Meet Patrick
Patrick Kenneally has served as McHenry County State’s Attorney since 2016. As State’s Attorney, Kenneally has spearheaded critical programs that reduce crime and save taxpayers money.
Patrick began his career as a prosecutor after being hired by Lou Bianchi in 2007 as an assistant state’s attorney. He worked his way from traffic court to special prosecutions, and in 2016 Patrick was named McHenry County First Assistant State’s Attorney. Patrick has tried over 90 cases at all levels of the justice system. As a domestic violence prosecutor, Patrick changed the way that domestic violence cases were prosecuted by trying and winning cases even when fearful victims would not appear in court. For his efforts, Patrick earned Turning Point’s Peace and Justice Award.
As a special prosecutor, Patrick was personally responsible for prosecuting the most dangerous and violent offenders, including murderers, rapists, armed robbers, child molesters, and killer drunk drivers. Major trials Patrick successfully prosecuted include:
- People v. Harrison, First Degree Murder, Guilty
- People v. Michael Romano, First Degree Murder, Guilty
- People v. Robert Signorile, First Degree Murder, Guilty
- People v. Daniel Bending, Driving Under the Influence Proximately Causing Death, Guilty
- People v. Thomas Reed, Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, Guilty
Patrick is known to stand in solidarity with victims who often must endure for a lifetime the consequences of the senseless criminal acts of others. He has a reputation for prosecuting criminal offenders tenaciously, but doing so without ever losing sight of his ultimate ethical responsibility to seek justice before all else.
Giving back to the community is important to Patrick and everyone in his State’s Attorney’s office. They participate in a number of charity events and support many local community organizations and schools. This includes supporting the Humane Society and Crystal Lake Food Pantry, participating in Christmas Clearing House and St. Baldrick’s Day, and volunteering to support seniors and school children.
Patrick earned his law degree from Washington University School of Law in 2005 and a master’s degree in environmental law from the University of Vermont. Prior to law school, Patrick earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and liberal arts from the College of the Holy Cross. At Holy Cross, Patrick was a member of the All-Time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll. He is admitted to the Illinois Bar and United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and is a member of the Illinois and McHenry County Bar Associations.
A devoted family man, Patrick is the proud husband to Colleen. They live in Crystal Lake with their three sons, Patrick R, John, and James. They are members of St. Thomas Church in Crystal Lake. Patrick is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Patrick’s Priorities
I am dedicated to ensuring McHenry County remains a safe and wonderful place to live and raise a family. To keep our communities safe, I have aggressively prosecuted sexually dangerous and violent offenders to remove those people from society. I earned a reputation as a tough, seasoned prosecutor in my nine years as a criminal prosecutor fighting crime in McHenry County, and as your State’s Attorney I have continued to deliver justice and put criminals behind bars.
- Keep McHenry County Safe
- Be Efficient with Your Tax Dollars
- Lead the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic