SB2287eng 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2287 Engrossed LRB093 19324 LCB 45060 b

AN ACT concerning courts.

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

Section 5. The Circuit Courts Act is amended by changing Sections 2f-1 and 2f-4 as follows:

(705 ILCS 35/2f-1)

Sec. 2f-1. 19th and 22nd judicial circuits.

(a) On December 4, 2006, the 19th judicial circuit is divided into the 19th and 22nd judicial circuits as provided in Section 1 of the Circuit Courts Act. This division does not invalidate any action taken by the 19th judicial circuit or any of its judges, officers, employees, or agents before December 4, 2006. This division does not affect any person's rights, obligations, or duties, including applicable civil and criminal penalties, arising out of any action taken by the 19th judicial circuit or any of its judges, officers, employees, or agents before December 4, 2006.

(b) Of the 7 circuit judgeships elected at large in the 19th circuit before the general election in 2006, the Supreme Court shall assign 5 to the 19th circuit and 2 to the 22nd circuit, based on residency of the circuit judges then holding those judgeships. The 5 assigned to the 19th circuit shall continue to be elected at large. The 2 assigned to the 22nd circuit shall continue to be elected at large.

(c) The 6 resident judgeships elected from Lake County before the general election in 2006 shall become resident judgeships in the 19th circuit on December 4, 2006, and the 3 resident judgeships elected from McHenry County before the general election in 2006 shall become resident judgeships in the 22nd circuit on December 4, 2006.

(d) On December 4, 2006, the Supreme Court shall allocate the associate judgeships of the 19th circuit before that date between the 19th and 22nd circuits based on the population of those circuits; however, the number of associate judges in the 19th circuit on and after December 4, 2006 shall be no less than the number of associate judges residing in Lake County on March 22, 2004. An associate judge appointed from a subcircuit of the 19th circuit must reside in the subcircuit from which he or she is appointed and must continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office. This residency requirement shall not apply to persons serving as associate judges on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. On and after December 4, 2006 in the 19th circuit, associate judgeships shall be allocated equally among the subcircuits created in accordance with Section 2f-2. If, after associate judgeships are allocated equally among the subcircuits of the 19th circuit, there are any remaining associate judgeships that have not been allocated to any subcircuit, those remaining associate judgeships shall be filled at large from the entire circuit.

(e) On December 4, 2006, the Supreme Court shall allocate personnel, books, records, documents, property (real and personal), funds, assets, liabilities, and pending matters concerning the 19th circuit before that date between the 19th and 22nd circuits based on the population and staffing needs of those circuits and the efficient and proper administration of the judicial system. The rights of employees under applicable collective bargaining agreements are not affected by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

(f) The judgeships set forth in this Section include the judgeships authorized under Sections 2g, 2h, and 2j. The judgeships authorized in those Sections are not in addition to those set forth in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 93-541, eff. 8-18-03.)

(705 ILCS 35/2f-4)

Sec. 2f-4. 12th circuit; subcircuits; additional judges.

(a) The 12th circuit shall be divided into 5 subcircuits. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. The General Assembly by law shall create the subcircuits on or before February 1, 2004, using population data as determined by the 2000 federal census, and shall determine a numerical order for the 5 subcircuits. That numerical order shall be the basis for the order in which resident judgeships are assigned to the subcircuits. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes.

(a-5) Two of the 12th circuit's associate judgeships shall be allotted as 12th circuit resident judgeships under subsection (c) as those associate judgeships are converted to resident judgeships in accordance with Section 2 of the Associate Judges Act.

(a-10) Of the 12th circuit's 10 existing circuit judgeships (8 at large and 2 resident), 2 shall be allotted as 12th circuit resident judgeships under subsection (c) as the first 2 of any of those at large and resident judgeships become vacant on or after August 18, 2003 the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. As used in this subsection, a vacancy does not include the expiration of a term of an at large or resident judge who seeks retention in that office at the next term.

