Editor’s note—this is the second of The Northern Star’s political endorsements for the Nov. 8 general election.

Area voters should elect Mike Coghlan as DeKalb County’s next State’s Attorney.

Experience at prosecuting crimes is crucial to this position, and through his work as first assistant state’s attorney, Coghlan has acquired the experience and knowledge to run the office effectively.

Coghlan’s opponent, Jerry Shapiro, has prosecuted before, but all of his experience in that area was from ordinance cases. He has also defended people in criminal cases but has never prosecuted.

Coghlan, on the other hand, has prosecuted numerous criminal cases during the past several years.

Shapiro points out that the State’s Attorney’s office has too often plea bargained felony charges down to a misdemeanor, causing a 42 percent felony conviction rate in 1987. Yet that 42 percent conviction rate is above the national average. And where the defendant has been charged with a felony, that person has been found guilty of at least a misdemeanor more than 80 percent of the time.

Shapiro also alleges that there is no victim assistance program in the office. However, Coghlan has referred crime victims to area agencies such as Safe Passage and the Ben Gordon Center.

If elected, Coghlan vows to improve preparation for trial, reduce assistant turnover and convict real criminals, while at times plea bargaining with first-time, non-violent offenders.

Coghlan knows criminal prosecution procedure well and should be elected State’s Attorney.