Prosecuting Complex Gang Cases

Thomas J. Darman is an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois currently assigned to the Statewide Grand Jury Bureau where he prosecutes multi-jurisdictional narcotics and gun cases.

 Mr. Darman retired from the from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in May of 2023 as the Supervisor of the Gang & Complex Homicide Unit where he supervised 25 attorneys who prosecuted primarily complex and gang related homicides in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

 He is a Gang Investigation and Prosecution Expert for the National Center for State Courts where he is assigned to the Caribbean Anti-Crime Program.  In this capacity Mr. Darman works with the NCSC and U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the criminal justice sector of law enforcement institutions in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago. This involves support and training in counter gang strategies to support local stakeholders and address challenges and gaps in gang investigation and prosecution.

 For 10 years Mr. Darman was an adjunct faculty member at South Suburban College and has taught courses in the Criminal Justice Program such as Criminal Law, Evidence and Criminal Procedure, Criminal Investigation, Ethics, Elite Deviance, Cybercrime and Victimization. He has also been an adjunct faculty member at Governor’s State University, Master of Criminal Justice program and has taught Criminal Law & the Constitution as well as Current Issues in Criminal Law.

 Mr. Darman has given presentations on the subjects of Handling Difficult Witnesses, Prosecuting Gang Homicides, Use of Cell Phone Records at Trial, File Organization, Flipper Witnesses, Overview of an Oral Trial and others for:  the National Gang Crimes Research Center; Various Divisions of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; The Chicago Police Department; the Chicago Bar Association; and Fortaleciendo el Estado de Derecho en las Américas.

 Thomas Darman is a 1992 graduate of The John Marshall Law School and a 1986 graduate of the Indiana University. He is a three time recipient of The Cook County Crime Stoppers Excellence in Law Enforcement Award and a two time recipient of the Chicago Crime Commission Law Enforcement Excellence.