About State's Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross
State's Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross
Marilyn Hite Ross was sworn in as Winnebago County State's Attorney on December 1, 2018. Prior to becoming State's Attorney Marilyn held the highest appointed position in the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office serving as the Chief of Criminal Bureau for the previous 10 years. Marilyn's recognition's include: being a finalist for Rockford Women of the Year in 2011; recognized by Attorney General Lisa Madigan as one of Illinois' Distinguished Women in 2012 as well as being recognized by Booker Washington Community Center as one of 25 Black Leaders to Watch.
A MESSAGE FROM THE STATES ATTORNEY
It is a blessing, privilege and honor to serve as Winnebago County State's Attorney. On behalf of the dedicated men and women of the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office, thank you for visiting and welcome to our website. The state's attorney serves as the chief law enforcement officer for Winnebago County. Our mission is to seek justice in each individual case, protect the rights of victims and to insure that the constitutional rights of all who enter the criminal justice system are protected. Guided by these principles, the professionals in our office strive to make our community a safe and healthy environment in which to live and work. As states attorney, it is my duty to hold people accountable for the crimes they commit, but it is everyone's duty to work to prevent crime. I hope you find the information contained on the website informative and useful. Regarding the diverse program's and services provided by the State's Attorney's Office. Our office is committed to supporting and participating in community-based programs which reduce the opportunity for crime through positive engagement with the community. Working together we will make a difference. I invite you to explore the site and see for yourself the broad array of services performed by the office. Working together, we will make a difference. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the people of this great county. Thank you for visiting.
Marilyn Hite Ross
State's Attorney
The Duty of The prosecutor is to seek Justice, Not Merely to Convict.
The mission of the State's Attorney is to serve the interests of the people of Winnebago County by vigorously and fairly prosecuting violations of the Illinois criminal statues and Winnebago County ordinances, by being attentive to the concerns of victims and witnesses that arise from those violations, and by providing legal services to all offices of Winnebago County Government.
While the most recognizable function of the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office is to uphold the law regarding the commission of crimes within the county, the powers of the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office has a broad range of duties. The Office's underlying mission is the "pursuit of justice"
GOAL
Our goal is to pursue equal and fair justice for all and to build safe neighborhoods and partnership with the communities we serve, by ethically prosecuting criminals, protecting victims and preventing crime.
VALUES
ETHICS - We hold ourselves to the highest standard of integrity in personal and professional conduct.
RESPECT - We treat each other and all members of the public with dignity and respect
ACCOUNTABILITY - We accept a shared responsibility fir ensuring sound fiscal management, operational efficiency and continuous improvement.
DIVERSITY - We are committed to diversity and inclusion and the valuable contribution they make toward advancing our justice mission and building trust with the communities we serve.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS - We advocate and support the building of strong and viable partnerships with law enforcement, all members of the criminal justice systems and the community we serve for the purpose of achieving the highest level of public safety for our citizens.
History of State's Attorney's
Since 1872 there have been 18 State's Attorney's who have served Winnebago County. Click the link below to access photo's of the current and all previous state's Attorneys.