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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND WORK OF STEPHEN W. BAKER
WHEREAS, Stephen W. Baker, a retired assistant Cook County Public Defender, passed away June 10, 2022, in Park Ridge, Illinois. He was a resident of Des Plaines, Illinois. Steve was born Oct. 5, 1952, in Harvey, Illinois, to Josephine (Garfield) and Walter H. Baker. He grew up in Hazel Crest, Illinois, and attended Western Illinois University; and
WHEREAS, Steve earned his J.D. in 1978 from Loyola University Law School, Chicago, and dedicated his life to working in and reforming the criminal justice system. He began his career as a prosecutor working for the Rock Island State's Attorney after he was admitted to the bar; and
WHEREAS, in 1987, he became a deputy public defender with the DuPage County, eventually becoming the DuPage County Public Defender in 1995 where he served until 2003; and
WHEREAS, Steve had an excellent reputation as a trial attorney and continued practicing until 2019 when he retired from the Office of the Cook County Public Defender; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his litigation responsibilities, Steve served as the legislative liaison from 2004 to 2019 for the Cook County Public Defender to the Illinois House and Senate promoting legislation that would improve the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems. Steve also served on the Board of Directors of the Office of the State Appellate Defender; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, Steve was honored as the first recipient of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers "The Promotion of Social Justice Award." The announcement from IACDL notes, "A lawyer since 1978, Stephen W. Baker has served the Illinois criminal defense community for decades both in the courtrooms - as an Assistant Public Defender, as the Public Defender of DuPage County, and in the halls of the Illinois Legislature. He worked vigorously for groups such as the Cook County Public Defender's Office, the Illinois Public Defender Association, the Ill...
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