HB4101 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 12238 JAM 36647 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB4101

Introduced 5/22/2007, by Rep. Ronald A. Wait

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

705 ILCS 35/2f-6
705 ILCS 35/2k new

Amends the Circuit Courts Act. Creates an additional Boone County resident judgeship in the 17th judicial circuit (Boone and Winnebago counties), to be elected first in 2008. Authorizes the Illinois Supreme Court to fill the judgeship by appointment until then. Specifies that the judgeship is not a subcircuit judgeship. Effective July 1, 2007.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

JUDICIAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

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 Section 2f-6 and by adding Section 2k as follows:

(705 ILCS 35/2f-6)

Sec. 2f-6. 17th judicial circuit; subcircuits.

(a) The 17th circuit shall be divided into 4 subcircuits. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. The General Assembly by law shall create the subcircuits, using population data as determined by the 2000 federal census, and shall determine a numerical order for the 4 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-10) Of the 17th circuit's 9 existing circuit judgeships existing on April 7, 2005 (6 at large and 3 resident), but not including the one resident judgeship added by this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the 3 resident judgeships shall be allotted as 17th circuit resident judgeships under subsection (c) as those resident judgeships are or become vacant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly. Of the 17th circuit's associate judgeships, the first associate judgeship that is or becomes vacant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall become a resident judgeship of the 17th circuit to be allotted by the Supreme Court under subsection (c) as a resident subcircuit judgeship. These resident judgeships, and the one resident judgeship added by this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, shall constitute all of the resident judgeships of the 17th circuit. As used in this subsection, a vacancy does not include the expiration of a term of a resident judge who seeks retention in that office at the next term. A vacancy does not exist or occur at the expiration of an associate judge's term if the associate judge is reappointed.

(b) The 17th circuit shall have a total of 4 judgeships (3 resident judgeships existing on April 7, 2005 and one associate judgeship), but not including the one resident judgeship added by this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, available to be allotted to the 4 subcircuit resident judgeships.

(c) The Supreme Court shall allot (i) the 3 resident judgeships of the 17th circuit existing on April 7, 2005 as they are or become vacant as provided in subsection (a-10) and (ii) the one associate judgeship converted into a resident judgeship of the 17th circuit as it is or becomes vacant as provided in subsection (a-10), for election from the various subcircuits until there is one resident judge to be elected from each subcircuit. No resident or associate judge of the 17th circuit serving on 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 or reappointment in office as resident judgeships are allotted by the Supreme Court in accordance with this Section.

(d) A resident judge elected from a subcircuit shall continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office.

(e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 17th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 93-1102, eff. 4-7-05.)

(705 ILCS 35/2k new)

Sec. 2k. Additional 17th circuit resident judge. In addition to the number of circuit judges otherwise authorized by this Act, there shall be one additional judge elected in the 17th judicial circuit who shall be a resident of and elected from Boone County. The additional resident circuit judgeship created by this Section may be filled by appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court until the judgeship is filled by election beginning at the 2008 general election. The judgeship provided by this Section shall not be a subcircuit judgeship.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2007.