Alexander County appoints interim prosecutor

CAIRO, Ill. -- The Alexander County, Illinois, board of commissioners on Tuesday unanimously accepted the resignation of State's Attorney Jeff Farris and appointed public defender Zach Gowin to take his place until a permanent replacement is hired.

Farris is stepping down from the office he has held since 1992 to accept an appointment as Alexander County's resident circuit judge.

Farris will be sworn in Friday to replace Judge Stephen Spomer, who retired Nov. 30.

Under Illinois law, the board must declare the vacancy and notify the county's Democratic and Republican party leaders before it can hire a permanent replacement for Farris.

Gowin's appointment -- which takes effect at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the same time as Farris' resignation -- is essentially a stopgap to ensure someone is available to file search warrants and charges until the county finds a permanent state's attorney.

"Courthouse keeps moving. It doesn't take a vacation," Gowin said.

The new position will be a change for Gowin, who will move from defending the accused to prosecuting them.

"I think I'm prepared. ... It's just another side to it," he said Tuesday afternoon. "In law school, they teach you to be flexible and be ready for either side of a case. I'm humbled and grateful for the opportunity."

Board members congratulated Farris on his new position but expressed disappointment at losing him as state's attorney.

"Sad to see you go, but happy for you," Chalen Tatum, vice chairman of the board, told Farris.

Board chairman Harold McNelly expressed similar sentiments, calling Farris "firm but fair."

In August, Farris and Gowin faced off in the trial of Chauncey Hughes of Cairo, who is accused of shooting his wife, Heather Davis, to death in November 2013.

Farris filed four counts of first-degree murder against Hughes, whom Gowin represented in the case.

After jurors inadvertently looked at cellphone messages they were not supposed to see, Judge Mark Clarke granted Gowin's motion for a mistrial, meaning Hughes would receive a new trial, with a different jury.

Clarke had set the case for a new trial in November, but after a material witness underwent surgery, Clarke granted Farris' motion for a continuance and pushed the trial back to Jan. 27.

With Farris resigning and Gowin taking his place this week, the case will have not only a new jury, but also new lawyers for both sides.

A new public defender will have to be appointed to replace Gowin, and Farris said to avoid a conflict of interest, Ed Parkinson, an appellate prosecutor for the Illinois state's attorney's office, will take over the prosecution of the case.

As of Tuesday, Hughes still was scheduled to stand trial Jan. 27.

If that date stands, lawyers for both sides will have less than two weeks to familiarize themselves with the evidence and prepare their arguments.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Cairo, Ill.