(725 ILCS 5/108B-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 108B-1)

Sec. 108B-1. Definitions. For the purpose of this Article:

(a) "Aggrieved person" means a person who was a party to any intercepted private communication or any person against whom the intercept was directed.

(b) "Chief Judge" means, when referring to a judge authorized to receive application for, and to enter orders authorizing, interceptions of private communications, the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court wherein the application for order of interception is filed, or a Circuit Judge designated by the Chief Judge to enter these orders. In circuits other than the Cook County Circuit, "Chief Judge" also means, when referring to a judge authorized to receive application for, and to enter orders authorizing, interceptions of private communications, an Associate Judge authorized by Supreme Court Rule to try felony cases who is assigned by the Chief Judge to enter these orders. After assignment by the Chief Judge, an Associate Judge shall have plenary authority to issue orders without additional authorization for each specific application made to him by the State's Attorney until the time the Associate Judge's power is rescinded by the Chief Judge.

(c) "Communications common carrier" means any person engaged as a common carrier in the transmission of communications by wire or radio, not including radio broadcasting.

(d) "Contents" includes information obtained from a private communication concerning the existence, substance, purport or meaning of the communication, or the identity of a party of the communication.

(e) "Court of competent jurisdiction" means any circuit court.

(f) (Blank).

(g) "Director" means Director of the Illinois State Police.

(g-1) "Electronic communication" means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or part by a wire, radio, pager, computer, or electromagnetic, photo electronic, or photo optical system where the sending and receiving parties intend the electronic communication to be private and the interception, recording, or transcription of the electronic communication is accomplished by a device in a surreptitious manner contrary to the provisions of this Article. "Electronic communication" does not include:

(1) any wire or oral communication; or

(2) any communication from a tracking device.

(h) "Electronic criminal surveillance device" or "eavesdropping device" means any device or apparatus, or computer program including an induction coil, that can be used to intercept private communication other than:

(1) Any telephone, telegraph or telecommunication instrument, equipment or facility, or any component of it, furnished to the subscriber or user by a communication common carrier in the ordinary course of its business, or purchased by any person and being used by the subscriber, user or person in the ordinary course of his business, or being used by a communications common carrier in the ordinary course of its business, or by an investigative or law enforcement officer in the ordinary course of his duties; or

(2) A hearing aid or similar device being used to correct subnormal hearing to not better than normal.

(i) "Electronic criminal surveillance officer" means any law enforcement officer or retired law enforcement officer of the United States or of the State or political subdivision of it, or of another State, or of a political subdivision of it, who is certified by the Illinois State Police to intercept private communications. A retired law enforcement officer may be certified by the Illinois State Police only to (i) prepare petitions for the authority to intercept private communications in accordance with the provisions of this Act; (ii) intercept and supervise the interception of private communications; (iii) handle, safeguard, and use evidence derived from such private communications; and (iv) operate and maintain equipment used to intercept private communications.

(j) "In-progress trace" means to determine the origin of a wire communication to a telephone or telegraph instrument, equipment or facility during the course of the communication.

(k) "Intercept" means the aural or other acquisition of the contents of any private communication through the use of any electronic criminal surveillance device.

(l) "Journalist" means a person engaged in, connected with, or employed by news media, including newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar media, for the purpose of gathering, processing, transmitting, compiling, editing or disseminating news for the general public.

(m) "Law enforcement agency" means any law enforcement agency of the United States, or the State or a political subdivision of it.

(n) "Oral communication" means human speech used to communicate by one party to another, in person, by wire communication or by any other means.

(o) "Private communication" means a wire, oral, or electronic communication uttered or transmitted by a person exhibiting an expectation that the communication is not subject to interception, under circumstances reasonably justifying the expectation. Circumstances that reasonably justify the expectation that a communication is not subject to interception include the use of a cordless telephone or cellular communication device.

(p) "Wire communication" means any human speech used to communicate by one party to another in whole or in part through the use of facilities for the transmission of communications by wire, cable or other like connection between the point of origin and the point of reception furnished or operated by a communications common carrier.

(q) "Privileged communications" means a private communication between:

(1) a licensed and practicing physician and a patient within the scope of the profession of the physician;

(2) a licensed and practicing psychologist to a patient within the scope of the profession of the psychologist;

(3) a licensed and practicing attorney-at-law and a client within the scope of the profession of the lawyer;

(4) a practicing clergyman and a confidant within the scope of the profession of the clergyman;

(5) a practicing journalist within the scope of his profession;

(6) spouses within the scope of their marital relationship; or

(7) a licensed and practicing social worker to a client within the scope of the profession of the social worker.

(r) "Retired law enforcement officer" means a person: (1) who is a graduate of a police training institute or academy, who after graduating served for at least 15 consecutive years as a sworn, full-time peace officer qualified to carry firearms for any federal or State department or agency or for any unit of local government of Illinois; (2) who has retired as a local, State, or federal peace officer in a publicly created peace officer retirement system; and (3) whose service in law enforcement was honorably terminated through retirement or disability and not as a result of discipline, suspension, or discharge.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)