He initially fought their efforts but eventually relented and arranged for the appointment of a new lawyer from Illinois’ Special Prosecution Unit. Wells’ story is one of many that show how Illinois’ special prosecutors can themselves be implicated in a web of local conflicts, protecting powerful defendants while derailing justice for crime victims. Three months later, in August 2017, Morrow did an about-face and told the judge he wanted Illinois’ Special Prosecution Unit to take over the case. Before joining the Special Prosecution Unit, Neal ran unsuccessfully for Congress, state representative, and even his old job as state’s attorney. Leaders of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, the Special Prosecution Unit’s parent agency, declined to comment on the case.