Rep. Arthur L. Turner

Filed: 5/24/2007

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 765

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 765, AS AMENDED, by
3 replacing the preamble with the following:
 
4     "WHEREAS, Post-conviction review of credible claims,
5 supported by verifiable evidence, of torture by former Chicago
6 Police Commander Jon Burge and/or officers under his
7 supervision should be addressed expeditiously to ensure the
8 victims of torture receive justice; and
 
9     WHEREAS, More than 100 African-American men and women were
10 victims of systematic torture committed by several Chicago
11 Police officers under the Supervision of former Police
12 Commander Jon Burge over a two-decade period, from as early
13 1970 to 1992 and later; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The incarceration of an innocent victim of torture
15 not only works an injustice against that individual, but also

 

 

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1 harms society in that the real perpetrator of a crime remains
2 free and able to commit additional criminal acts; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Wrongful convictions result in an erosion of
4 public confidence in the judicial systems; and
 
5     WHEREAS, May 19, 2006, The United Nations Committee Against
6 Torture when issuing its Conclusions and Recommendations with
7 respect to the US Government's compliance with the Convention
8 Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, Degrading Treatment
9 and Punishment cited the limited investigation and lack of
10 prosecution in the Chicago Police torture cases and called on
11 the US Government to thoroughly and impartially investigate all
12 allegations of acts of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading
13 treatment or punishment in these cases; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Between 1973-1981 - numerous other
15 African-American arrestees were tortured with electric-shock
16 and suffocation at Area 2 by Burge and his cohorts to obtain
17 confessions. The torture included, plastic bags placed over
18 arrestees heads until lose of consciousness; electric shock
19 with dark box referred to as "nigger box", to testicles,
20 armpits, ears, Russian roulette; beatings with guns, fists, and
21 flashlights; repeated racial epithets; cattle prods; and
22 cigarette burns; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, 1981-1988 - 55 separate victims allege torture at
2 Area 2, including Madison Hobley, Leroy Orange, Stanley Howard,
3 Darrell Cannon, and Aaron Patterson. In most of these cases,
4 the State's Attorney's Office is aware of the allegations, and
5 nonetheless uses the coerced evidence to send the victims to
6 prison; and
 
7     WHEREAS, January 28, 1991 - Amnesty International issued a
8 report calling for an inquiry into allegations of police
9 torture in Chicago. Mayor Daley had "no comment whatsoever".
10 September 1991 - a thirteen year old boy alleged that he had
11 been tortured with electric shock at Area three. Burge and
12 former Sergeant John Byrne allegedly supervised the
13 interrogation; and
 
14     WHEREAS, January 1992 - During proceedings before the
15 Police Board, City lawyers admitted that the evidence of Area 2
16 torture established "an astounding pattern or plan. . . to
17 torture certain suspects. . . into confessing to crimes or to
18 condone such activity"; and
 
19     WHEREAS, February 7, 1992 - the Office of Professional
20 Standards publicly released its Torture reports after being
21 ordered to do so by a federal judge, and in the Goldston Report
22 the agency found the abuse was "systematic", it included acts
23 of torture" and that "[p]articular command members were aware

 

 

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1 of the systematic abuse and participated in it either by
2 actively participating in same or failing to take any action to
3 bring it to an end"; and
 
4     WHEREAS, February-March 1992 - City administratively
5 prosecuted Burge, Yucaitis, and O'Hara in a 6 week hearing
6 before the Police Board for the torture of Andrew Wilson; and
 
7     WHEREAS, February 11, 1993 - The Chicago Police Board fired
8 Jon Burge and suspended John Yucaitis for 15 months on charges
9 of torturing and physically abusing Andrew Wilson. O'Hara was
10 completely exonerated; and
 
11     WHEREAS, 1993 - The OPS reopened investigations into
12 approximately 10 of the 60 known victims of police torture.
13 These cases include Cannon and Howard; and
 
14     WHEREAS, 1993-1994 - After exhaustive investigations, OPS
15 investigators complete detailed reports, sustaining torture
16 allegations in 6 cases, including Cannon and Howard, against
17 several of Burge's trusted Area 2 associates, including Sgt.
18 Byrne and Detective Dignan; and
 
19     WHEREAS, May 15, 1995 - City of Chicago admitted that
20 Melvin Jones had been electrically shocked in an attempt to
21 extract a confession; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, July 13, 1995 - City of Chicago admits in a legal
2 document that Andrew Wilson was tortured by Burge; and
 
3     WHEREAS, November 1, 1999 - At Cannon's hearing, Dr. Robert
4 Kirschner, an internationally respected expert on torture and
5 human rights violations, testified that Cannon and several
6 other Area 2 victims were tortured and that this torture was
7 part of a pattern and practice similar to that found in other
8 countries where official torture is practiced by their military
9 and law enforcement agencies; and
 
10     WHEREAS, 1999 - Federal Judge Milton Shadur found that "it
11 is now common knowledge that Jon Burge and many officers
12 working under him regularly engaged in the physical abuse and
13 torture of prisoners in order to extract confessions"; and
 
14     WHEREAS, August 2000 - Illinois Supreme Court recognized
15 the importance of the newly discovered evidence of torture, and
16 ordered that Aaron Patterson, Stanley Howard, and 2 other death
17 row inmates be afforded hearings on their allegations of
18 torture; and
 
