Citing lack of faith in Kim Foxx, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney resigns

Jim Murphy makes resignation statement after 25 years

CHICAGO — After 25 years working for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Jim Murphy has resigned, citing lack of faith in Kim Foxx’s leadership as the reason for his departure.

“I wish I could stay. I would love to continue to fight for the victims of crime and to continue to stand with each of you, especially in the face of the overwhelming crime that is crippling our communities,” said Murphy in a message he sent to CCSA staff. “However, I can no longer work for this Administration. I have zero confidence in their leadership. I am going to look elsewhere for opportunities to make a difference.”

Murphy explains in the message that he had “been thinking about leaving for a while now. Really, the thoughts began back in January of 2021, when the “Safe-T Act” was passed.”

Murphy said he supports the elimination of cash bail, but believed the legislation was a political move more so than a meaningful one when it was passed.

“To be clear, I am in support of eliminating cash bail- no person should sit in jail solely because they can’t afford to pay for bail. But I never understood the rush on an issue that was so important,” Murphy’s statement said. “I voiced my concerns at the time. And it was in that process that I began to realize that the Administration’s ‘Mission Vision and Values’ was just a PR stunt, just words on a page.”

Toward the end of the message, Murphy questioned when the administration will become more focused on victims and prosecuting violent crimes as opposed to political narratives and agendas.

“I’ve seen it day after day. How many mass shootings do there have to be before something is done?” Murphy writes in the message. “This Administration is more concerned with political narratives and agendas than with victims and prosecuting violent crime. That is why I can’t stay any longer.”

Murphy was placed on administrative leave after suggesting—as prosecutor of the case—that 13-year-old Adam Toledo was still armed when shot and killed by police last year.

WGN has reached out to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, but requests for comment have not been returned.