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Updated 9/26: Jacobs hits Waller on sex offender prosecutionsSeptember 26, 2008 By JOHN ROSZKOWSKIjroszkowski@pioneerlocal.com Democratic state's attorney candidate Michael Jacobs blasted Lake County State's Attorney Michael Waller's record on prosecuting sex offense cases during a press conference Friday. Held at the Lake County Democratic headquarters in Waukegan, Jacobs said that child sex offenders in Lake County are offered plea deals and end up serving shorter sentences than they deserve. Jacobs is challenging Waller, an 18-year Republican incumbent, in the Nov. 4 election for state's attorney. "Out of nearly 250 felony child sex offender cases carrying a maximum of 4,000 years in prison, Mike Waller has only achieved an average sentence of 2 1/2 years," said Jacobs. "That's not an exemplary record. That's a record of failure. "It's time to send a clear message in Lake County. If you prey on children, you're going to go to prison and you're go to prison for a long time," he said. Jacobs was joined by Denise Rotheimer, a Democratic candidate for County Board District 17, whose daughter was a victim of sexual abuse, and Sheila Mannix, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Illinois Family Court Accountability Advocates. Rotheimer said her 11-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted in 2001 and the offender received only a 7 1/2 year sentence, while the maximum sentence the offender could have received was up to 30 years. She said the assistant state's attorney prosecuting the case in Lake County had originally only sought a six-year sentence. Rotheimer said she's concerned that the state's attorney's office too often negotiates plea deals that end "putting children in harm's way" because of the likelihood that child sex predators will re-offend. |
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ABOUT DENISE | ISSUES | 11th DISTRICT | VOLUNTEER | CONTACT | MAIN 
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© 2008, Paid For by Rotheimer for Lake County Board | |
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