Reform advocate tapped to succeed Campanelli as next Cook County Public Defender 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle tapped Illinois Justice Project director Sharone Mitchell, Jr. to be the county’s top defense lawyer, replacing current Public Defender Amy Campanelli with a like-minded advocate for decarceration and criminal justice reform. 

Mitchell is set on April 1 to begin a six-year term at the helm of the $81 million office charged with representing most defendants in the county’s sprawling court system. County commissioners scheduled a special meeting for 10 a.m. Friday to confirm the appointment.