19     WHEREAS, April 2002 - Chief Cook County Criminal Court
20 Judge Paul Biebel found that Cook County State's Attorney
21 Richard Devine had a conflict arising from his prior

 

 

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1 representation of Burge and other Area Two Detectives while in
2 private practice, and appointed Retired Judge Edward Egan as
3 Special Prosecutor to investigate Area 2 torture; and
 
4     WHEREAS, January 10, 2003 - Governor George Ryan granted
5 Madison Hobley, Stanley Howard, Aaron Patterson, and Leroy
6 Orange pardons on the basis of innocence, while determining
7 that their confessions were tortured from them by Burge and his
8 men; and
 
9     WHEREAS, 2004 - During the course of the civil litigation
10 and in furtherance of the code of silence, Burge, Byrne, and
11 more than 30 other Area 2 detectives and supervisors asserted
12 their Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves and
13 refused to answer questions on each and every allegation of
14 torture; and
 
15     WHEREAS, 2004 - Several African-American former Area 2
16 detectives who worked under Burge come forward and broke the
17 code of silence, admitting that they saw or heard evidence of
18 torture, saw implements of torture, including Burge's shock
19 box, and that torture by Burge and his men was an "open secret"
20 at Area 2; and
 
21     WHEREAS, January 2005 - United States Court of Appeals
22 Justice Diane Wood likened Area 2 torture to that of Abu

 

 

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1 Ghraib, writing: "[A] mountain of evidence indicates that
2 torture was an ordinary occurrence at the Area 2 station of the
3 Chicago Police Department. Eventually, as this sorry tale came
4 to light, the Office of Professional Standards Investigation of
5 the Police Department looked into the allegations, and it
6 issued a report that concluded that police torture under the
7 command of Lt. Jon Burge - the officer in charge of Hinton's
8 case - had been a regular part of the system for more than ten
9 years. And, in language reminiscent of the news reports of 2004
10 concerning the notorious Abu Ghraib facility in Iraq, the
11 report said that: [t]he type of abuse described was not limited
12 to the usual beating, but went into such esoteric areas as
13 psychological techniques and planned torture"; and
 
14     WHEREAS, January 2005 - Justice Wood further found that
15 Area Two torture violated the United Nations prohibition
16 against torture, writing: Indeed, the alleged conduct is so
17 extreme that, if proven, it would fall within the prohibitions
18 established by the United Nations Convention Against Torture
19 ("CAT"), which defines torture as "any act by which severe pain
20 or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally
21 inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him
22 or a third person information or a confession. . . ." thereby
23 violating the fundamental human rights principles that the
24 United States is committed to uphold. . . .; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Spring 2005 - Freedom of information documents
2 reveal that the City of Chicago has spent more than $6,000,000
3 in legal fees defending itself and Burge and his men against
4 allegations of torture, despite repeatedly acknowledging that
5 they had engaged in a pattern and practice of torture; and
 
6     WHEREAS, September 1, 2005 - Frustrated by the fact that
7 the Special Prosecutor had not brought indictments, community
8 groups petitioned the Organization of American States'
9 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and was granted a
10 hearing on police torture and the failure to prosecute Burge
11 and his men; and
 
12     WHEREAS, On July 19, 2006, the Special Prosecutors filed a
13 292-page report documenting their investigation, which took
14 four years to complete at a cost to taxpayers of $7,000,000,
15 and although they claimed Burge and others could not be
16 criminally prosecuted due to the state statute of limitations,
17 and they concluded:
18         "Beyond a reasonable doubt," Jon Burge and five other
19     detectives under his command committed criminal acts in
20     violation of the laws of the State of Illinois which
21     included armed violence, aggravated battery, intimidation,
22     official misconduct, perjury, and/or obstruction of
23     justice against three African American male torture
24     victims, Andrew Wilson, Alphonso Pinex and Phillip Adkins;

 

 

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1     and
2         Many other African American victims were abused by
3     Burge including Melvin Jones, Shaded Mumin and Michael
4     Johnson, but "proof beyond a reasonable doubt [was]
5     absent"; and
6         Of the 148 cases they investigated, they believed that
7     abuse occurred in 74, or approximately half of the cases;
8     and
9         Jon Burge was guilty of abusing people with impunity
10     and therefore those serving under his command believed they
11     too could abuse people with impunity; and
12         Eight to twelve detectives (out a police unit of
13     forty-four) were responsible for the majority of the
14     torture; and
15         The former Superintendent of the Chicago Police
16     Department (hereinafter CPD) Richard J. Brzeczek was
17     guilty of a "dereliction of duty" and "did not act in good
18     faith in the investigation of Andrew Wilson's case"
19     because: 1) Brzeczek "believed at the time that officers at
20     Area 2 had tortured Andrew Wilson," yet Brzeczek "kept
21     Burge in command at Area 2, and issued a letter of
22     commendation to all of the detectives at Area 2;" and 2)
23     Brzeczek was aware CPD officers falsely testified under
24     oath at a motion to suppress Wilson's coerced confession
25     and before a jury in Wilson's criminal trial, denying
26     Wilson had been tortured, in order to use his coerced

