093_SB1885

 
                                     LRB093 11058 LRD 11761 b

 1        AN ACT in relation to civil rights.

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

 4        Section 5.  The Attorney General Act is amended by adding
 5    Section 6.6 as follows:

 6        (15 ILCS 205/6.6 new)
 7        Sec. 6.6.  Office of Civil Rights.
 8        (a)  There is hereby created within the criminal division
 9    of the Office of the Attorney  General  an  Office  of  Civil
10    Rights, which is empowered to investigate official misconduct
11    by  prosecutors  as  provided in this Section.  The Office of
12    Civil Rights shall have the duty  to  investigate  and  bring
13    criminal  charges against a prosecutor who does not carry out
14    his or her official duties by failing  to  prosecute  a  case
15    when there is substantial evidence warranting the prosecution
16    of the case.
17        (b)  The    Office   of   Civil   Rights   may   initiate
18    investigations of prosecutors  under  this  Section  and  may
19    respond to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct by private
20    citizens  and  citizens  groups.   A  person  who  refers  an
21    allegation  of  misconduct  or  provides  testimony  or other
22    assistance to the Office of Civil Rights under  this  Section
23    shall not be subject to discrimination in employment or other
24    retaliation as a result of that referral or other assistance.
25        (c)  For   the   purpose   of   this  Section,  the  term
26    "prosecutor" means the Attorney General, an attorney employed
27    by the Office of the Attorney General, a state's attorney, or
28    an attorney who is employed by a state's attorney.