The Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office

Marsha Cascio-Hale is the elected Jackson County State’s Attorney. A southern Illinois resident since 2006, she earned her J.D. (2009) and LL.M. (2010) from Southern Illinois University School of Law and makes Murphysboro her hometown.
Since taking office as Jackson County State’s Attorney, Marsha has focused on timely, effective justice and operational improvements. Key accomplishments include in-house training for all attorneys, eliminating the COVID-era backlog of cases, resolving nine of the ten pending murder cases she inherited, and implementing streamlined case-flow procedures that accelerate case progression to timely resolution while preserving thoroughness and victims’ rights. She regularly collaborates with judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, guardians ad litem, victim advocates, probation officers, and community partners.
Prior to her election in Jackson County, Marsha served as interim Williamson County State’s Attorney (2022), where she was unanimously appointed by the Williamson County Board of Commissioners to complete a predecessor’s term. Her public‑service career also includes work as an assistant public defender in Jackson County—handling large misdemeanor and felony dockets from first appearance through pretrial motions—and as a research attorney for the Fifth District Appellate Court, where she developed appellate research that helps reduce reversals.
Marsha was “of counsel” at the Southern Illinois Law Center, LLC in Carbondale, representing clients across southern Illinois in family law, protective orders, guardianships, juvenile matters, adoptions, appeals, and related practice areas.
Active in local business and community development, Marsha served on the Board of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, participated in BNI and BNI WIN, and co‑founded and organized the first and second annual Carbondale Spring FEST to showcase artisans and small businesses. She also served on the board of Haven House, a southern Illinois housing program for veterans.
Marsha lives in Murphysboro with her husband, Christian Hale, and their two rescue dogs, Bella and Daisy. Her son, Gage, also resides in Murphysboro and is a graduate of Carbondale Community High School and John A. Logan College.