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Call to Action – Call and Email TODAY!

Recently, the House of Representatives approved their version of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act for 2016.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is one of the agencies funded by this bill. House members have added a number of dangerous “gun rider” amendments to their bill.  Including: Terminating […]

straw pur·chase (noun) #STS

straw pur·chase (noun) a criminal act in which a person who is prohibited from buying firearms uses another person to buy a gun on their behalf. Is anyone paying attention? After recording the fewest murders in decades last year, violence in Chicago is soaring. We have seen a 40% increase in shootings and 29% more homicides […]

STOP THE STRAW #STS

straw pur·chase (noun) – a criminal act in which a person who is prohibited from buying firearms uses another person to buy a gun on their behalf. Our violence problem is directly linked to the number of illegal guns available.  It is time to hold accountable straw purchasers, retail stores and irresponsible gun owners who arm criminals […]

Stopping the Flow of Illegal Guns into our Communities

An important bill will be under consideration this legislative year that is critical to our mission.  SB 1883 and HB 3422 propose the Gun Dealer and Ammunition Seller License that would require dealers to be licensed by the state, in addition to having a federal license.  Gun dealers are the most important link between gun […]

8 vs. 534 – ACT NOW!

8 vs. 534 Call to Action: Fill Out a Witness Slip Supporting Gun Safety Standing up to the NRA and the legislators who do their bidding in Springfield The 99th General Assembly session has started and bills aimed at loosening our current gun safety measures are being filed at an alarming pace. We need to […]

G-PAC Announces Endorsements of Chicago Aldermanic Candidates

Calls Upon Voters to Take a Stand Against Gun Violence on Election Day FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                February 11, 2015 CHICAGO-The Gun Violence Prevention Political Action Committee (G-PAC) announced the organization’s endorsement of […]

Taking Applications

G-PAC is currently accepting applications for communications internships. We are willing to work with your school to earn academic credit. Please send your resume to [email protected].

Big Victories for G-PAC in 2014

Overwhelming Success in First Election Cycle Voters Show Strong Support for Gun Safety November 17, 2014 In its first year in operation, five of the 6 endorsed candidates in the Illinois Senate and 21 of 26 candidates in the Illinois House claimed victory in the 2014 election cycle, forming G-PAC’s list of gun safety “Champions.” […]

A Vote for Pat Quinn is a Vote for Protecting our Children and Communities

Re-elect Governor Pat Quinn Governor Pat Quinn has a long and impressive record of support for common sense gun safety. He scored 100% on the G-PAC Candidate Questionnaire, and has signed historic lifesaving legislation into law, including requiring universal background checks and mandatory reporting of lost/stolen guns to prevent illegal trafficking. In addition, he has […]

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1235 N Clybourn Ave Ste A246
Chicago, IL 60610 – 2435
Contact us: [email protected]
847-920-4722
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Rick Ryan

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As the Lake County State’s Attorney, I am honored and humbled every day to lead the fight against crime, and to strive to ensure equal and just treatment under the law. I have been an attorney for twenty-two years – and each of those years has made me a stronger and smarter advocate for people, for ideas, and for the principles that unite us all.

I am so proud to lead an office of 140 dedicated colleagues who serve the public by prosecuting crime, advocating for victims, and planning crime prevention programs. I am also proud to work with hundreds of Lake County police officers on a daily basis to connect with every community and to develop comprehensive, holistic plans to respond to the mental health and economic crisis that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On one particular day, July 4, 2022, I was saddened, inspired, and motivated by the bravery of so many people. We will always stand with the victims and honor the police and other first responders who ran toward the danger. Just as so many heroes that day thought only of themselves, I also witnessed the prosecutors in my office answer the call to serve survivors and their community – even on one of its darkest days.

Every moment that I have been your legal representative, I have worked tirelessly to oversee prosecutions and to implement policies that make my family and my neighbors safer in the short term and in the long term. That is the job of the State’s Attorney: to prosecute, to innovate, and to strategically plan.

I was raised in a small town. My parents are teachers, and from them, I learned that everyone must be treated equally and that America’s sacred mission is to provide a political, economic, and legal system that allows anyone to prosper regardless of the circumstances of their birth. After graduating from Knox College and the University of Chicago Law School, I spent two years at a first-rate civil law firm in Chicago where I learned that hard work and attention to detail on every case mean the difference between success and failure.

With my wonderful wife Stephanie, I am raising my two sons, Sam and Teddy, in Lake County. Nothing is more important to me than my family’s safety and I bring that passion and determination to protect all families with me to work every day.

I joined the Lake County Public Defender’s Office in 2003 and started my own law firm in 2009. From 2003 until 2020, I watched the Lake County legal system fail to prioritize violent crime, prevent wrongful prosecutions, or address racial disparities.

So, in 2019, I decided to run for State’s Attorney so that I could serve our community by improving a local legal system that cared more about covering up its mistakes and biases than uncovering new and innovative ways to help people.

I won the 2020 election, and became the first Democrat to hold this position in 40 years. Bringing in a new party wasn’t as important as ending 40 years of one mindset that had forgotten the people and that had failed to act urgently to develop new strategic plans to prevent crime while also ensuring that each prosecution is smart, moral, and just.

We have followed through on our promises. We have built the first-ever violent crimes unit, increased prosecutors in our domestic violence division, and vastly upgraded our cyber lab. Now, we have top-notch software and personnel to finally keep up with those who would exploit others.

We have been awarded a large federal grant to bring the first ever Human Trafficking Task Force to Lake County. We have deepened our investment in people by bringing in more victim specialists and raising the salaries of many of our prosecutors.

But the work goes on. We must expand our prevention efforts that are starting with the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative launched in 2022. And we know that the opioid crisis touches thousands of lives throughout this country.

I am proud to serve on the Executive Board of the Lake County Opioid Initiative which has been working tirelessly since its founding in 2012 to reverse a devastating trend of increased overdoses. In 2022, our office was part of a national settlement against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

As an attorney of 22 years, I have committed my life to helping people, and I have conducted over 70 jury trials in Lake County, and handled appeals that have culminated in over 20 oral arguments before the appellate court and Supreme Court of Illinois.

I see my time in this office as the next phase of helping a community that I love and where I have chosen to raise my family. In my first term, we have made Lake County safer and fairer through just prosecutions, constitutional policing, and innovative crime prevention policies.