I am an attorney in LaSalle County, Illinois and I am currently fighting our local State’s Attorney who in 2011 created his own police force so that he could receive 65% as the arresting agency of an civil forfeiture monies in addition to the 12.5% he received as State’s Attorney. He even called it State’s Attorney Felony Enforcement (SAFE). Once he received the 65% he diverted that into an account in another county so that defense attorneys could not challenge his prosecution of the cases based on a conflict of interest as a result of receiving 65% of the money. Once he received the monies he spent it like a drug dealer by buying himself a GMC Yukon to drive, over $100K on trips for him and his officers to go to seminars in Vegas, California, Nashville, D.C., Seattle, etc. Trips that included $300 steak dinners. He and the commander of SAFE took multiple trips to California to the emerald triangle for a week at a time. Illinois’ forfeiture law states that all forfeited funds and drug fines must be used for drug enforcement but he used the money to buy workout equipment for the sheriff’s dept and televisions for the state police. He used the drug fines for campaigning basically. He donated thousands each year to cub scouts, softball, high school sports programs, etc. He even used the drug fines to fund a scholarship he put in his own name. This unit is worse that any John Grisham novel about deceit and corruption. This SAFE unit became just an extortion ring. In the end you could have pounds of marijuana and not be charged but have your money taken. Then if you tried to petition to get your money back you were threatened to be charged. I have spoken to numerous SAFE victims and their stories are all the same. Their stories are confirmed by their attorneys who are from New York. There are SAFE cases currently before the Supreme Court of Illinois and in the one case the State’s Attorney perjured himself by lying and saying that SAFE was not the arresting agency which received the 65% and stated that it was another agency which is not true. He deposited the 65% checks into that City’s drug fund so that it did not appear as though he was receiving the 65%. The case before the Illinois Supreme Court is People v. Cara Ringland. In June 2015 the 3rd District Appellate Court rules SAFE illegal and stated they could not fathom how a State’s Attorney could think he could have his own police force. The argument the Illinois Atty General makes in the brief defending SAFE is that these were citizens arrests. WTF? Since when do citizens actually make arrests even though the statute allows for it but if citizens did make arrests they would not do it using K9 units and seize people’s assets. I know you already did a segment on civil forfeitures but if you ever wanted to do a follow up or perhaps report about a State’s Attorney who creates his own illegal police force to get more of the civil forfeiture money, let me know. Since, there is a case currently before the Illinois Supreme Court you may want to report on it. I have been investigating this State’s Atty and his SAFE unit for 10 months. I have been pounding on every door with the Illinois State Police, Attorney General, FBI, etc regarding this corruption and these crimes but it is Illinois. Any attention you could give this matter would be greatly appreciated. You could focus on a State’s Attorney who creates his own illegal police force to steal interstate motorists’ money. If interested call me at 815-878-9470 or email me at ajster@comcast.net