ASA Elizabeth Johnson

JOLIET – Eleven years ago, 18-year-old Elizabeth Johnson’s lifelong dream of becoming an attorney nearly went up in smoke.

She had fallen in with a bad crowd and was hanging around a drug house that had been targeted by police. She was abusing marijuana and on the verge of graduating to harder drugs. And she 

Facts About Drug Courts

● Nationwide, 75 percent of Drug Court graduates remain arrest-free at least two years after leaving the program.*

● Drug Courts reduce crime by as much as 45 percent compared to traditional sentences.* 

● Nationwide, Drug Courts save as much as $27 for every $1 invested when considering only direct and measureable offsets such as reduced re-arrests, law enforcement contacts, court hearings and the use of jail or prison beds.*

● Drug Courts save up to $13,000 for every individual they serve.* 

● In Will County Drug Court, defendants plead guilty upfront, but criminal charges are dropped if they complete the intensive program. They must remain drug free, submit to random drug tests, find work, follow through with treatment and attend weekly counseling sessions. Most Drug Court defendants would be eligible for less intensive probation in a traditional court. They take a tremendous risk when they choose Drug Court, because failure can mean a prison sentence.**

● More than 250 people have successfully completed the Will County Drug Court Program.**

● The three-year success rate for the Will County Drug Court is 96 percent. This means that defendants who completed the program over the past three years remained arrest-free in Will County.

● Will County Drug Court is believed to be the only program in the nation to open and operate a recovery home. The home houses men who are nearing completion of the program. A home for women is in the planning stages. The existing home is named The Miller Taylor House after one of the Will County Drug Court’s first graduates.**

Sources: 

* National Association of Drug Court Professionals 
** Will County Drug Courthad been arrested for felony disorderly conduct as a result of the time she was spending with her drug-abusing “friends.”

Life was spinning out of control. And she knew a felony conviction would prevent her from attending law school and becoming a lawyer. It had been her dream career since she was a girl and she would dress up with an old brief case while pretending to be in court.

Johnson, however, was offered a second chance when she was allowed to participate in a fledgling Drug Court program spearheaded by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow.  The program helped her clean up her life and avoid a felony conviction that would have dogged her job search forever, resulting in a life of professional disappointments and closed doors.

In the ultimate validation for the program, State’s Attorney Glasgow, the same prosecutor whose office filed the felony charge against her when she was a teenager, recently welcomed her back to his office, this time as a new assistant state’s attorney in his Misdemeanor Division.

This month, Assistant State’s Attorney Johnson will tell her success story at the annual conference hosted by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals in Washington. She also is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Committee about the effectiveness of Drug Courts.

“Elizabeth Johnson made some bad decisions that could have cost her the career she loves before she even graduated from high school,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “Our Drug Court Program put her on a straight-and-narrow path. Ironically, that path has come full circle. Thanks to Drug Court and her hard work, I was proud to bring Elizabeth on board as an assistant state’s attorney with my office.”

Drug Courts are designed to integrate drug abusers back into the community by helping them break the addictions that drove them to commit non-violent offenses. Defendants plead guilty upfront with the agreement charges will be dropped if they complete the program and stay clean. In Drug Court, defendants must remain drug free, submit to random drug tests, find work, follow through with treatment and attend weekly sessions if they are to graduate.

Johnson’s experience illustrates the program’s potential for success. As a teen in her hometown of Morris, Ill., she was an honors student. But she began running with the wrong crowd and started smoking marijuana at a drug house in nearby Joliet, Ill. In 2000, while police questioned her about illegal activities at the house, she gave false information about an armed robbery and kidnapping, neither of which had occurred. She was charged with felony disorderly conduct. 

Her attorney saw the connection between her drug use and her crime and sought to enroll his client in Will County’s new Drug Court. Johnson seized the opportunity. “I was in a downward spiral,” she conceded. “I was smoking marijuana, but I could see myself sinking lower with this crowd. I knew I would start using harder drugs and landing in more trouble.”

In Drug Court, she disassociated herself from the group, attended outpatient sessions and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. She also began taking courses at Joliet Junior College. She transferred to Northern Illinois University and received a bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis on pre-law. She was later accepted to John Marshall Law School in Chicago, where she graduated in May 2010.

While in law school, she made the courageous decision to apply for a legal internship with the office that once had prosecuted her. “It was intimidating,” she admitted. “I would have rather buried my past. With so many good things happening in my life, I didn’t want to look back.”

State’s Attorney Glasgow gave her a chance, and based on her performance as an intern, he eventually offered her a position as a misdemeanor prosecutor. “This is a phenomenal story of dedication and hard work,” he said. “But it’s important to remember that no matter how hard she was willing to work, she wouldn’t have gotten her foot in the door at John Marshall Law School, much less with this office, with a felony conviction on her record.”

Johnson still lives in Morris where she is raising her young daughter. She is a member of First Assembly of God Church in Joliet, where she coordinates a prayer team and teaches Bible study. At the State’s Attorney’s Office, the initial trepidation she felt as an intern has faded.“At first I felt like I didn’t deserve to be here. I felt like I was riding on God’s grace,” she said. “But once I started doing the work, I fell in love with the job and the team atmosphere. People went out of their way to help me as an intern. It was a great learning experience. Now I look forward to a long and rewarding career.” 

