The Hamilton County Board is set to appoint Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Mead as the new Hamilton County State’s Attorney during a special meeting scheduled for Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Hamilton County Courthouse in McLeansboro.
Mead will take over the position from current State’s Attorney Justin Hood, who announced his resignation in October. Hood will officially step down on January 1, at which point he will join the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor’s Office as a member of the Special Prosecution Unit. This specialized unit is composed of experienced trial attorneys tasked with prosecuting criminal cases at the request of State’s Attorneys or when appointed by the court.
Justin Hood has served as State’s Attorney since 2008 and has been re-elected four times, most recently in 2023.