HB0255 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 02629 RLC 12632 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB0255

Introduced 1/29/2021, by Rep. Kambium Buckner

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

50 ILCS 727/1-10
55 ILCS 5/3-9008	from Ch. 34, par. 3-9008

Amends the Police and Community Relations Improvement Act. Provides that in the case of a law enforcement officer-involved death, the chief judge of the circuit court of the circuit in which the law enforcement officer-involved death occurred shall appoint a special prosecutor to review the report of the investigators assigned to investigate an officer-involved death and to prosecute the officer involved in the death, if the special prosecutor determines that there is a basis for the prosecution. Amends the Counties Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Police and Community Relations Improvement Act is amended by changing Section 1-10 as follows:

(50 ILCS 727/1-10)

Sec. 1-10. Investigation of officer-involved deaths; requirements.

(a) Each law enforcement agency shall have a written policy regarding the investigation of officer-involved deaths that involve a law enforcement officer employed by that law enforcement agency.

(b) Each officer-involved death investigation shall be conducted by at least 2 investigators, or an entity or agency comprised of at least 2 investigators, one of whom is the lead investigator. The lead investigator shall be a person certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board as a Lead Homicide Investigator, or similar training approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or the Department of State Police, or similar training provided at an Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board certified school. No investigator involved in the investigation may be employed by the law enforcement agency that employs the officer involved in the officer-involved death, unless the investigator is employed by the Department of State Police and is not assigned to the same division or unit as the officer involved in the death.

(c) In addition to the requirements of subsection (b) of this Section, if the officer-involved death being investigated involves a motor vehicle accident, at least one investigator shall be certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board as a Crash Reconstruction Specialist, or similar training approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or the Department of State Police, or similar training provided at an Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board certified school. Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (b) of this Section, the policy for a law enforcement agency, when the officer-involved death being investigated involves a motor vehicle collision, may allow the use of an investigator who is employed by that law enforcement agency and who is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board as a Crash Reconstruction Specialist, or similar training approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, or similar certified training approved by the Department of State Police, or similar training provided at an Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board certified school.

(d) The investigators conducting the investigation shall, in an expeditious manner, provide a complete report to the special prosecutor appointed by the court as provided in subsection (d-5) State's Attorney of the county in which the officer-involved death occurred.

(d-5) The chief judge of the circuit court of the circuit in which the law enforcement officer-involved death occurred shall appoint a special prosecutor to review the report of the investigators assigned to investigate an officer-involved death and to prosecute the officer involved in the death, if the special prosecutor determines that there is a basis for the prosecution.

(e) If the special prosecutor appointed by the court under subsection (d-5) State's Attorney, or a designated special prosecutor, determines there is no basis to prosecute the law enforcement officer involved in the officer-involved death, or if the law enforcement officer is not otherwise charged or indicted, the investigators shall publicly release a report.

(Source: P.A. 99-352, eff. 1-1-16.)

Section 10. The Counties Code is amended by changing Section 3-9008 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/3-9008) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-9008)

Sec. 3-9008. Appointment of attorney to perform duties.

(a) (Blank).

(a-5) The court on its own motion, or an interested person in a cause or proceeding, civil or criminal, may file a petition alleging that the State's Attorney is sick, absent, or unable to fulfill his or her duties. The court shall consider the petition, any documents filed in response, and if necessary, grant a hearing to determine whether the State's Attorney is sick, absent, or otherwise unable to fulfill his or her duties. If the court finds that the State's Attorney is sick, absent, or otherwise unable to fulfill his or her duties, the court may appoint some competent attorney to prosecute or defend the cause or proceeding.

(a-10) The court on its own motion, or an interested person in a cause or proceeding, civil or criminal, may file a petition alleging that the State's Attorney has an actual conflict of interest in the cause or proceeding. The court shall consider the petition, any documents filed in response, and if necessary, grant a hearing to determine whether the State's Attorney has an actual conflict of interest in the cause or proceeding. If the court finds that the petitioner has proven by sufficient facts and evidence that the State's Attorney has an actual conflict of interest in a specific case, the court may appoint some competent attorney to prosecute or defend the cause or proceeding.

(a-11) In the case of an officer-involved death, as defined in Section 1-5 of the Police and Community Relations Improvement Act, the court shall appoint a special prosecutor to prosecute a law enforcement officer for an officer-involved death as provided in subsection (d-5) of Section 1-10 of that Act.

(a-15) Notwithstanding subsections (a-5) and (a-10) of this Section, the State's Attorney may file a petition to recuse himself or herself from a cause or proceeding for any other reason he or she deems appropriate and the court shall appoint a special prosecutor as provided in this Section.

(a-20) Prior to appointing a private attorney under this Section, the court shall contact public agencies, including, but not limited to, the Office of Attorney General, Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, or local State's Attorney's Offices throughout the State, to determine a public prosecutor's availability to serve as a special prosecutor at no cost to the county and shall appoint a public agency if they are able and willing to accept the appointment. An attorney so appointed shall have the same power and authority in relation to the cause or proceeding as the State's Attorney would have if present and attending to the cause or proceedings.

(b) In case of a vacancy of more than one year occurring in any county in the office of State's attorney, by death, resignation or otherwise, and it becomes necessary for the transaction of the public business, that some competent attorney act as State's attorney in and for such county during the period between the time of the occurrence of such vacancy and the election and qualification of a State's attorney, as provided by law, the vacancy shall be filled upon the written request of a majority of the circuit judges of the circuit in which is located the county where such vacancy exists, by appointment as provided in The Election Code of some competent attorney to perform and discharge all the duties of a State's attorney in the said county, such appointment and all authority thereunder to cease upon the election and qualification of a State's attorney, as provided by law. Any attorney appointed for any reason under this Section shall possess all the powers and discharge all the duties of a regularly elected State's attorney under the laws of the State to the extent necessary to fulfill the purpose of such appointment, and shall be paid by the county he serves not to exceed in any one period of 12 months, for the reasonable amount of time actually expended in carrying out the purpose of such appointment, the same compensation as provided by law for the State's attorney of the county, apportioned, in the case of lesser amounts of compensation, as to the time of service reasonably and actually expended. The county shall participate in all agreements on the rate of compensation of a special prosecutor.

(c) An order granting authority to a special prosecutor must be construed strictly and narrowly by the court. The power and authority of a special prosecutor shall not be expanded without prior notice to the county. In the case of the proposed expansion of a special prosecutor's power and authority, a county may provide the court with information on the financial impact of an expansion on the county. Prior to the signing of an order requiring a county to pay for attorney's fees or litigation expenses, the county shall be provided with a detailed copy of the invoice describing the fees, and the invoice shall include all activities performed in relation to the case and the amount of time spent on each activity.

(Source: P.A. 99-352, eff. 1-1-16.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.