On Monday, November 30, Morgan County State’s Attorney Robert V. Bonjean III submitted his letter of resignation, which will go into effect on December 31, 2015, at 11:59 p.m., to the Morgan County Board of Commissioners. Bonjean has served at the position since being appointed on March 22, 2013, and his subsequent election in the 2014 general election.
“I don’t know if there’s ever a perfect time to announce something like this,” Bonjean said of his resignation. “But based on personal reflection and reflection with my family, that’s what led me to make the decision.”
Mr. Bonjean has spent more than a decade on the third floor of the Morgan County Courthouse, having served as an Assistant State’s Attorney from December 1, 2004, until March of 2013.
“Each day, the job presents a new challenge or a new opportunity, it’s never stagnant,” said Bonjean. “Of course some of the cases we deal with, particularly ones involving violent crimes, those can be hard to deal with. But during my time as the State’s Attorney I’ve gotten the chance to work with a lot of really good people, in law enforcement, at the courthouse, and I’m very thankful for that.”
Once his resignation becomes official on December 1, 2016, Bonjean says he plans to join his father in expanding Bonjean Law Office, where he will go back to practicing private law, concentrating on the areas of Criminal/Traffic Law, Family Law, and Estate Planning.
“I’m looking forward to joining my father and bringing in my experience with Criminal and Traffic Law, which he hasn’t done much of in the past,” said Bonjean of his transition back into private practice. “One aspect that I enjoyed during my six years in private law, prior to becoming the State’s Attorney for Morgan County, was that I was able to go to other counties, whether it be Scott County, Cass County, Brown County, I got to move around quite a bit, whereas with this job I stayed mostly in the same place.”
Bonjean’s term as Morgan County State’s Attorney was originally set to conclude on November 30, 2016, yet given his impending resignation at the end of the 2015 calendar year, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners will begin the process of appointing an interim at the position.
