Napp responds to Burkart

To the Editor:

As a former prosecutor and now a judge, I have taken oaths to uphold the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Illinois. I never play loose with the facts and I call it like I see it. It is clear that Mr. Burkart lacks the character and qualifications to run on his record, which is why he is resorting to tactics that demean him and the position for which we are running.

I proudly served as a prosecutor for almost 14 years. It was an honor, a privilege and a responsibility. I felt the weight of those families who desperately needed someone to ensure justice for their lost loved ones. I went into the well of the court, time and time again and gave voice to those who could not tell of the horrors that they endured.

Mr. Burkart wouldn’t know what I am talking about because he has never prosecuted a case in his life. He has never had to sit across from a mother who lost her only son and prepare her for the pictures she will see in court of her murdered son bound, gagged, beaten and stabbed. He wouldn’t have the first clue of what it feels like to sit in a courtroom with a killer, like Jeramey Brown, and watch that killer laugh out loud at the mother and sister who cry for their lost son and brother.

No prosecutor, including me, violated Jeramey Brown’s constitutional rights and two separate juries convicted Brown of First Degree Murder. Brown was given the maximum sentence of 75 years. Anyone can go to the Illinois Department of Corrections website and verify this. There were no deals to cut his sentence and for Mr. Burkart to imply there was some deal is simply not true, but Mr. Burkart knows that. You see Mr. Burkart, I do get it, you aren’t going to let the truth get in the way of you trying to win an election, and I will say it again, it’s disgraceful.

I prosecuted over a dozen murder trials and I can still see the faces of every victim. It was my job to ensure justice for each them and I did. I did it ethically, honorably and with distinction. I tried some of the most difficult murder trials and secured convictions, which have been upheld. I stand on my outstanding record as a prosecutor and as judge.

On the other hand, Mr. Burkart has never tried a murder case and it is clear from his comments that he lacks even a basic understanding of criminal law. This might explain his rating of 51.52% for legal ability on the ISBA Poll.  I have throughout this campaign ran on my record,  my character and my qualifications. Since Mr. Burkart doesn’t have a record to run on, I guess that explains him trying to attack mine. As a prosecutor, I always had faith in the juries that I appeared in front of and I have the same faith in the voters of Madison County.

Associate Judge Kyle Anne Napp

Candidate for Madison County Circuit Judge