Sangamon County State's Attorney appoints a new top lieutenant

Sangamon County's re-appointed State's Attorney has a new top lieutenant.

Mary Beth Rodgers, chief of the office's felony division, was named First Assistant State's Attorney Thursday by John Milhiser, who returned to the State's Attorney office in November after serving as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois during the Donald Trump presidency.

Rodgers has served in the department since August 2014, coming from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where she graduated. Before becoming a full-time assistant state's attorney, she worked as an intern for Milhiser and as a clerk in the Illinois Attorney General's Office, a legal intern at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, and as a research associate with the Legislative Research Unit.

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Milhiser said that he has seen Rodgers emerge from a newly minted attorney fresh out of law school to an experienced prosecutor.

"I hired Ms. Rodgers as a new lawyer and I have watched her progress in the office," Milhiser said. "She understands the importance of good prosecutors in keeping the community safe and in supporting victims. (She) is an experienced prosecutor and an asset to the office."

Milhiser had been State's Attorney for eight years from 2010-18. His return to the office came when his successor, Dan Wright, was appointed as an associate judge on the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court.

Rodgers became head of the felony division in February 2021. In addition to working in the felony division, Rodgers has also served in the county's drug court, mental health recovery court and veteran's treatment court.

Outside the courtroom, Rodgers is a trustee on the Springfield Park District board, appointed in 2022. She also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations including the Kidzeum of Health and Science.

Rodgers said that she was honored and excited that Milhiser provided her with the responsibility that comes with being First ASA.

"It's really building what I have been doing for the last 9 1/2 years, starting with misdemeanors, moving up to felony, and being chief of the felony," Rodgers said. "A lot of that comes down to leading by example. I've been very fortunate in my career that I have been surrounded by attorneys and judges who have shown me that the best way to lead is to show others how it is not just to be a good attorney, but a good member of the community and good team member."

She also noted that she wants to continue furthering the mission of the office, which goes beyond trials and convictions toward working with other stakeholders to make the county as safe as it can be.

"It's not just, 'Let's lock people up and get convictions,' it's 'How do we work with law enforcement and community partners to make Sangamon County a safer place?'" Rodgers said. "Sometimes, that could mean jail sentences. But I've been fortunate that Sangamon County has been a place that really sees the value in working with other community partners, seeking out mental health treatment (or) drug treatment..., and using those tools in addition to incarceration. That's not the be-all, end-all. How do we make the community safer? Getting people help, a lot of times, is how we do that."

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Rodgers first came to Springfield over 15 years ago and through her roles on the park board and on non-profit boards, has embraced Springfield as home.

"It's that kind of big small town," Rodgers said. "You can go to the grocery store and run into someone, but UIS will get all these great acts, St. Louis is close by, our Park District has so much to offer with the (Henson Robinson) Zoo and everything. There's a lot that this community has to offer and I love being a part of that."

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Mary Beth Rodgers promoted to first assistant state's attorney