Full Text of SR0175 99th General Assembly
SR0175enr 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 09900SR0175 Enrolled | | LRB099 11029 GRL 31407 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 175
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Grand juries have always had the responsibility of | 3 | | investigating, indicting, and prosecuting persons who violate | 4 | | the criminal laws of the State of Illinois; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, In light of recent events around the country, | 6 | | members of the public have lost confidence in the criminal | 7 | | justice system and the grand jury process; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, The General Assembly finds that the grand jury | 9 | | process utilized in this State should be reviewed to ensure the | 10 | | impartiality and effectiveness of the process; therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | 12 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Grand Jury Review | 13 | | Task Force is created to review the current grand jury process | 14 | | and suggest reforms to the General Assembly; and be it further
| 15 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the | 16 | | following members: | 17 | | (1) One member appointed by the President of the | 18 | | Senate, who shall serve as co-chairperson; | 19 | | (2) One member appointed by the Senate Minority Leader, | 20 | | who shall serve as co-chairperson; | 21 | | (3) The Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice |
| | | 09900SR0175 Enrolled | - 2 - | LRB099 11029 GRL 31407 r |
|
| 1 | | Information Authority, or his or her designee; | 2 | | (4) The Director of the Illinois Office of the State's | 3 | | Attorney Appellate Prosecutor, or his or her designee; | 4 | | (5) The State Appellate Defender, or his or her | 5 | | designee; | 6 | | (6) The Executive Director of the Illinois State Bar | 7 | | Association, or his or her designee; | 8 | | (7) The President of the Chicago Bar Association, or | 9 | | his or her designee; | 10 | | (8) The President of the American Civil Liberties Union | 11 | | of Illinois, or his or her designee; | 12 | | (9) The President of the Chicago Innocence Project, or | 13 | | his or her designee; | 14 | | (10) The President of the Illinois Press Association, | 15 | | or his or her designee; | 16 | | (11) One law professor, appointed by the Senate | 17 | | Minority Leader; | 18 | | (12) One retired judge, appointed by the President of | 19 | | the Senate; | 20 | | (13) Four members representing advocacy groups | 21 | | involved in criminal justice, two of which are to be | 22 | | appointed by the President of the Senate and two to be | 23 | | appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; | 24 | | (14) Four members of the public, two of which are to be | 25 | | appointed by the President of the Senate and two to be | 26 | | appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; and be it further |
| | | 09900SR0175 Enrolled | - 3 - | LRB099 11029 GRL 31407 r |
|
| 1 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet regularly and hold | 2 | | public hearings at the call of the co-chairpersons to receive | 3 | | testimony regarding the grand jury process and any suggested | 4 | | reforms; and be it further | 5 | | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Criminal Justice Information | 6 | | Authority shall provide administrative support and technical | 7 | | assistance, as well as meeting space, to the Task Force; and be | 8 | | it further | 9 | | RESOLVED, That the Grand Jury Review Task Force shall | 10 | | submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the | 11 | | General Assembly and the Governor on or before December 31, | 12 | | 2015; the report shall, at a minimum, include: | 13 | | (1) A summary of the current grand jury process; | 14 | | (2) Any and all deficiencies discovered within the | 15 | | current grand jury process; | 16 | | (3) Recommendations to improve the grand jury process; | 17 | | (4) A recommendation advising whether grand jury | 18 | | proceedings shall remain closed to the public; | 19 | | (5) A recommendation advising whether certain portions | 20 | | of grand jury proceedings should be subject to the Freedom | 21 | | of Information Act; and | 22 | | (6) A recommendation regarding whether an expanded use | 23 | | of preliminary hearings would advance the same goals as the |
| | | 09900SR0175 Enrolled | - 4 - | LRB099 11029 GRL 31407 r |
|
| 1 | | grand jury process; and be it further | 2 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall also work with the | 3 | | Legislative Reference Bureau to draft any legislation needed to | 4 | | implement its recommendations.
|
|