 

 

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1     confession to convict him and sentence him to death; and
2         The Chief of Felony Review of the Cook County State's
3     Attorney's Office, Lawrence Hyman, who interviewed Andrew
4     Wilson after he was tortured at Police Headquarters, gave
5     "false testimony" in Andrew Wilson's criminal proceedings
6     when "he denied that Andrew Wilson told him he had been
7     tortured by detectives under the command of Jon Burge;" and
8         Something should have been done about the disgrace and
9     embarrassment [at Area 2] 24 years ago by the Chicago
10     Police Superintendent"; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The 100 or more torture victims were forced to
12 confess to crimes and the forced confessions were used to
13 convict them; and
 
14     WHEREAS, At least 24 victims of torture are still
15 imprisoned in Illinois prisons and these victims no longer have
16 recourse through the courts; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Public confidence in the justice system is
18 strengthened by thorough and timely inquiry into claims of
19 torture; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Factual claims of torture, which are determined to
21 be credible, can most effectively and efficiently be evaluated
22 through complete and independent investigation and review of

 

 

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1 the same; therefore"; and
 
2 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
3 following:
 
4     "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Act.
 
6     Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7      (1) "Claim of torture" means a claim on behalf of a living
8 person convicted of a felony in Illinois asserting that he was
9 tortured into confessing to the crime for which the person was
10 convicted and the tortured confession was used to obtain the
11 conviction and for which there is some credible evidence
12 related to allegations of torture committed by Commander Jon
13 Burge or any officer under the supervision of Jon Burge.
14     (2) "Commission" means the Illinois Torture Inquiry and
15 Relief Commission established by this Act.
16     (3) "Director" means the Director of the Illinois Torture
17 Inquiry and Relief Commission.
18     (4) "Victim" means the victim of the crime, or if the
19 victim of the crime is deceased, the next of kin of the victim.
 
20     Section 10. Purpose of Act. This Act establishes an
21 extraordinary procedure to investigate and determine factual
22 claims of torture related to allegations of torture that shall

 

 

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1 require an individual to voluntarily waive rights and
2 privileges as described in this Act.
 
3     Section 15. Commission established.
4     (a) There is established the Illinois Torture and Relief
5 Inquiry Commission. The Illinois Torture Relief Inquiry
6 Commission shall be an independent commission under the
7 Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts for
8 administrative purposes.
9     (b) The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts shall
10 provide administrative support to the Commission as needed. The
11 Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts
12 shall not reduce or modify the budget of the Commission or use
13 funds appropriated to the Commission without the approval of
14 the Commission.
 
15     Section 20. Membership; chair; meetings; quorum.
16     (a) The Commission shall consist of 8 voting members as
17 follows:
18         (1) One shall be a Circuit Court Judge, with 10 years
19     or less seniority.
20         (2) One shall be a former prosecuting attorney.
21         (3) One shall be a law school professor.
22         (4) One shall be engaged in the practice of criminal
23     defense law.
24         (5) Three shall be members of the public who are not

 

 

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1     attorneys and who are not officers or employees of the
2     Judicial branch.
3         (6) One shall be a former public defender.
4     The Commission shall be appointed as follows:
5         2 members appointed by the Governor;
6         2 members appointed by the President of the Senate;
7         One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
8     Senate;
9         2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
10     Representatives; and
11         One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
12     House of Representatives.
13     After an appointee has served his or her first 3-year term,
14 the subsequent appointment or reappointment may be by the
15 initial appointing authority.
16     (a-1) The appointing authority shall also appoint
17 alternate Commission members for the Commission members he or
18 she has appointed to serve in the event of scheduling
19 conflicts, conflicts of interest, disability, or other
20 disqualification arising in a particular case. The alternate
21 members shall have the same qualifications for appointment as
22 the original member. In making the appointments, the appointing
23 authority shall make a good faith effort to appoint members
24 with different perspectives of the justice system. The
25 appointing authority shall also consider geographical
26 location, gender, and racial diversity in making the

 

 

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1 appointments.
2     (b) The judge who is appointed as a member under subsection
3 (a) shall serve as Chair of the Commission. The Commission
4 shall have its initial meeting no later than January 31, 2008,
5 at the call of the Chair. The Commission shall meet a minimum
6 of once every 6 months and may also meet more often at the call
7 of the Chair. The Commission shall meet at such time and place
8 as designated by the Chair. Notice of the meetings shall be
9 given at such time and manner as provided by the rules of the
10 Commission. A majority of the members shall constitute a
11 quorum. All Commission votes shall be by majority vote.
 
12     Section 25. Terms of members; compensation; expenses.
13     (a) Of the initial members, 2 appointments shall be for
14 one-year terms, 3 appointments shall be for 2-year terms, and 3
15 appointments shall be for 3-year terms. Thereafter, all terms
16 shall be for 3 years. Members of the Commission shall serve no
17 more than 2 consecutive 3-year terms plus any initial term of
18 less than 3 years. Unless provided otherwise by this Act, all
19 terms of members shall begin on January 1 and end on December
20 31.
21     Members serving by virtue of elective or appointive office,
22 may serve only so long as the office holders hold those
23 respective offices. The Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit
24 Court may remove members, with cause. Vacancies occurring
25 before the expiration of a term shall be filled in the manner

 

 

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1 provided for the members first appointed.
2     (b) The Commission members shall receive no salary for
3 serving. All Commission members shall receive necessary
4 subsistence and travel expenses.
 
