Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch

Filed: 3/29/2019

 

 


 

 


 
10100HB1458ham001LRB101 06902 LNS 58236 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1458

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1458 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5adding Section 8-804.5 as follows:
 
6    "(735 ILCS 5/8-804.5 new)
7    Sec. 8-804.5. Parties to restorative justice practice.
8    (a) This Section is intended to encourage the use of
9restorative justice practices by providing a privilege for such
10participation and ensuring that anything communicated during
11the practice is strictly confidential, and will not be used
12against the parties in any future court proceedings without
13their informed consent. This Section further intends to codify
14that the privilege within a restorative justice practice shall
15only be waived by informed consent of the party or parties
16about whom the participation or communication concerns. The

 

 

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1General Assembly affords this privilege in recognition of
2restorative justice as a powerful tool in addressing the needs
3of victims, offenders, and the larger community in the process
4of repairing the fabric of community peace. The General
5Assembly further encourages residents of this State to employ
6restorative justice practices, not only in justiciable
7matters, but in all aspects of life and law.
8    (b) As used in this Section:
9    "Communication" means any information received by a party
10in preparation for, during, or received after a restorative
11justice practice.
12    "Facilitator" means a person who facilitates a restorative
13justice practice.
14    "Restorative justice practice" means a convening, such as
15victim-offender mediation, peace circle, or other conflict
16resolution sessions, in which parties who have caused harm,
17parties who have been harmed, or community stakeholders
18collectively gather to identify harm, repair harm to the extent
19possible, address trauma, reduce the likelihood of further
20harm, or strengthen community ties by focusing on the needs and
21obligations of all parties involved through a participatory
22process.
23    "Party" means a person, including a facilitator, an
24individual who has caused harm, an individual who has been
25harmed, a community member, or any other participant, who is
26approved by the facilitator and participates in a restorative

 

 

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1justice practice.
2    (c) This Section applies to a restorative justice practice
3in which:
4        (1) at least one party is participating in a
5    restorative justice practice pursuant to statute or court
6    or administrative agency rule or referred to participate in
7    a restorative justice practice by a court, administrative
8    agency, mediator, or arbitrator;
9        (2) the restorative justice practice is convened or
10    facilitated by a school;
11        (3) the restorative justice practice is convened or
12    facilitated by a law enforcement agency; or
13        (4) the restorative justice practice is convened or
14    facilitated by a restorative justice facilitator.
15    (d) The legitimacy of the restorative justice practice, if
16challenged in any civil, juvenile, criminal, or administrative
17proceeding, shall be determined by the judge. The judge, in a
18hearing conducted pursuant to this subsection, may consider
19information that would otherwise be privileged to the extent
20that the information is probative of the issue.
21    (e) If a restorative justice practice is convened, neither
22the fact that it has been convened, nor anything said or done
23within the practice, is admissible in any court, unless this
24privilege is:
25        (1) waived, in court or in writing, by the party or
26    parties about whom the information relates;

 

 

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1        (2) subject to one or more of the exemptions in
2    subsection (g); or
3        (3) used in furtherance of a criminal act.
4    Any waiver is limited to the participation and
5communication of that party only, and the participation or
6communications of any other participants remain confidential
7and privileged unless waived by the other parties. This
8information is not subject to discovery or disclosure in any
9judicial or extra-judicial proceedings.
10    (f) Evidence that is otherwise admissible or subject to
11discovery does not become inadmissible or protected from
12discovery solely because it was discussed or used in a
13restorative justice practice.
14    (g) No party to a restorative justice practice shall reveal
15information relating to the practice unless the party or
16parties about whom the information relates waives this
17privilege in court or in writing, or the disclosure is
18otherwise permitted by this Section.
19        (1) Nothing with respect to this privilege shall
20    preclude a party to a restorative justice practice from
21    revealing information:
22            (i) if that person reasonably believes it is
23        necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm;
24            (ii) to comply with other law;
25            (iii) to report on a restorative justice practice
26        as described under paragraph (1) of subsection (c);

 

 

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1        however, this report shall be limited to the fact that
2        a practice has taken place, the terms of any agreement
3        reached between the parties, an opinion regarding the
4        success of the practice, and if further proceedings are
5        to follow. The specific communications elicited in the
6        practice shall not be reported to the court unless
7        waived by the appropriate parties; or
8            (iv) to comply with a court order following a
9        hearing that considers the following factors:
10                (A) the ease of obtaining the information
11            through other methods;
12                (B) the need for the information; and
13                (C) the interest in protecting the privacy of
14            restorative justice practices.
15        (2) A party may reveal information relating to the
16    practice to the extent that the person reasonably believes
17    disclosure is necessary to prevent a participant from
18    committing a crime in circumstances other than those
19    specified in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (1).
20        (3) Any party to a restorative justice practice who, by
21    reason of his or her employment or profession, is legally
22    required to report information shall not be relieved of
23    that duty based on this privilege.".