The Lake County State's Attorney says he's changing how his office prosecutes violent crimes, partly because of what he calls the county’s "culture of wrongful convictions.”
Another reason is the rise in violent crime, Eric Rinehart said Thursday.
He is creating a Violent Crimes Unit in which prosecutors will focus only on these cases and work on them from beginning to end.
Rinehart said it should expedite the prosecution of criminal cases and — by reducing miscommunication and mistakes by prosecutors and police — help prevent wrongful convictions.
The changes should also increase trust among prosecutors, police and the public, he said.
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