Caffarini announces his candidacy for state’s attorney in 2016

Bureau County State’s Attorney Geno J. Caffarini, 53, has announced he is seeking the Democratic nomination for the office of Bureau County State’s Attorney in the November 2016 election. This will be his first, four-year term.

On Feb. 1, following the resignation of former Bureau County State’s Attorney Patrick J. Herrmann, Caffarini was appointed acting state’s attorney by Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan of the 13th Judicial Circuit. A month later he was appointed to the office by the Bureau County Board to complete Herrmann’s term. Herrmann, in his resignation to the county board, recommended Caffarini to fill his term stating, “Caffarini has extensive experience and was an assistant state’s attorney for 17 years in the county and is familiar with Bureau County law enforcement and Bureau County values.”

Caffarini has been an attorney for 28 years. His first position was as an assistant state’s attorney in LaSalle County in 1987. In 1992, he came to Bureau County to work under former Bureau County State’s Attorney Marc Bernabei. He then remained in the office for 17 years and was appointed Bureau County First Assistant State’s Attorney by Herrmann in 2007.

While an assistant state’s attorney, Caffarini has been involved in every division of the office which included felonies, traffic/DUI misdemeanors, juvenile abuse and neglect, and delinquency cases. He left the Bureau County State’s Attorney’s office in 2009 to accept a position with the law firm of Anthony C. Raccuglia & Associates.

In announcing his candidacy, Caffarini said, “I look forward to continuing to administer a state’s attorney’s office that will work closely with law enforcement officials, and I will keep the interest of crime victims and the safety of the citizens of Bureau County as my priority.”

Upon hearing Caffarini was seeking the Democratic nomination for state’s attorney, former Bureau County Circuit Clerk Michael Miroux stated, “I have known and worked with Geno Caffarini for many years. He exemplifies honesty, fairness and toughness towards social justice. He is a defender of victim’s rights and a leader in representing the values of Bureau County.

Caffarini graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1983 with a B. A. in political science and a minor in communications. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1986 from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich. Caffarini is a member of the Bureau County Bar Association, the LaSalle County Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. Caffarini resides in Spring Valley. He and his wife, Laurie, have three children: Nicole (Steven) Truckenbrod, Brianna Caffarini and Mitchell Caffarini. They have one grandchild, Jase.