103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5858

 

Introduced 5/25/2024, by Rep. Dan Ugaste

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
55 ILCS 5/3-9008  from Ch. 34, par. 3-9008
55 ILCS 5/3-9014 new

    Amends the Counties Code. Establishes a procedure for an election to recall a State's Attorney in counties with a population over 2,000,000 and to elect the recalled State's Attorney's successor. Effective immediately.


LRB103 40925 AWJ 73938 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5858LRB103 40925 AWJ 73938 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing
5Section 3-9008 and by adding Section 3-9014 as follows:
 
6    (55 ILCS 5/3-9008)  (from Ch. 34, par. 3-9008)
7    Sec. 3-9008. Appointment of attorney to perform duties.
8    (a) (Blank).
9    (a-5) The court on its own motion, or an interested person
10in a cause or proceeding, civil or criminal, may file a
11petition alleging that the State's Attorney is sick, absent,
12or unable to fulfill the State's Attorney's duties. The court
13shall consider the petition, any documents filed in response,
14and if necessary, grant a hearing to determine whether the
15State's Attorney is sick, absent, or otherwise unable to
16fulfill the State's Attorney's duties. If the court finds that
17the State's Attorney is sick, absent, or otherwise unable to
18fulfill the State's Attorney's duties, the court may appoint
19some competent attorney to prosecute or defend the cause or
20proceeding.
21    (a-10) The court on its own motion, or an interested
22person in a cause, proceeding, or other matter arising under
23the State's Attorney's duties, civil or criminal, may file a

 

 

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1petition alleging that the State's Attorney has an actual
2conflict of interest in the cause, proceeding, or other
3matter. The court shall consider the petition, any documents
4filed in response, and if necessary, grant a hearing to
5determine whether the State's Attorney has an actual conflict
6of interest in the cause, proceeding, or other matter. If the
7court finds that the petitioner has proven by sufficient facts
8and evidence that the State's Attorney has an actual conflict
9of interest in a specific case, the court may appoint some
10competent attorney to prosecute or defend the cause,
11proceeding, or other matter.
12    (a-15) Notwithstanding subsections (a-5) and (a-10) of
13this Section, the State's Attorney may file a petition to
14recuse the State's Attorney from a cause or proceeding for any
15other reason the State's Attorney deems appropriate and the
16court shall appoint a special prosecutor as provided in this
17Section.
18    (a-20) Prior to appointing a private attorney under this
19Section, the court shall contact public agencies, including,
20but not limited to, the Office of Attorney General, Office of
21the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, or local State's
22Attorney's Offices throughout the State, to determine a public
23prosecutor's availability to serve as a special prosecutor at
24no cost to the county and shall appoint a public agency if they
25are able and willing to accept the appointment. An attorney so
26appointed shall have the same power and authority in relation

 

 

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1to the cause or proceeding as the State's Attorney would have
2if present and attending to the cause or proceedings.
3    (b) In case of (i) a vacancy of more than one year
4occurring in any county in the office of State's attorney, by
5death, resignation or otherwise, and it becomes necessary for
6the transaction of the public business, that some competent
7attorney act as State's attorney in and for such county during
8the period between the time of the occurrence of such vacancy
9and the election and qualification of a State's attorney, as
10provided by law, or (ii) a vacancy that has occurred as
11provided in paragraph (i) of subsection (f) of Section 3-9014,
12the vacancy shall be filled upon the written request of a
13majority of the circuit judges of the circuit in which is
14located the county where such vacancy exists, by appointment
15as provided in the Election Code of some competent attorney to
16perform and discharge all the duties of a State's attorney in
17the said county, such appointment and all authority thereunder
18to cease upon the election and qualification of a State's
19attorney, as provided by law. Any attorney appointed for any
20reason under this Section shall possess all the powers and
21discharge all the duties of a regularly elected State's
22attorney under the laws of the State to the extent necessary to
23fulfill the purpose of such appointment, and shall be paid by
24the county the State's Attorney serves not to exceed in any one
25period of 12 months, for the reasonable amount of time
26actually expended in carrying out the purpose of such

 