5     Section 30. Director and other staff. The Commission shall
6 employ a Director. The Director shall be an attorney licensed
7 to practice in Illinois at the time of appointment and at all
8 times during service as Director. The Director shall assist the
9 Commission in developing rules and standards for cases accepted
10 for review, coordinate investigation of cases accepted for
11 review, maintain records for all cases investigations, prepare
12 reports outlining Commission investigations and
13 recommendations to the trial court, and apply for and accept on
14 behalf of the Commission any funds that may become available
15 from government grants, private gifts, donations, or bequests
16 from any source.
17     Subject to the approval of the Chair, the Director shall
18 employ such other staff and shall contract for services as is
19 necessary to assist the Commission in the performance of its
20 duties, and as funds permit.
21     The Commission may meet in an area provided by the
22 Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. The
23 Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts shall provide
24 office space for the Commission and the Commission staff.
 

 

 

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1     Section 35. Duties. The Commission shall have the following
2 duties and powers:
3         (1) To establish the criteria and screening process to
4     be used to determine which cases shall be accepted for
5     review.
6         (2) To conduct inquiries into claims of torture with
7     priority to be given to those cases in which the convicted
8     person is currently incarcerated solely for the crime to
9     which he or she claims torture by Jon Burge and - or
10     officers under his command.
11         (3) To coordinate the investigation of cases accepted
12     for review.
13         (4) To maintain records for all case investigations.
14         (5) To prepare written reports outlining Commission
15     investigations and recommendations to the trial court at
16     the completion of each inquiry.
17         (6) To apply for and accept any funds that may become
18     available for the Commission's work from government
19     grants, private gifts, donations, or bequests from any
20     source.
 
21     Section 40. Claims of torture; waiver of convicted person's
22 procedural safeguards and privileges; formal inquiry;
23 notification of the crime victim.
24     (a) A claim of torture may be referred to the Commission by
25 any court, person, or agency. The Commission shall not consider

 

 

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1 a claim of torture if the convicted person is deceased. The
2 determination of whether to grant a formal inquiry regarding
3 any other claim of torture is in the discretion of the
4 Commission. The Commission may informally screen and dismiss a
5 case summarily at its discretion.
6     (b) No formal inquiry into a claim of torture shall be made
7 by the Commission unless the Director or the Director's
8 designee first obtains a signed agreement from the convicted
9 person in which the convicted person waives his or her
10 procedural safeguard and privileges, agrees to cooperate with
11 the Commission, and agrees to provide full disclosure regarding
12 inquiry requirements of the Commission. The Waver under this
13 subsection does not apply to matters unrelated to a convicted
14 person's claim of torture. The convicted person shall have the
15 right to advice of counsel prior to the execution of the
16 agreement and, if a formal inquiry is granted, throughout the
17 formal inquiry. If counsel represents the convicted person,
18 then the convicted person's counsel must be present at the
19 signing of the agreement. If counsel does not represent the
20 convicted person, the Commission Chair shall determine the
21 convicted person's indigency status and, if appropriate, enter
22 an order for the appointment of counsel for the purpose of
23 advising on the agreement.
24     (c) If a formal inquiry regarding a claim of torture is
25 granted, the Director shall use all due diligence to notify the
26 victim in the case and explain the inquiry process. The

 

 

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1 Commission shall give the victim notice that the victim has the
2 right to present his or her views and concerns throughout the
3 Commission's investigation.
4     (d) The Commission may use any measure provided in the Code
5 of Civil Procedure and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963
6 to obtain information necessary to its inquiry. The Commission
7 may also do any of the following: issue process to compel the
8 attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence,
9 administer oaths, petition the Circuit Court of Cook County or
10 of the original jurisdiction for enforcement of process or for
11 other relief, and prescribe its own rules of procedure. All
12 challenges with regard to the Commission's authority or the
13 Commission's access to evidence shall be heard by the
14 Commission Chair in the Chair's judicial capacity, including
15 any in camera review.
16     (e) While performing duties for the Commission, the
17 Director or the Director's designee may serve subpoenas or
18 other process issued by the Commission throughout the State in
19 the same manner and with the same effect as an officer
20 authorized to serve process under the laws of this State.
21     (f) All State discovery and disclosure statutes in effect
22 at the time of formal inquiry shall be enforceable as if the
23 convicted person were currently being tried for the charge for
24 which the convicted person is claiming torture.
25     (g) If, at any point during an inquiry, the convicted
26 person refuses to comply with requests of the Commission or is

 

 

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1 otherwise deemed to be uncooperative by the Commission, the
2 Commission shall discontinue the inquiry.
 
