Mary Cole for Lake County State's Attorney
February 16, 2024
Media Contact: Brad Goodman
For Immediate Release:
Man Arrested for Attempted Murder of a 9-Year-Old Child Had Previous Charges for Domestic Battery and Resisting Arrest Dropped by Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart
In yet another example of the consequences of Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart’s failure to enforce the law, a 30-year-old man was arrested on February 15 for viciously stabbing a 9-year-old child.
The suspect, Demetrius Fisher, is no stranger to law enforcement or Rinehart’s office. In April 2023, he was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and domestic battery, but Eric Rinehart chose to drop all charges against Fisher.
Lake County State’s Attorney candidate Mary Cole said, “As a former prosecutor and a lifelong Lake County resident, I am deeply disturbed that Eric Rinehart continues to dismiss charges against violent offenders in our community. If Rinehart had done his job in the spring of 2023 and actually prosecuted Mr. Fisher for his crimes, it’s likely that he would not have committed this next heinous act against an innocent child.”
Rinehart ran his 2020 campaign for Lake County State’s Attorney, promising to reform the office, but Rinehart’s reforms are endangering the lives of Lake County residents. His campaign went so far as to say that his office would focus on holding police accountable and focusing on rehabilitation rather than prosecuting offenders. He even made the outlandish and impossible campaign claim that he would end domestic violence.
Mary Cole said, “Every government office is always in need of some new ideas and reforms, but the reforms that Eric Rinehart is focused on make our communities less safe. This is why my campaign has the support of the police who serve day and night to serve and protect our communities, while Rinehart’s campaign has the support of political insiders and groups who feel that police are a bigger problem than violent criminals.”
In a media statement following Fisher’s arrest Thursday, a Rinehart spokesperson said the previous charges were dropped because the domestic battery victim was not cooperative with police. However, Mary Cole points out that charges of resisting arrest in April should have never been dismissed as the police were undoubtedly willing to testify.
“This again shows Rinehart does not support law enforcement in Lake County and is actively undermining public safety,” Cole said. “For the safety of the residents of Lake County, we need a Lake County State’s Attorney who will work with police and prosecute violent criminals who endanger the lives of all Lake County residents, especially our most vulnerable.
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About Mary Cole:
Mary Cole is running for State’s Attorney to restore safety in our Lake County communities, give victims of crime a voice, and remove politics from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office. As Lake County’s next State’s Attorney, Mary will focus on the safety of neighborhoods and work to ensure that criminals who should remain in prison actually stay behind bars. She will prioritize curbing the gang violence spreading north of the City of Chicago and into our Lake County neighborhoods, and she will work hand in hand with all community organizations, non-profits, and faith-based groups to ensure Lake County becomes safer for everyone.
Photos originally published in McHenry Scanner
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