 

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1appointment, the same compensation as provided by law for the
2State's attorney of the county, apportioned, in the case of
3lesser amounts of compensation, as to the time of service
4reasonably and actually expended. The county shall participate
5in all agreements on the rate of compensation of a special
6prosecutor.
7    (c) An order granting authority to a special prosecutor
8must be construed strictly and narrowly by the court. The
9power and authority of a special prosecutor shall not be
10expanded without prior notice to the county. In the case of the
11proposed expansion of a special prosecutor's power and
12authority, a county may provide the court with information on
13the financial impact of an expansion on the county. Prior to
14the signing of an order requiring a county to pay for
15attorney's fees or litigation expenses, the county shall be
16provided with a detailed copy of the invoice describing the
17fees, and the invoice shall include all activities performed
18in relation to the case and the amount of time spent on each
19activity.
20(Source: P.A. 102-56, eff. 7-9-21; 102-657, eff. 1-1-22;
21102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
 
22    (55 ILCS 5/3-9014 new)
23    Sec. 3-9014. State's Attorney Recall.
24    (a) As used in this Section:
25    "Chief proponent" means the person whose name and

 

 

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1signature is on the affidavit of intent initiating the recall
2process.
3    "Proponent county" means the county where the chief
4proponent is a resident.
5    "Proponent county clerk" means the county clerk of the
6proponent county.
7    (b) This Section applies to counties with a population
8over 2,000,000.
9    (c) The recall of an elected State's Attorney may be
10initiated by filing, in the proponent county, an affidavit of
11intent to circulate a petition to recall the State's Attorney
12of that county and filing a certified copy of the affidavit in
13all other counties in which the State's Attorney is elected to
14serve. The affidavit may be filed no sooner than 6 months after
15the beginning of the State's Attorney's term of office. The
16affidavit shall contain (i) the name and title of the State's
17Attorney to be recalled, (ii) a statement, not exceeding 200
18words in length, of the reasons for the proposed recall, and
19(iii) the printed name, signature, and residential address of
20the chief proponent, who shall be a registered voter and
21qualified to vote for the office of State's Attorney in the
22proponent county. The chief proponent shall publish a copy of
23the affidavit of intent in an English language newspaper of
24general circulation in each county in which the State's
25Attorney serves. If no newspaper is in general circulation in
26a county, the chief proponent shall post a copy of the

 

 

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1affidavit of intent in at least 3 public places in that county.
2    Not more than 150 days after the affidavit of intent has
3been filed, a petition to recall the State's Attorney shall be
4filed in the proponent county and a certified copy of the
5petition shall be filed in all other counties in which the
6State's Attorney is elected to serve. The petition shall be
7signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least 5%
8of the total votes cast for the office of State's Attorney in
9the preceding election in all counties in which the State's
10Attorney is elected to serve. All electors signing a recall
11petition must be registered voters who, based on their
12residence, are qualified to vote for the office of State's
13Attorney in the county or counties in which the State's
14Attorney serves.
15    The following must be included in a recall petition filed
16under this subsection:
17         (1) The name and title of the State's Attorney to be
18    recalled under the petition.
19         (2) The statement of the reasons for the proposed
20    recall contained in the affidavit of intent.
21         (3) The printed name, signature, and residential
22    address of each elector signing the recall petition.
23    No later than 7 days after the filing of a recall petition,
24the State's Attorney may file an answer, including any
25statement of defense, against the recall attempt. The answer
26may not exceed 200 words in length. The answer shall be filed

 

 