June 22

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today that a judge sentenced the man who stabbed his former landlord to death in 2007 to 55 years in prison.

Martin Gomez, 26, was convicted in April of stabbing Joseph Salamie to death in unincorporated Peotone on May 9, 2007. He also was convicted of committing a home invasion and armed robbery for forcing his way into the victim’s home and stealing about $1,000 in cash.

Gomez stabbed the victim an estimated 111 times during the attack and then used the money he stole to buy marijuana and to pay personal bills. The victim initially was attacked inside his house, which is on a horse farm. He was stabbed repeatedly after he attempted to flee the residence; the victim’s body was found in a ditch outside the house.

Gomez had rented a trailer on the victim’s horse farm prior to the attack.

Circuit Judge Richard Schoenstedt sentenced Gomez on Wednesday afternoon.

Will County Sheriff’s Detectives found Gomez’s DNA in the bathroom of the victim’s house. Prosecutors also presented testimony from witnesses who said they saw the defendant covered in blood near his house in rural St. Anne shortly after the attack.

Investigators also found the victim’s credit cards in the defendant’s car, and cell phone records showed that Gomez was in the area of the house at the time of the attack. The defendant’s girlfriend also testified that he admitted to her that he killed Salamie.Glasgow credited Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Knick, Steve Platek and Jeff Tuminello with securing the conviction and sentence that takes this dangerous killer off the streets. He also thanked Will County Sheriff’s Detectives for a thorough investigation.

June 16

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today that a judge sentenced a Joliet man to 55 years in prison for gunning down an unarmed man outside a Joliet grocery store last year.

Christian D. Noel, 27, of the 100 block of Madonna, Joliet, was convicted of first-degree murder in March for shooting Conley Ratcliffe to death on February 26, 2010. Associate Judge Edward Burmila sentenced him on Friday.

Noel got into an argument with Ratcliffe outside the grocery store in the 1000 block of Woodruff. During the argument, the defendant pulled out a handgun prompting the victim to flee through a parking lot.

Noel fired multiple shots as the victim fled, striking him four times from behind. Ratcliffe fell to the ground, turned over and begged the defendant not to shoot him. Noel, however, continued to fire, shooting four to five more times while Ratcliffe was on the ground. In total, the victim sustained nine gunshot wounds, two of which were graze wounds.

“Christian Noel will spend the rest of his life in prison for this cold-blooded, execution-style murder,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “He is a ruthless killer who will no longer walk free to wreak deadly havoc on our streets.”

The State’s Attorney credited his prosecutors, Fred Harvey, James Long and Heather Meyers for securing a conviction and sentence that takes Noel off our streets. He also thanked the Joliet Police Department for its thorough investigation.

June 15

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has organized a Speakers Bureau made up of law enforcement professionals from his office and crime prevention experts from throughout the community.

Members of his Speakers Bureau are available to present important information on relevant crime-prevention topics to students, educators, parents, community groups, senior citizens, businesses, local governments and faith-based organizations.

These informational presentations are free.

Members of the Speakers Bureau represent a range of backgrounds and experience. The panel includes State’s Attorney Glasgow as well as prosecutors, investigators and staff members who each have extensive expertise in their fields.  Subjects include but are not limited to:

• Internet and Technology Safety;
• Gang Awareness and Prevention;
• Identity Theft and Financial Crimes;
• Recognizing Scams that Target Senior Citizens;
• Drunken Driving Consequences;
• Substance Abuse Prevention;
• Domestic Violence Education;
• Character Education;
• Teen Peer Juries
• Drug Court.

“As a prosecutor, I know the most effective way to fight crime is through prevention,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “I have a highly trained staff of law enforcement professionals who will give people the tools they need to protect themselves from crime. I am proud to work with this team of dedicated specialists and to offer their expertise to address your concerns.”

The State’s Attorney’s Office also has partnered with Tri-River Police Training Association to provide training and continuing education to law enforcement officers on a variety of topics as well as updates on the latest case law. The goal is to enhance coordination between police and prosecutors to ensure proper and efficient prosecutions. These training sessions include but are not limited to:

• Elder Law/Elder Abuse;
• DUI;
• Juvenile Law;
• Mental Health;
• Forfeitures;
• Domestic Violence;
• Custody Issues.

Representatives from the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office also are available to staff vendor booths at community resource fairs to hand out informational materials and answer questions. 

To join our mailing list and receive email updates about available presentation opportunities, contact Cheri Johnson at (815) 723-1630, or email cherijohnson@willcountyillinois.com.  If you would like the State’s Attorney’s Office to bring information to your event, or if you would like someone from State’s Attorney Glasgow’s Speakers Bureau to make a presentation to your group on a crime-prevention topic, contact the Bureau of Crime Prevention at (815) 774-7862 or email crimeprevention@willcountyillinois.com.