Federal hiring freeze puts Chicago justice on ice

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=9349273

December 4, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- The I-Team looks into a cold reality settling in at the United States Attorney's office in Chicago: staffing and money problems that complicate plans to attack street violence.

They call it a hard freeze down at Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago: a complete and total federal hiring freeze in place this year. Justice on ice wouldn't be a problem, except that two dozen top prosecutors have resigned and left the office this year and with the freeze on, they haven't been replaced-- except for one, the newly installed U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon.

When Mr. Fardon was sworn in last week to oversee a federal office that covers 18 Illinois counties and replace his legendary predecessor Patrick Fitzgerald, there was a subtle clue in his self-effacing remarks to the Dirksen Building office.

"I wanted to wait until all the money was gone; half the office had quit; crime was at an all-time high; expectations for me were through the roof and I thought, that's when you want to come in to fill Pat Fitzgerald's shoes," said Fardon.

We had to back up the video and listen again to hear it.

In jest, the new U.S. Attorney overstated how many prosecutors here have quit the past 18 months. It isn't half the office. But it is significant and troubling to current and former office insiders.

"It's not as if the criminals stop committing crimes," said Gil Soffer, ABC7 legal analyst.

New ABC7 Legal Analyst Gil Soffer is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago.

"It's disappointing and troubling because that office, one of the premiere offices in the country has a lot of work and it needs a lot of people to handle a lot of cases," said Soffer.