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- Posted Feb. 27, 2016 at 9:10 PM
Updated Feb 27, 2016 at 9:15 PM
BELVIDERE — For the first time ever, two women are vying for the position of state's attorney in Boone County.
Tricia Smith, a former Boone County Board member and former assistant state's attorney, is challenging incumbent Michelle Courier in the March 15 Republican primary. There are no Democrats on the ballot.
Courier, who was first elected in 2008, pledges to continue making Boone County a safe place to live by cracking down on criminals.
"I want to continue to grow our reputation on being tough on crime," Courier said. "In addition, we've done things that were proactive. We've made a positive impact on the community, and I want to continue to make a positive impact here."
Smith is an attorney with John H. Maville Law Offices in Belvidere. Maville served as Boone County state's attorney from 1968 to 1980 and has endorsed Smith, as has former Boone County Sheriff Duane Wirth.
"I've worked in every courtroom in that courthouse, from traffic and misdemeanor to juvenile delinquency, juvenile abuse and neglect and felony (cases)," Smith said. "I can go into any of those courtrooms and run them today. I draw on all that experience to look at charges and get them right."
Both candidates graduated from Belvidere High School and have been involved in Boone County government in some capacity. Both point to their experience in the criminal justice system.
Smith was a police officer in Rockford for six years and went on to work as Boone County assistant state's attorney. She was elected to the Boone County Board in 2010 but resigned in 2011 to avoid a conflict of interest when her law firm was hired to provide legal services to the 17th Judicial Circuit Court.
Courier has spent about 13 years in the State's Attorney's office in different capacities, including criminal prosecutor. After graduating from law school at Northern Illinois University, she served on the Boone County Board and was chief assistant state's attorney in McHenry County from 2004 to 2008.
Courier said the highlights from her time in office include implementing the use of SCRAM bracelets, which test alcohol intake of DUI offenders while using GPS tracking technology, and the county's First Offender Program.
Established in 2013, the program allows first-time offenders accused of less-serious crimes like retail theft or property damage to commit to such things as community service, restitution and a letter of apology. Cases are dismissed for those who complete the program.
Courier also is concerned about gang activity. She started a Gang Task Force that included her office, law enforcement, the Belvidere Park District and others. In 2009, she successfully sued the Latin Kings as well as more than 30 known gang members in Belvidere and Boone County. The lawsuit prohibited gang members from spraying graffiti on public or private property, meeting in public and possessing guns.
Page 2 of 2 - "The whole point of the lawsuit was to give law enforcement another tool in the fight against gangs," Courier said. "It is the opportunity for them to actually, if they see them associating, to stop them and arrest them. It's an additional tool, not the only tool."
Smith said the lawsuit "did not increase the safety of Boone County citizens."
"It (was) a civil suit in which people are sued for money, a money judgment, not to put people in prison," Smith said. "My answer to people that are committing crimes in our community that are severe, that are gang members committing crimes, is to put them in prison."
Smith also contends that Courier only has a 66 percent felony jury trial success rate. Courier maintains that of the 74 felony cases brought to trial from 2012 to 2015, 56 were found guilty — about a 76 percent conviction rate.
"We've actually taken more tough cases to trial; we've taken more cases to trial, and our conviction rate is greater than the previous administration," Courier said.
Smith said she has raised about $30,000 for her campaign. Courier said she has raised about $20,000 and is primarily self-funded.
Adam Poulisse: 815-987-1344; apoulisse@rrstar.com; @adampoulisse
Name: Michelle Courier
Age: 43
Job: State's Attorney, incumbent Education: University of Illinois, and law degree from Northern Illinois University
Name: Tricia Smith
Age: 43
Job: Attorney at Law Offices John H. Maville
Education: Degree in administration of criminal justice from Bradley University and law degree from University of Iowa College of Law.
- By Adam Poulisse
Staff writer
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