3     Section 45. Commission proceedings.
4     (a) At the completion of a formal inquiry, all relevant
5 evidence shall be presented to the full Commission. As part of
6 its proceedings, the Commission may conduct public hearings.
7 The determination as to whether to conduct public hearings is
8 solely in the discretion of the Commission. Any public hearing
9 held in accordance with this Section shall be subject to the
10 Commission's rules of operation.
11     (b) The Director shall use all due diligence to notify the
12 victim at least 30 days prior to any proceedings of the full
13 Commission held in regard to the victim's case. The Commission
14 shall notify the victim that the victim is permitted to attend
15 proceedings otherwise closed to the public, subject to any
16 limitations imposed by this Act, If the victim plans to attend
17 proceedings otherwise closed to the public, the victim shall
18 notify the Commission at least 10 days in advance of the
19 proceedings of his or her intent to attend. If the Commission
20 determines that the victim's presence may interfere with the
21 investigation, the Commission may close any portion of the
22 proceedings to the victim.
23     (c) After hearing the evidence, the full Commission shall
24 vote to establish further case disposition as provided by this
25 subsection. All 8 voting members of the Commission shall

 

 

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1 participate in that vote.
2     If 5 or more of the 8 voting members of the Commission
3 conclude there is sufficient evidence of torture to merit
4 judicial review, the case shall be referred to the Chief Judge
5 of the Circuit Court of Cook County by filing with the clerk of
6 court the opinion of the Commission with supporting findings of
7 fact, as well as the record in support of such opinion, with
8 service on the State's Attorney if another State's Attorney is
9 appointed other than Richard Devine in non-capital cases and
10 service on both the State's Attorney and Attorney General in
11 capital cases.
12     If less than 5 of the 8 voting members of the Commission
13 conclude there is insufficient evidence of torture to merit
14 judicial review, the Commission shall conclude there is
15 insufficient evidence of torture to merit judicial review. The
16 Commission shall document that opinion, along with supporting
17 findings of fact, and file those documents and supporting
18 materials with the court clerk in the circuit of original
19 jurisdiction, with a copy to the State's Attorney and the chief
20 judge.
21     The Director of the Commission shall use all due diligence
22 to notify immediately the victim of the Commission's conclusion
23 in a case.
24     (d) Evidence of criminal acts, professional misconduct, or
25 other wrongdoing disclosed through formal inquiry or
26 Commission proceedings shall be referred to the appropriate

 

 

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1 authority. Evidence favorable to the convicted person
2 disclosed through formal inquiry or Commission proceedings
3 shall be disclosed to the convicted person and the convicted
4 person's counsel, if the convicted person has counsel.
5     (e) All proceedings, of the Commission shall be recorded
6 and transcribed as part of the record. All Commission member
7 votes shall be recorded in the record. All records and
8 proceedings of the Commission are confidential and are exempt
9 from public record and public meeting laws except that the
10 supporting records for the Commission's conclusion that there
11 is sufficient evidence of torture to merit judicial review,
12 including all files and materials considered by the Commission
13 and an full transcript of the hearing before the Commission,
14 shall become public at the time of referral to the court.
15 Commission records for conclusions of insufficient evidence of
16 torture to merit judicial review shall remain confidential,
17 except as provided in subsection (d).
 
18     Section 50. Post-commission judicial review.
19     (a) If the Commission concludes there is sufficient
20 evidence of torture to merit judicial review, the Chair of the
21 Commission shall request the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court
22 of Cook County for assignment to a trial judge for
23 consideration. The court may receive proof by affidavits,
24 depositions, oral testimony, or other evidence. In its
25 discretion the court may order the petitioner brought before

 

 

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1 the court for the hearing. If the court finds in favor of the
2 petitioner, it shall enter an appropriate order with respect to
3 the judgment or sentence in the former proceedings and such
4 supplementary orders as to rearraignment, retrial, custody,
5 bail or discharge as may be necessary and proper.
6     (c) The State's Attorney, or the State's Attorney's
7 designee, shall represent the State at the hearing before the
8 Assigned judge.
 
9     Section 55. No right to further review of decision by
10 Commission; convicted person retains right to other
11 postconviction relief.
12     (a) Unless otherwise authorized by this Act, the decisions
13 of the Commission are final and are subject to further review
14 by appeal, certification, writ, motion, or otherwise.
15     (b) A claim of torture asserted through the Commission
16 shall not adversely affect the convicted person's rights to
17 other post conviction relief.
 
18     Section 60. In order to allow staggered terms of members of
19 the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, the
20 Commission members identified in paragraphs (1), (2), and (4)
21 of subsection (a) of Section 20 shall be appointed to initial
22 terms of 2 years, the Commission members identified in
23 paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Section 20 shall be
24 appointed to initial terms of 3 years, and the Commission

 

 

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1 members identified in paragraph (3) and (6) of subsection (a)
2 of Section 20 shall be appointed to initial terms of one year.
 
3     Section 65. Beginning January 1, 2009, and annually
4 thereafter, the Illinois Torture and Inquiry Relief Commission
5 shall report on its activities to the General Assembly and the
6 Governor. The report may contain recommendations of any needed
7 legislative changes related to the activities of the
8 Commission. The report shall recommend the funding needed by
9 the Commission, the State's Attorneys, and the Department of
10 State Police in order to meet their responsibilities under this
11 Act. Recommendations concerning the State's Attorneys or the
12 Department of State Police shall only be made after
13 consultations with the Illinois State's Attorneys Association
14 and the Attorney General.
 
