The county board voted unanimously Tuesday night for John Milhiser as Sangamon County State’s Attorney. Milhiser said he has many priorities including public safety and supporting victims as well as reducing juvenile crime, retail theft and drug overdoses.

“We have to protect law-abiding citizens from violent criminals.  We have to identify the criminals, mitigate those risks and lock them up,” said Milhiser. He added that his office will also make victims a priority by working with victim advocates and holding criminals accountable.

Juvenile crime is increasing, and Milhiser said we need to help put juvenile offenders on the path to being productive members of society. “It’s silly to think that if we just arrest them and put them back into the same environment, that the behavior will stop,” said Milhiser.

Milhiser replaces Dan Wright who accepted the nomination as a Seventh Circuit Associate Judge. He was previously Sangamon County State’s Attorney from 2011 to 2018 before being appointed U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois by President Donald Trump. Milhiser resigned from that position when the Biden administration took over.

Through his experience at the federal level, Milhiser said he will be able to work with several partners around the country to both identify and mitigate threats. He also acknowledged that federal partners are important, but state and local law enforcement is where the “rubber hits the road” and that it is the bulk of the criminal prosecutions.  Milhiser praised law enforcement within the county, including Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette and Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, and he said he will be working with law enforcement to stop drug traffickers who move drugs across the border, through our interstate system and into our communities.

Milhiser officially starts Friday, and he plans to run in the next election.