James Glasgow named State’s Attorney of the Year by Illinois State Crime Commission

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June 3

JOLIET — Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has been named State’s Attorney of the Year by the Illinois State Crime Commission and will be honored at the organization’s 12th Annual Awards Dinner at 6:30 p.m. June 11 at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

It is the second time in his career as Will County’s top prosecutor that State’s Attorney Glasgow has received this prestigious honor from the Illinois State Crime Commission, the first time being in 1996.

In naming him State’s Attorney of the Year for 2008, the Crime Commission acknowledged Glasgow’s long and distinguished career, during which he has implemented groundbreaking initiatives to investigate, prosecute and prevent crime.

“Jim Glasgow is one of the premier state’s attorneys in Illinois,” said Jerry Elsner, executive director of the Illinois State Crime Commission. “He has championed innovative strategies to aggressively prosecute criminals to protect the community, and he has worked diligently to create prevention programs that educate citizens so they know how to protect themselves.”

Glasgow expressed his appreciation to the Illinois State Crime Commission for naming him State’s Attorney of the Year.

“I am deeply honored that the Illinois State Crime Commission has chosen to recognize the work my office has done on behalf of the citizens of Will County,” Glasgow said. “With the backing of my dedicated staff, we have accomplished a great deal to make this county a safer place to live and work.”

Among his accomplishments as Will County State’s Attorney, Glasgow:

  • Formed Will County’s first Gang Prosecution Unit in the early 1990s and helped to organize gang sweeps, one of which reduced local gang shootings by 250 percent and was featured on Peter Jennings’ World News Tonight.
  • Pioneered Will County’s first Specialized Domestic Violence Court, which mandated abuser counseling to break the destructive cycle of violence. In addition, his innovative Victim Independence Program has more than doubled appearances in court by victims of domestic abuse.
  • Established the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center to stop child sexual predators in their tracks. The recorded statements from children have been used in the successful prosecution of literally hundreds of child predators over the past 13 years. 
  • Spearheaded the creation of the Will County Drug Court, which was selected as one of the top 10 programs in the nation. A remarkable 92 percent of the defendants who complete the program kick their addictions and remain drug-free.
  • Wrote the Animal Torture Statute, which created the first felony charge in Illinois for the abuse of animals.
  • Implemented a Bad Check Restitution Program that has collected more than $1 million for local businesses in just 2-1/2 years. 
  • Authored several Gang Awareness and Prevention books, one of which was called “the primary primer on gangs” by the Chicago Tribune. 
  • Established a Crime Prevention Division that travels the county to educate citizens about gang violence, financial scams that target senior citizens, Internet safety and drug abuse prevention. 
  • Created a Financial Crimes Prosecution Unit whose members will investigate and prosecute complex financial crimes, particularly those in which senior citizens are the victims.

Glasgow received his Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois Law School. He has been practicing law since 1981. He and his wife, Gina, are the proud parents of five wonderful children: four sons and a daughter. They also are the happy owners of a Great Dane and a collie.

To obtain tickets or to receive more information about the Illinois State Crime Commission’s 12th Annual Awards Dinner, call (630) 778-9191