Keck promoted to lead trial attorney in Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office; Wilson Laegeler added to staff

QUINCY — Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha recently announced changes in the state’s attorney’s office.

Laura Keck, who has been with the state’s attorney’s office since November 2012, was promoted to lead trial attorney. She replaces Josh Jones, who started his new job as an associate judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit in July. Jones and Keck worked alongside each other since 2016, prosecuting some of the county’s most high-profile cases.

Keck earned her Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University in 2009. She worked a law clerk for the Missouri Supreme Court for nearly two years and for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office for 18 months before coming to Adams County.

“The only concern I had was if she would take (the job),” Farha said. “She’s doing a great job, and she will continue to do a great job. She’s just the most compassionate and hard-working person you’d ever find. All the police love her.”

As Keck slides over one chair to replace Jones, Farha said the person who will assist Keck with felony cases has not yet been selected.

“That’s going to be who Laura feels she can work best with,” Farha said. “You know, Todd (Eyler) may want to do things differently when he’s elected.”

Eyler, a first assistant state’s attorney, kicked off his campaign in April 2023 to be Adams County’s next state’s attorney. No Democrat has filed to run against Eyler. Farha’s last day as the state’s attorney is Nov. 30.

Erin Wilson Laegeler started in July and is handling civil matters for the county on a part-time basis. She maintains an office in Schuyler County.

“Erin will be working with the highway department, advising the (Adams County) Board, advising office holders,” Farha said. “She’s a natural for this. She’s very smart and very appropriate.”

Farha said Eyler was part of the selection process. 

“(Eyler) has to be comfortable with her, and I think Erin was appreciative of the fact that she’s not going to have to worry about being replaced with the new guy coming in,” he said.

Farha said he and Eyler have handled civil matters for the county, taking over for Springfield attorney Rick Stewart, who was paid $85,000 to handle them in previous years. Farha said it takes more time than he would have liked.

“It doesn’t take me any time to do a drug case, but doing some of these things, particularly when it’s not an area of practice that we have done previously to any extent, just take a while,” Farha said.

Wilson Laegeler joined the firm of Blickhan, Timmerwilke and Woodworth in December 2022. She previously clerked for Judge Joe Billy McDade of the Central District of Illinois for four years. She also has served as an assistant appellate prosecutor for the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s Office and as a research attorney for the Fourth District of the Illinois Appellate Court.

Wilson Laegeler graduated from the University of Illinois-Springfield, where she obtained a degree in legal studies and political science, and the Charlotte School of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctor.

The state’s attorney’s office now is comprised of Farha, Eyler, Keck and Laegeler, along with:

• Brett Jansen, felony prosecutor and problem-solving court
• Ryan Parker, felony and misdemeanor prosecutor
• Jacob Scholz, DUI, traffic and conservation prosecutor
• Tiffany Fish, juvenile prosecutor
• Trisha Hubbard, victim witness coordinator
• Cheryl Ely, office administrator.

Farha said this is the first time in quite a while for the state’s attorney’s office to be fully staffed. He said Eyler is searching for someone to replace him when he moves into Farha’s office on Dec. 1.

“I think he has people in mind as to who he wants to hire,” Farha said. “I’d love for it to happen (before Farha leaves), and it may very well happen. We just have to talk to the County Board.”