15     Section 70. The Administrative Office of the Illinois
16 Courts shall report to the General Assembly and the Chief
17 Justice no later than December 31, 2010, and no later than
18 December 31 of every third year, regarding the implementation
19 of this Act and shall include in its report the statistics
20 regarding inquiries and any recommendations for changes. The
21 House of Representatives and the Senate shall refer the report
22 to the appropriate committees for their review.
 
23     Section 75. The initial members of the Illinois Torture

 

 

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1 Inquiry and Relief Commission shall be appointed not later than
2 October 1, 2007. No claims of torture may be filed with the
3 Commission until November 1, 2007.
 
4     Section 80. This Act applies to claims of torture filed on
5 or before December 31, 2012.
 
6     Section 905. The Freedom of Information Act is amended by
7 changing Section 7 as follows:
 
8     (5 ILCS 140/7)  (from Ch. 116, par. 207)
9     Sec. 7. Exemptions.
10     (1) The following shall be exempt from inspection and
11 copying:
12         (a) Information specifically prohibited from
13     disclosure by federal or State law or rules and regulations
14     adopted under federal or State law.
15         (b) Information that, if disclosed, would constitute a
16     clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, unless
17     the disclosure is consented to in writing by the individual
18     subjects of the information. The disclosure of information
19     that bears on the public duties of public employees and
20     officials shall not be considered an invasion of personal
21     privacy. Information exempted under this subsection (b)
22     shall include but is not limited to:
23             (i) files and personal information maintained with

 

 

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1         respect to clients, patients, residents, students or
2         other individuals receiving social, medical,
3         educational, vocational, financial, supervisory or
4         custodial care or services directly or indirectly from
5         federal agencies or public bodies;
6             (ii) personnel files and personal information
7         maintained with respect to employees, appointees or
8         elected officials of any public body or applicants for
9         those positions;
10             (iii) files and personal information maintained
11         with respect to any applicant, registrant or licensee
12         by any public body cooperating with or engaged in
13         professional or occupational registration, licensure
14         or discipline;
15             (iv) information required of any taxpayer in
16         connection with the assessment or collection of any tax
17         unless disclosure is otherwise required by State
18         statute;
19             (v) information revealing the identity of persons
20         who file complaints with or provide information to
21         administrative, investigative, law enforcement or
22         penal agencies; provided, however, that identification
23         of witnesses to traffic accidents, traffic accident
24         reports, and rescue reports may be provided by agencies
25         of local government, except in a case for which a
26         criminal investigation is ongoing, without

 

 

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1         constituting a clearly unwarranted per se invasion of
2         personal privacy under this subsection; and
3             (vi) the names, addresses, or other personal
4         information of participants and registrants in park
5         district, forest preserve district, and conservation
6         district programs.
7         (c) Records compiled by any public body for
8     administrative enforcement proceedings and any law
9     enforcement or correctional agency for law enforcement
10     purposes or for internal matters of a public body, but only
11     to the extent that disclosure would:
12             (i) interfere with pending or actually and
13         reasonably contemplated law enforcement proceedings
14         conducted by any law enforcement or correctional
15         agency;
16             (ii) interfere with pending administrative
17         enforcement proceedings conducted by any public body;
18             (iii) deprive a person of a fair trial or an
19         impartial hearing;
20             (iv) unavoidably disclose the identity of a
21         confidential source or confidential information
22         furnished only by the confidential source;
23             (v) disclose unique or specialized investigative
24         techniques other than those generally used and known or
25         disclose internal documents of correctional agencies
26         related to detection, observation or investigation of

 

 

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1         incidents of crime or misconduct;
2             (vi) constitute an invasion of personal privacy
3         under subsection (b) of this Section;
4             (vii) endanger the life or physical safety of law
5         enforcement personnel or any other person; or
6             (viii) obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation.
7         (d) Criminal history record information maintained by
8     State or local criminal justice agencies, except the
9     following which shall be open for public inspection and
10     copying:
11             (i) chronologically maintained arrest information,
12         such as traditional arrest logs or blotters;
13             (ii) the name of a person in the custody of a law
14         enforcement agency and the charges for which that
15         person is being held;
16             (iii) court records that are public;
17             (iv) records that are otherwise available under
18         State or local law; or
19             (v) records in which the requesting party is the
20         individual identified, except as provided under part
21         (vii) of paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this
22         Section.
23         "Criminal history record information" means data
24     identifiable to an individual and consisting of
25     descriptions or notations of arrests, detentions,
26     indictments, informations, pre-trial proceedings, trials,

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 28 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     or other formal events in the criminal justice system or
2     descriptions or notations of criminal charges (including
3     criminal violations of local municipal ordinances) and the
4     nature of any disposition arising therefrom, including
5     sentencing, court or correctional supervision,
6     rehabilitation and release. The term does not apply to
7     statistical records and reports in which individuals are
8     not identified and from which their identities are not
9     ascertainable, or to information that is for criminal
10     investigative or intelligence purposes.
11         (e) Records that relate to or affect the security of
12     correctional institutions and detention facilities.
13         (f) Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations,
14     memoranda and other records in which opinions are
15     expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except
16     that a specific record or relevant portion of a record
17     shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and
18     identified by the head of the public body. The exemption
19     provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those records
20     of officers and agencies of the General Assembly that
21     pertain to the preparation of legislative documents.
22         (g) Trade secrets and commercial or financial
23     information obtained from a person or business where the
24     trade secrets or information are proprietary, privileged
25     or confidential, or where disclosure of the trade secrets
26     or information may cause competitive harm, including:

