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, YWCA, Family Shelter Services, DCFS, DuPage County Resources System, DuPage County Family Center, and DuPage County Legal Aid, among others. In addition, users can also access links to Adult Protective Services and Juvenile related resources.

  • Berlin’s use of Illinois’ Firearms Restraining Order law has kept firearms out of the hands of those who have been found by a judge to pose a danger of causing personal injury to themselves or others.

  • Berlin’s advocacy as a member of the executive committee of Fight Crime Invest in Kids Illinois has brought about an increase in state funding for programs that have a proven track record of reducing crime, resulting in better outcomes for kids.

Despite these and other achievements, DuPage continues to need an elected State’s Attorney with the prosecutorial experience, integrity, and determination to protect the community by fighting violent crime wherever it may appear.

By working to proactively protect victims, offer non-violent offenders a pathway for rehabilitation, and work collaboratively with partners at the state and local levels, Berlin has positioned the office to serve its most important purpose – protecting the community by prosecuting violent criminals and holding them accountable for their actions. Berlin will continue to work to increase school safety, battle the opioid epidemic, and provide common sense solutions in the criminal justice space.

Berlin resides in Downers Grove with his wife, two daughters and family dog, Bubba.

For more information on Berlin’s achievements, background, and the work of the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office under his leadership, please visit www.BobBerlin.com.

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Daniel Szczesny