Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan blasted DeKalb County States Attorney Philip DiMarzio at a Sept. 9 fundraiser and threw his support behind the Democratic candidate for state’s attorney, Jerry Shapiro.

Speaking to an audience of about 50 people—both county residents and NIU students, including members of NIU’s Young Democrats—Hartigan focused his criticisms on DiMarzio and the Republican Party and spent little time discussing Shapiro’s platform.

Shapiro is running against Republican candidate Michael Coghlan for state’s attorney in the Nov. 8 election. DiMarzio is running for circuit judge against Ed Diedrich.

Hartigan criticized DiMarzio’s administration saying it had a 45 percent conviction rate for felonies, the fact that DeKalb County does not have a victim’s assistance program or a consumer advocacy program, the lack of cooperation between the state’s attorney’s office and Hartigan’s office and the county’s high rate of assistant attorney turnovers.

“Four out of 10 is not a very good average (of convictions) for serious felonies,” Hartigan said. “Whether it is travel fraud, automobile fraud or other fraud, we have not had the opportunity (to convict felons) here. But we will if Jerry is elected.”

DiMarzio told The Northern Star Sunday that Hartigan’s charges were unfounded. “This is an example of ‘hit and run’ politics,” DiMarzio said. “His information was wrong. We have cooperated with his office to the fullest extent.”

The actual rate of convictions for serious felonies is two out of three, DiMarzio said. “We have a 100 percent conviction rate for murders. The overall conviction rate (for felonies) is not 100 percent because in this county we have a disproportionately large number of young, first-time offenders.”

DiMarzio cited an example of a college student who uses poor judgment and commits a felony by writing a $10 check for a pizza with a roommate’s checkbook through forgery. “I will not try to build a conviction record on the broken futures of the young people of this county,” DiMarzio said.

DiMarzio claimed his refusal to endorse Hartigan might have been the motivation for the Illinois attorney general’s allegations against his office. “In 1986, I received a call from one of his aides asking if I would support Hartigan,” DiMarzio said. “At the time, a grand jury investigation was going on in DeKalb County. I was bitterly disappointed and held my ground. I said I would not.”

Hartigan also referred to the NIU students who lost deposits for refrigerator rental when Ice Boxer Rentals Inc., 901 Lucinda Ave., did not return their money.

“There are 17 students at NIU who have been victims of fraud,” Hartigan said. “It’s a classic example of why we bother with consumer fraud. These 17 students are getting their deposits back.” DiMarzio said his office charged the president of Ice Boxer with a crime. Because the case is pending, he would not comment on it.

Hartigan also criticized Gov. James Thompson and the Republican Party, saying Illinois’ economy is in poor condition. “The Republicans have had the opportunity to have a president from this state and a governor from this state,” Hartigan said. “The Republicans clearly have shown us the best they can do, and it’s the worst we have had.”