(b) The 12th circuit shall have 3 one additional resident judgeships judgeship, as well as its 2 existing resident judgeships, and 8 at large judgeships, and 2 former associate judgeships, for a total of 13 judgeships available to be allotted to the 5 subcircuit resident judgeships. The additional resident judgeships judgeship created by Public Act 93-541 and this amendatory Act of 2004 the 93rd General Assembly shall be filled by election beginning at the general election in 2006. After the subcircuits are created by law, the Supreme Court shall fill by appointment the one additional resident judgeship created by Public Act 93-541 this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly until the 2006 general election.

(c) The Supreme Court shall allot (i) the additional resident judgeships judgeship of the 12th circuit created by Public Act 93-541 and this amendatory Act of 2004 the 93rd General Assembly, and (ii) the first 2 vacancies in the at large and resident judgeships of the 12th circuit as provided in subsection (a-10), and (iii) 2 associate judgeships of the 12th circuit as they are converted to resident judgeships as provided in subsection (a-5), for election from the various subcircuits until there is one resident judge to be elected from each subcircuit. No at large or resident judge of the 12th circuit serving on August 18, 2003 the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall be required to change his or her residency in order to continue serving in office or to seek retention in office as at large or resident judgeships are allotted by the Supreme Court in accordance with this Section.

(d) A resident judge of a subcircuit must reside in the subcircuit and must continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office.

(e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 12th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 93-541, eff. 8-18-03.)

Section 10. The Associate Judges Act is amended by changing Section 2 as follows:

(705 ILCS 45/2) (from Ch. 37, par. 160.2)

Sec. 2. (a) The maximum number of associate judges authorized for each circuit is the greater of the applicable minimum number specified in this Section or one for each 35,000 or fraction thereof in population as determined by the last preceding Federal census, except for circuits with a population of more than 3,000,000 where the maximum number of associate judges is one for each 29,000 or fraction thereof in population as determined by the last preceding federal census, reduced in circuits of less than 200,000 inhabitants by the number of resident circuit judges elected in the circuit in excess of one per county. In addition, in circuits of 1,000,000 or more inhabitants, there shall be one additional associate judge authorized for each municipal district of the circuit court. The number of associate judges to be appointed in each circuit, not to exceed the maximum authorized, shall be determined from time to time by the Circuit Court. The minimum number of associate judges authorized for any circuit consisting of a single county shall be 14, except that the minimum in the 22nd circuit shall be 8. The minimum number of associate judges authorized for any circuit consisting of 2 counties with a combined population of at least 275,000 but less than 300,000 shall be 10. The minimum number of associate judges authorized for any circuit with a population of at least 303,000 but not more than 309,000 shall be 10. The minimum number of associate judges authorized for any circuit with a population of at least 329,000, but not more than 335,000 shall be 11. The minimum number of associate judges authorized for any circuit with a population of at least 173,000 shall be 5. As used in this Section, the term "resident circuit judge" has the meaning given it in the Judicial Vacancies Act.

(b) The maximum number of associate judges authorized under subsection (a) for a circuit with a population of more than 3,000,000 shall be reduced as provided in this subsection (b). For each vacancy that exists on or occurs on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990, that maximum number shall be reduced by one until the total number of associate judges authorized under subsection (a) is reduced by 60. A vacancy exists or occurs when an associate judge dies, resigns, retires, is removed, or is not reappointed upon expiration of his or her term; a vacancy does not exist or occur at the expiration of a term if the associate judge is reappointed.

(c) The maximum number of associate judges authorized under subsection (a) for the 12th judicial circuit shall be reduced as provided in this subsection (c). For each vacancy that exists on or occurs after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, that maximum number shall be reduced by one until the total number of associate judges authorized under subsection (a) is reduced by 2. A vacancy exists or occurs when (i) a new associate judgeship has been authorized under subsection (a) for the 12th judicial circuit, but has not been filled by appointment or (ii) an associate judge dies, resigns, retires, is removed, or is not reappointed upon expiration of his or her term. A vacancy does not exist or occur at the expiration of a term if the associate judge is reappointed.

(Source: P.A. 92-17, eff. 6-28-01; 93-541, eff. 8-18-03.)

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