What service to the Latino community impassions you?
As a prosecutor, I am impassioned by treating everyone in the criminal justice system fairly, respectfully, and equally. That “everyone” includes victims of crime, witnesses to it, and—never to be forgotten—defendants accused of it. Latinos comprise a significant percentage of members in each of those categories. Thus, I am personally and professionally fulfilled by evaluating cases involving our community in terms of what makes us unique: how our families operate, what our shared values are, and what legal obstacles we face. Taking my oath of office solemnly, I aspire to exceed the high ethical standards required of my post to address the needs of our community and society at large.
Deportation, for example, is a terrifying prospect that deters many from reporting domestic violence or sexual assault. It also deters Latinos in particular from testifying against dangerous persons, and, more insidiously, not accepting reasonable plea offers to get necessary therapy or avoid incarceration. In response, I take time to explain how participation in the process can protect families and victims, not by separating them from each other or punishing those who help them, but by equipping them with the tools to prevent further crimes and bettering the community overall. I explain as much each and every day, whether in a courtroom before a judge, in a police station with a witness or victim, or in one of many different community centers across the city to large groups of Latinos who simply want to know how the process works. Ultimately, I am impassioned to instill the Latino community with a justified sense of confidence in a system that can protect and help us all.
Nicholas Flores
Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office