Conroy Seeks Censure, Residents Split On Sheriff's Weapons Ban Stance

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — DuPage County Chair Deb Conroy aims to seek censure of Sheriff James Mendrick for a Jan. 13 statement in which he said he would not not enforce parts ofHB 5471, a statewide ban on assault weapons. Conroy's motion came during a board meeting that was packed with dozens of residents who came to express disapproval of or support for the sheriff's stance.

Conroy said she will plans to introduce a resolution in February to censure Mendrick.

"I think it's very important that we remember, as elected officials, that words matter. Words are very important. The repercussions of what we say can be dangerous at times," Conroy said.

She continued, "It is my feeling that the board needs to have confidence that our sheriff is focusing on the safety of our residents and not engaging in inflammatory political rhetoric."

Sheriff Mendrick's Statement on HB 5471

On Jan. 13, Mendrick shared a statement on his Facebook page that read, in part:

"Part of my duties that I accepted upon being sworn into office was to protect the rights provided to all of us, in the Constitution. One of those enumerated rights is the right of the people to keep and bear arms provided under the 2nd Amendment.The right to bear arms for defense of life, liberty and property is regarded as an inalienable right by the people.I, among many others, believe that HB 5471 is a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

Mendrick continued,"Therefore, as a custodian of the jail and chief law enforcement official for DuPage County, that neither myself, nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State, nor will we be arresting or housing law-abiding individuals that have been arrested solely with non-compliance of this Act."

Residents React at Board Meeting

At Tuesday's board meeting, dozens of residents gathered with signs and American flags to speak out in the wake of Mendrick's statement, which had been challenged by local lawmakers including Rep. Sean Casten and Rep. Bill Foster.

As residents came to the podium to share their comments, the crowd often erupted in cheers, jeers and applause.

Resident Jamie Clark said, "I'm here to say thank you to Mendrick for sticking up for our Constitutional rights."

Clark said of the ban, "Ultimately, it's not gun control; it's people control. You're using national tragedies to push an agenda."

Another resident said, "I thank you, Sheriff Mendrick, for your courage and your leadership and I publicly express my support for you."

Holding a sign that read, "Sheriff Mendrick, Do Your Job," resident and attorney Deborah Ness expressed thanks to board members who had supported the gun law.

Citing the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Ness continued, "When they wrote the Second Amendment, they weren't thinking of semiautomatic weapons. They were thinking about muskets."

"Let's replace this man if he can't do his job," Ness said. "His job is not to interpret the law. He's not an attorney. I am an attorney and I wouldn't even [think] to figure out how to stand up and fight against this law."

Lawmakers, Mendrick Speak Out via Statements

Reps. Bill Foster (D, IL-11), Sean Casten (D, IL-6), Delia Ramirez (D, IL-3), Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D, IL-4), Mike Quigley (D, IL-5) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D, IL-8) wrote to Mendrick after his first statement. The lawmakers called for Mendrick to resign.

They prompted Mendrick to answer the following questions:

1. "Do you assert that you have the authority as the Sheriff of DuPage County to selectively disregard state laws that you, in your judgment, believe to be unconstitutional? If so, please clarify where that authority resides."
2. "Have you, in your capacity as Sheriff, ever previously opined that a state law was unconstitutional and directed your department not to enforce that law? If so, please provide details."
3. "Your department is funded and directed by the DuPage County Board. On October 25, 2022, that board voted unanimously in support of a statewide ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Did you consult with any member of the board before issuing your January 11, 2023, statement? Please provide details of any pertinent communications."

On Monday, Mendrick shared a statement that read, in part,

"There is absolutely nothing that we are doing or not doing that would make a mass shooting more accessible in DuPage County. In fact, I’ve asked on multiple occasions to increase penalties on all existing gun crimes but it doesn’t appear that they want to have that conversation. They seem more concerned with lawful gun owners than people illegally possessing guns. They’ve back tracked enough that now we have a very small role in most aspects of this legislation."