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 29 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1             (i) All information determined to be confidential
2         under Section 4002 of the Technology Advancement and
3         Development Act.
4             (ii) All trade secrets and commercial or financial
5         information obtained by a public body, including a
6         public pension fund, from a private equity fund or a
7         privately held company within the investment portfolio
8         of a private equity fund as a result of either
9         investing or evaluating a potential investment of
10         public funds in a private equity fund. The exemption
11         contained in this item does not apply to the aggregate
12         financial performance information of a private equity
13         fund, nor to the identity of the fund's managers or
14         general partners. The exemption contained in this item
15         does not apply to the identity of a privately held
16         company within the investment portfolio of a private
17         equity fund, unless the disclosure of the identity of a
18         privately held company may cause competitive harm.
19     Nothing contained in this paragraph (g) shall be construed
20 to prevent a person or business from consenting to disclosure.
21         (h) Proposals and bids for any contract, grant, or
22     agreement, including information which if it were
23     disclosed would frustrate procurement or give an advantage
24     to any person proposing to enter into a contractor
25     agreement with the body, until an award or final selection
26     is made. Information prepared by or for the body in

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 30 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     preparation of a bid solicitation shall be exempt until an
2     award or final selection is made.
3         (i) Valuable formulae, computer geographic systems,
4     designs, drawings and research data obtained or produced by
5     any public body when disclosure could reasonably be
6     expected to produce private gain or public loss. The
7     exemption for "computer geographic systems" provided in
8     this paragraph (i) does not extend to requests made by news
9     media as defined in Section 2 of this Act when the
10     requested information is not otherwise exempt and the only
11     purpose of the request is to access and disseminate
12     information regarding the health, safety, welfare, or
13     legal rights of the general public.
14         (j) Test questions, scoring keys and other examination
15     data used to administer an academic examination or
16     determined the qualifications of an applicant for a license
17     or employment.
18         (k) Architects' plans, engineers' technical
19     submissions, and other construction related technical
20     documents for projects not constructed or developed in
21     whole or in part with public funds and the same for
22     projects constructed or developed with public funds, but
23     only to the extent that disclosure would compromise
24     security, including but not limited to water treatment
25     facilities, airport facilities, sport stadiums, convention
26     centers, and all government owned, operated, or occupied

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 31 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     buildings.
2         (l) Library circulation and order records identifying
3     library users with specific materials.
4         (m) Minutes of meetings of public bodies closed to the
5     public as provided in the Open Meetings Act until the
6     public body makes the minutes available to the public under
7     Section 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act.
8         (n) Communications between a public body and an
9     attorney or auditor representing the public body that would
10     not be subject to discovery in litigation, and materials
11     prepared or compiled by or for a public body in
12     anticipation of a criminal, civil or administrative
13     proceeding upon the request of an attorney advising the
14     public body, and materials prepared or compiled with
15     respect to internal audits of public bodies.
16         (o) Information received by a primary or secondary
17     school, college or university under its procedures for the
18     evaluation of faculty members by their academic peers.
19         (p) Administrative or technical information associated
20     with automated data processing operations, including but
21     not limited to software, operating protocols, computer
22     program abstracts, file layouts, source listings, object
23     modules, load modules, user guides, documentation
24     pertaining to all logical and physical design of
25     computerized systems, employee manuals, and any other
26     information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 32 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     security of the system or its data or the security of
2     materials exempt under this Section.
3         (q) Documents or materials relating to collective
4     negotiating matters between public bodies and their
5     employees or representatives, except that any final
6     contract or agreement shall be subject to inspection and
7     copying.
8         (r) Drafts, notes, recommendations and memoranda
9     pertaining to the financing and marketing transactions of
10     the public body. The records of ownership, registration,
11     transfer, and exchange of municipal debt obligations, and
12     of persons to whom payment with respect to these
13     obligations is made.
14         (s) The records, documents and information relating to
15     real estate purchase negotiations until those negotiations
16     have been completed or otherwise terminated. With regard to
17     a parcel involved in a pending or actually and reasonably
18     contemplated eminent domain proceeding under the Eminent
19     Domain Act, records, documents and information relating to
20     that parcel shall be exempt except as may be allowed under
21     discovery rules adopted by the Illinois Supreme Court. The
22     records, documents and information relating to a real
23     estate sale shall be exempt until a sale is consummated.
24         (t) Any and all proprietary information and records
25     related to the operation of an intergovernmental risk
26     management association or self-insurance pool or jointly

