Joseph A. Cervantez was elected the State's Attorney of Jackson County, Illinois, in 2020. He began his legal career volunteering as a legal advocate with the SIU Domestic Violence Clinic and later with the Land of Lincoln in Carbondale, Illinois. After graduation he worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Office. Later, he was asked to head the juvenile docket for the Saline County State’s Attorney’s Office. Immediately before becoming State’s Attorney, Joe was a partner at the Law Firm of Tetzlaff, Cervantez & Associates, P.C., a small general practice law firm where he focused on criminal defense.

Prior to law school State's Attorney Cervantez served as a Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and Platoon Commander in the United States Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve. He deployed to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq in 2003, 2004 and 2007, 2008.

He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, Illinois.
State's Attorney Cervantez is admitted to practice in Illinois and the Southern District Court of Illinois and he holds memberships with the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois State's Attorney's Association, American Bar Association, and the National District Attorney's Association.