SYCAMORE – DeKalb County State’s Attorney-elect Richard Schmack has hired a first assistant and told two current prosecutors they won’t be working for him when he takes office Dec. 3.

Duke Harris, a lead prosecutor in Champaign County since 1998, will be Schmack’s first assistant, while Phil Montgomery will retain his position as chief of the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Criminal Division.

Harris was a felony prosecutor in the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office from 1986 to 1996 before failing to receive the Republican nomination for state’s attorney in 1996, Schmack said.