The Cook County State's Attorney's Office is responsible for prosecuting violations of Illinois criminal law in Cook County, Illinois. The office is led by the Cook County State's Attorney.
Cook County is the largest county in Illinois and home to forty percent of the state's populations, including the City of Chicago. Because of this, the Cook County State's Attorney is generally considered to be an important and powerful position.
Role of the State's Attorney's Office[]
The role of the SA's office in Cook County (and in all other Ilinois counties) is to represent the State of Ilinois in the investigation and prosecution of alledged crimes.
The State's Attorney[]
The Cook County State's Attorney is head of the state's attorney's office and is the chief law enforcement officer in Cook County. The state's attorney is chosen by popular election. Among the dozens of state's attorneys in Illinois, the Cook County SA hold outsize influence and importance due to the large number of criminal prosecutions he oversees, as well as his jurisdiction over Chicago, Illinois largest and America's third largest city. Two SA's are seen through Season Four of The Good Wife:
- Peter Florrick (prior to "Pilot")
- Glenn Childs (seasons 1-2)
- Peter Florrick (seasons 3-4)
- James Castro (seasons 5-6)
Structure of the State's Attorney's Office[]
The SA hires and supervises a staff of deputy state's attorney's (DSAs) and assistant state's attorneys (ASAs), who are assigned to specific cases and appear in court on behalf of the SA. The SA can also choose appoint a special prosecutor to handle politically sensitive cases. State's attorneys are limited in their ability to supervise a special prosecutor, who is usually allowed to make decisions independent of the state's attorney.