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State's attorney warns drug-fund revenue has dropped; opioid settlement limited by state rules
Summary
State's Attorney Jeremiah told the committee drug-related fee revenue and forfeiture proceeds have declined because statutory assessments are now waivable and forfeiture standards have changed; the county recently received about $447,000 in opioid settlement funds but said state rules limit allowable local uses.
Jeremiah, LaSalle County's State's Attorney, briefed the committee on several fund changes affecting prosecution and related programs. He said the drug fund (Fund 25) has seen revenue declines because mandatory statutory assessments have become waivable for indigent defendants and because changes to forfeiture law now require prosecutors to meet a higher burden of proof to obtain seized assets.
Jeremiah described the practical impact: routine assessments and fines that once funded drug-related programs are now frequently waived and forfeiture proceeds require longer processes involving the state police. On the opioid settlement fund, he said the county just received a significant influx but that state-imposed limitations constrain how that money can be used; the amount discussed in the meeting was cited as roughly $447,000. "We've tried to use some of it locally," Jeremiah said, "but the state has told us that we shouldn't have spent that money" in specific prior instances, so staff are seeking compliant options.
The committee encouraged staff to continue exploring allowable, locally impactful uses that fit the settlement schedules; no additional spending decisions were made at the meeting.