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1in the proponent county and a certified copy of the answer
2shall be filed in all other counties in which the State's
3Attorney is elected to serve.
4    (d) The county clerk shall certify the petition to the
5proper election authority or authorities not more than 7 days
6after the date the petition was filed, and the question "Shall
7(name of State's Attorney) be recalled from the office of
8State's Attorney?" must be submitted to the electors of each
9county in which the State's Attorney is elected to serve at a
10special recall election called by the proponent county clerk
11to occur not more than 60 days after certification of the
12petition. A recall petition certified by the county clerk may
13not be withdrawn.
14    (e) If a recall petition has been filed with the proponent
15county clerk, a person eligible to serve as State's Attorney
16may propose his or her candidacy for the special successor
17primary election by a successor candidate petition signed by
18at least 5% of the total votes cast for the office of State's
19Attorney in the preceding election in the proponent county,
20signed not more than 50 days after a recall petition has been
21filed with the proponent county clerk. Each elector signing
22the special successor candidate petition must be a registered
23voter in the proponent county or one of the counties in which
24the State's Attorney is elected to serve. The successor
25candidate petition shall be filed in the proponent county and
26a certified copy of the petition shall be filed in all other

 

 

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1counties in which the State's Attorney is elected to serve. A
2successor candidate petition and the procedures concerning
3successor candidate petitions shall conform in all other
4respects to the provisions of the election and ballot laws
5then in force in the proponent county concerning the
6nomination of independent candidates for public office by
7petition. The proponent county clerk shall certify the
8petition not more than 60 days after the date the petition to
9recall the State's Attorney was filed.
10    (f) The State's Attorney who is the subject of the
11petition is immediately removed from office upon certification
12of the special recall election results if a majority of the
13electors voting on the question vote to recall the State's
14Attorney. If the State's Attorney is removed, then the
15following shall occur: (i) if no successor candidate petition
16has been certified by the proponent county clerk within the
17times required by subsection (e), then a vacancy in the office
18of State's Attorney is created and a replacement State's
19Attorney shall be appointed as provided in subsection (b) of
20Section 3-9008; or (ii) if at least one successor candidate
21petition has been certified by the proponent county clerk
22within the times required by subsection (e), then a special
23successor primary election or special runoff election shall be
24held pursuant to subsection (g) to determine the successor
25State's Attorney.
26    (g) If the State's Attorney is removed by the special

 

 

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1recall election, then the names of candidates certified under
2subsection (e) for State's Attorney must be submitted to the
3electors of each county previously served by the removed
4State's Attorney at a special successor primary election
5called by the proponent county clerk to be held no later than
660 days after the special recall election. The candidate
7receiving the highest number of votes at the special successor
8primary election shall be declared elected, and he or she
9shall serve the remaining portion of the recalled State's
10Attorney's term.
11    If no candidate receives a majority of the total votes in
12the special successor primary election, then a special runoff
13election shall be called by the proponent county clerk and
14held no later than 60 days after the special successor primary
15election, and only the names of the candidates receiving the
16highest and second-highest number of votes at the special
17successor primary election shall appear on the special runoff
18election ballot. If more than one candidate received the
19highest or second-highest number of votes at the special
20successor primary election, the names of all candidates
21receiving the highest and second-highest number of votes shall
22appear on the ballot at the special runoff election. The
23candidate receiving the highest number of votes at the special
24runoff election shall be declared elected, and he or she shall
25serve the remaining portion of the recalled State's Attorney's
26term.

 

 

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1    If the State's Attorney is removed by the special recall
2election and the special successor primary election or the
3special runoff election has not occurred before the date of
4the general election at which the State's Attorney is to be
5elected, no special successor primary election or special
6runoff shall occur and the recalled State's Attorney shall be
7replaced by the person elected at the general election.
8    (h) A recall may not be initiated against a State's
9Attorney under this Section:
10        (1) during the 6 months after a recall election failed
11    to remove the State's Attorney;
12        (2) if the State's Attorney has less than 6 months
13    remaining before his or her term ends; or
14        (3) if an affidavit of intent or recall petition has
15    already been filed and is pending to recall the State's
16    Attorney.
17    (i) An affidavit of intent is void if no recall petition
18has been filed within 150 days after the affidavit of intent is
19filed. If a recall election has not occurred before the date of
20the next general election at which the State's Attorney is
21elected, then the recall petition is void.
22    (j) Except as provided in this Section, the form of the
23affidavit and petitions and the procedure for circulation of
24the petitions shall be as otherwise provided by law.
25    (k) If this Section conflicts with any other provision of
26law, this Section controls notwithstanding the other provision

 

 

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1of law.
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
3becoming law.