HB0654eng 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0654 Engrossed LRB094 04106 JAM 34126 b

AN ACT concerning the courts.

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

Section 5. The Circuit Courts Act is amended by changing Sections 2f, 2f-2, 2f-4, and 2f-5 as follows:

(705 ILCS 35/2f) (from Ch. 37, par. 72.2f)

Sec. 2f. (a) The Circuit of Cook County shall be divided into 15 units to be known as subcircuits. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. The General Assembly shall create the subcircuits by law on or before July 1, 1991, using population data as determined by the 1990 Federal census.

(b) The 165 resident judges to be elected from the Circuit of Cook County shall be determined under paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of Section 2 of the Judicial Vacancies Act.

(c) The Supreme Court shall allot (i) the additional resident judgeships provided by paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of Section 2 of the Judicial Vacancies Act and (ii) all vacancies in resident judgeships existing on or occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990, with respect to the other resident judgeships of the Circuit of Cook County, for election from the various subcircuits until there are 11 resident judges to be elected from each of the 15 subcircuits (for a total of 165). A resident judgeship authorized before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990 that became vacant and was filled by appointment by the Supreme Court before that effective date shall be filled by election at the general election in November of 1992 from the unit of the Circuit of Cook County within Chicago or the unit of that Circuit outside Chicago, as the case may be, in which the vacancy occurred.

(d) As soon as practicable after the subcircuits are created by law, the Supreme Court shall determine by lot a numerical order for the 15 subcircuits. That numerical order shall be the basis for the order in which resident judgeships are assigned to the subcircuits. After the first round of assignments, the second and all later rounds shall be based on the same numerical order. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes.

(e) A resident judge elected from a subcircuit shall continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office, including all terms held as a result of a retention election.

(Source: P.A. 86-1478.)

(705 ILCS 35/2f-2)

Sec. 2f-2. 19th judicial circuit; subcircuits.

(a) The 19th circuit shall be divided into 6 subcircuits. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. The General Assembly by law shall create the subcircuits, using population data as determined by the 2000 federal census, and shall determine a numerical order for the 6 subcircuits. That numerical order shall be the basis for the order in which resident judgeships are assigned to the subcircuits. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes.

(b) The 19th circuit shall have a total of 6 resident judgeships.

(c) The Supreme Court shall allot (i) all vacancies in resident judgeships of the 19th circuit existing on or occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and not filled at the 2004 general election and (ii) the resident judgeships of the 19th circuit filled at the 2004 general election as those judgeships thereafter become vacant, for election from the various subcircuits until there is one resident judge to be elected from each subcircuit. No resident judge of the 19th circuit serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall be required to change his or her residency in order to continue serving in office or to seek retention in office as resident judgeships are allotted by the Supreme Court in accordance with this Section.

(d) A resident judge of a subcircuit must reside in the subcircuit and must continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office, including all terms held as a result of a retention election.

(e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 19th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 93-541, eff. 8-18-03; 93-1040, eff. 9-28-04.)

(705 ILCS 35/2f-4)

Sec. 2f-4. 12th circuit; subcircuits; additional judges.

(a) The 12th circuit shall be divided into 5 subcircuits. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. The General Assembly by law shall create the subcircuits, using population data as determined by the 2000 federal census, and shall determine a numerical order for the 5 subcircuits. That numerical order shall be the basis for the order in which resident judgeships are assigned to the subcircuits. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes.

(a-10) Of the 12th circuit's 10 existing circuit judgeships (8 at large and 2 resident), 2 shall be allotted as 12th circuit resident judgeships under subsection (c) as the first 2 of any of those at large and resident judgeships become vacant on or after August 18, 2003. As used in this subsection, a vacancy does not include the expiration of a term of an at large or resident judge who seeks retention in that office at the next term.

(b) The 12th circuit shall have 3 additional resident judgeships, as well as its 2 existing resident judgeships, and 8 at large judgeships, for a total of 13 judgeships available to be allotted to the 5 subcircuit resident judgeships. The additional resident judgeship created by Public Act 93-541 shall be filled by election beginning at the general election in 2006. The 2 additional resident judgeships created by this amendatory Act of 2004 shall be filled by election beginning at the general election in 2008. After the subcircuits are created by law, the Supreme Court may fill by appointment the additional resident judgeships created by Public Act 93-541 and this amendatory Act of 2004 until the 2006 or 2008 general election, as the case may be.

(c) The Supreme Court shall allot (i) the additional resident judgeships of the 12th circuit created by Public Act 93-541 and this amendatory Act of 2004, and (ii) the first 2 vacancies in the at large and resident judgeships of the 12th circuit as provided in subsection (a-10), for election from the various subcircuits until there is one resident judge to be elected from each subcircuit. No at large or resident judge of the 12th circuit serving on August 18, 2003 shall be required to change his or her residency in order to continue serving in office or to seek retention in office as at large or resident judgeships are allotted by the Supreme Court in accordance with this Section.

(d) A resident judge of a subcircuit must reside in the subcircuit and must continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office, including all terms held as a result of a retention election.

(e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 12th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 93-541, eff. 8-18-03; 93-1040, eff. 9-28-04.)

(705 ILCS 35/2f-5)

Sec. 2f-5. 22nd circuit; subcircuits.

(a) The 22nd circuit shall be divided into 3 subcircuits. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. The General Assembly by law shall create the subcircuits, using population data as determined by the 2000 federal census, and shall determine a numerical order for the 3 subcircuits. That numerical order shall be the basis for the order in which resident judgeships are assigned to the subcircuits. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes.

(b) The 22nd circuit shall have a total of 3 resident judgeships.

(c) The Supreme Court shall allot (i) all vacancies in resident judgeships of the 22nd circuit existing on or occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and not filled at the 2004 general election and (ii) the resident judgeships of the 22nd circuit filled at the 2004 general election as those judgeships thereafter become vacant, for election from the various subcircuits until there is one resident judge to be elected from each subcircuit. No resident judge of the 22nd circuit serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall be required to change his or her residency in order to continue serving in office or to seek retention in office as resident judgeships are allotted by the Supreme Court in accordance with this Section.

(d) A resident judge of a subcircuit must reside in the subcircuit and must continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office, including all terms held as a result of a retention election.

(e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 22nd circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 93-541, eff. 8-18-03; 93-1040, eff. 9-28-04.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.