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 33 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     self-administered health and accident cooperative or pool.
2         (u) Information concerning a university's adjudication
3     of student or employee grievance or disciplinary cases, to
4     the extent that disclosure would reveal the identity of the
5     student or employee and information concerning any public
6     body's adjudication of student or employee grievances or
7     disciplinary cases, except for the final outcome of the
8     cases.
9         (v) Course materials or research materials used by
10     faculty members.
11         (w) Information related solely to the internal
12     personnel rules and practices of a public body.
13         (x) Information contained in or related to
14     examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by,
15     on behalf of, or for the use of a public body responsible
16     for the regulation or supervision of financial
17     institutions or insurance companies, unless disclosure is
18     otherwise required by State law.
19         (y) Information the disclosure of which is restricted
20     under Section 5-108 of the Public Utilities Act.
21         (z) Manuals or instruction to staff that relate to
22     establishment or collection of liability for any State tax
23     or that relate to investigations by a public body to
24     determine violation of any criminal law.
25         (aa) Applications, related documents, and medical
26     records received by the Experimental Organ Transplantation

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 34 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     Procedures Board and any and all documents or other records
2     prepared by the Experimental Organ Transplantation
3     Procedures Board or its staff relating to applications it
4     has received.
5         (bb) Insurance or self insurance (including any
6     intergovernmental risk management association or self
7     insurance pool) claims, loss or risk management
8     information, records, data, advice or communications.
9         (cc) Information and records held by the Department of
10     Public Health and its authorized representatives relating
11     to known or suspected cases of sexually transmissible
12     disease or any information the disclosure of which is
13     restricted under the Illinois Sexually Transmissible
14     Disease Control Act.
15         (dd) Information the disclosure of which is exempted
16     under Section 30 of the Radon Industry Licensing Act.
17         (ee) Firm performance evaluations under Section 55 of
18     the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying
19     Qualifications Based Selection Act.
20         (ff) Security portions of system safety program plans,
21     investigation reports, surveys, schedules, lists, data, or
22     information compiled, collected, or prepared by or for the
23     Regional Transportation Authority under Section 2.11 of
24     the Regional Transportation Authority Act or the St. Clair
25     County Transit District under the Bi-State Transit Safety
26     Act.

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 35 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1         (gg) Information the disclosure of which is restricted
2     and exempted under Section 50 of the Illinois Prepaid
3     Tuition Act.
4         (hh) Information the disclosure of which is exempted
5     under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.
6         (ii) Beginning July 1, 1999, information that would
7     disclose or might lead to the disclosure of secret or
8     confidential information, codes, algorithms, programs, or
9     private keys intended to be used to create electronic or
10     digital signatures under the Electronic Commerce Security
11     Act.
12         (jj) Information contained in a local emergency energy
13     plan submitted to a municipality in accordance with a local
14     emergency energy plan ordinance that is adopted under
15     Section 11-21.5-5 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
16         (kk) Information and data concerning the distribution
17     of surcharge moneys collected and remitted by wireless
18     carriers under the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety
19     Act.
20         (ll) Vulnerability assessments, security measures, and
21     response policies or plans that are designed to identify,
22     prevent, or respond to potential attacks upon a community's
23     population or systems, facilities, or installations, the
24     destruction or contamination of which would constitute a
25     clear and present danger to the health or safety of the
26     community, but only to the extent that disclosure could

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 36 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     reasonably be expected to jeopardize the effectiveness of
2     the measures or the safety of the personnel who implement
3     them or the public. Information exempt under this item may
4     include such things as details pertaining to the
5     mobilization or deployment of personnel or equipment, to
6     the operation of communication systems or protocols, or to
7     tactical operations.
8         (mm) Maps and other records regarding the location or
9     security of a utility's generation, transmission,
10     distribution, storage, gathering, treatment, or switching
11     facilities.
12         (nn) Law enforcement officer identification
13     information or driver identification information compiled
14     by a law enforcement agency or the Department of
15     Transportation under Section 11-212 of the Illinois
16     Vehicle Code.
17         (oo) Records and information provided to a residential
18     health care facility resident sexual assault and death
19     review team or the Executive Council under the Abuse
20     Prevention Review Team Act.
21         (pp) Information provided to the predatory lending
22     database created pursuant to Article 3 of the Residential
23     Real Property Disclosure Act, except to the extent
24     authorized under that Article.
25         (qq) Defense budgets and petitions for certification
26     of compensation and expenses for court appointed trial

 

 

09500HB0765ham002 - 37 - LRB095 10271 RLC 36923 a

1     counsel as provided under Sections 10 and 15 of the Capital
2     Crimes Litigation Act. This subsection (qq) shall apply
3     until the conclusion of the trial of the case, even if the
4     prosecution chooses not to pursue the death penalty prior
5     to trial or sentencing.
6         (rr) Records of investigations conducted by the
7     Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission.
8     (2) This Section does not authorize withholding of
9 information or limit the availability of records to the public,
10 except as stated in this Section or otherwise provided in this
11 Act.
12 (Source: P.A. 93-43, eff. 7-1-03; 93-209, eff. 7-18-03; 93-237,
13 eff. 7-22-03; 93-325, eff. 7-23-03, 93-422, eff. 8-5-03;
14 93-577, eff. 8-21-03; 93-617, eff. 12-9-03; 94-280, eff.
15 1-1-06; 94-508, eff. 1-1-06; 94-664, eff. 1-1-06; 94-931, eff.
16 6-26-06; 94-953, eff. 6-27-06; 94-1055, eff. 1-1-07; revised
17 8-3-06.)
 
18     Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
19 becoming law.".