SB1938eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1938 Engrossed LRB096 11228 AJO 21636 b

AN ACT concerning 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-1, 2f-2, and 2f-4 as follows:

(705 ILCS 35/2f-1)

Sec. 2f-1. 19th and 22nd judicial circuits.

(a) On December 4, 2006, the 19th judicial circuit is divided into the 19th and 22nd judicial circuits as provided in Section 1 of the Circuit Courts Act. This division does not invalidate any action taken by the 19th judicial circuit or any of its judges, officers, employees, or agents before December 4, 2006. This division does not affect any person's rights, obligations, or duties, including applicable civil and criminal penalties, arising out of any action taken by the 19th judicial circuit or any of its judges, officers, employees, or agents before December 4, 2006.

(b) Of the 7 circuit judgeships elected at large in the 19th circuit before the general election in 2006, the Supreme Court shall assign 5 to the 19th circuit and 2 to the 22nd circuit, based on residency of the circuit judges then holding those judgeships. The 5 assigned to the 19th circuit shall continue to be elected at large, except those at large judgeships that become resident judgeships as provided in subsection (a-5) of Section 2f-2. The 2 assigned to the 22nd circuit shall continue to be elected at large.

(b-5) Except as provided in subsection (b-10), the number of at large judgeships of the 19th judicial circuit shall be the number of at large judgeships specified for assigned to the 19th judicial circuit pursuant to subsection (b) plus only the judgeship designated as vacancy A by the State Board of Elections filled at the 2006 general election. If, before, on, or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the State Board of Elections has certified or certifies one or more candidates for a judgeship of the 19th judicial circuit designated as vacancy B or C by the State Board of Elections, then all such certifications are revoked and are null and void by operation of law and the names of any such candidates shall not appear upon the 2006 general primary ballot or the 2006 general election ballot for any of those judgeships. Except as provided in subsection (b-10), the number of at large judgeships of the 22nd judicial circuit shall be the number of at large judgeships assigned to the 22nd judicial circuit pursuant to subsection (b) plus only the judgeship designated as vacancy A by the State Board of Elections filled at the 2006 general election. If, before, on, or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the State Board of Elections has certified or certifies one or more candidates for the judgeship of the 22nd judicial circuit designated as vacancy B by the State Board of Elections, then any such certifications are revoked and are null and void by operation of law and the names of any such candidates shall not appear upon the 2006 general primary ballot or the 2006 general election ballot for that judgeship.

(b-10) If this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly is held unconstitutional and as a result the judgeships designated by the State Board of Elections as vacancies A, B, and C of the 19th judicial circuit are filled at the 2006 general election, then the number of at large judgeships of the 19th judicial circuit shall be only the number of at large judgeships specified for assigned to the 19th judicial circuit pursuant to subsection (b). If this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly is held unconstitutional and as a result the judgeships designated by the State Board of Elections as vacancies A and B of the 22nd judicial circuit are filled at the 2006 general election, then the number of at large judgeships of the 22nd judicial circuit shall be only the number of at large judgeships assigned to the 22nd judicial circuit pursuant to subsection (b).

(b-15) If subsection (b-10) applies, then each vacancy occurring in an at large judgeship of the 19th judicial circuit on or after the holding of unconstitutionality shall not be filled by any means and each of those vacant judgeships is abolished, until the number of at large judgeships of the 19th judicial circuit returns to the number of at large judgeships specified for the 19th judicial circuit by subsection (b-10). If subsection (b-10) applies, then each vacancy occurring in an at large judgeship of the 22nd judicial circuit on or after the holding of unconstitutionality shall not be filled by any means and each of those vacant judgeships is abolished, until the number of at large judgeships of the 22nd judicial circuit returns to the number of at large judgeships specified for the 22nd judicial circuit by subsection (b-10).

(c) The 6 resident judgeships elected from Lake County before the general election in 2006 shall become resident judgeships in the 19th circuit on December 4, 2006, and the 3 resident judgeships elected from McHenry County before the general election in 2006 shall become resident judgeships in the 22nd circuit on December 4, 2006.

(d) On December 4, 2006, the Supreme Court shall allocate the associate judgeships of the 19th circuit before that date between the 19th and 22nd circuits based on the residency of the associate judges; however, the number of associate judges allocated to the 19th circuit shall be no less than the number of associate judges residing in Lake County on March 22, 2004.

(e) On December 4, 2006, the Supreme Court shall allocate personnel, books, records, documents, property (real and personal), funds, assets, liabilities, and pending matters concerning the 19th circuit before that date between the 19th and 22nd circuits based on the population and staffing needs of those circuits and the efficient and proper administration of the judicial system. The rights of employees under applicable collective bargaining agreements are not affected by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

(f) The judgeships set forth in this Section include the judgeships authorized under Sections 2g, 2h, and 2j. The judgeships authorized in those Sections are not in addition to those set forth in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 93-541, eff. 8-18-03; 93-1040, eff. 9-28-04; 94-727, eff. 2-14-06.)

(705 ILCS 35/2f-2)

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

(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. The 6 resident judgeships to be assigned that are not added by or converted from at large judgeships as provided in this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be assigned to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th subcircuits, in that order. The 6 resident judgeships to be assigned that are added by or converted from at large judgeships as provided in this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be assigned to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th subcircuits, in that order. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes.

(a-5) Of the at large judgeships of the 19th judicial circuit, the first 3 that are or become vacant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall not be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court but shall become resident judgeships of the 19th judicial circuit to be allotted by the Supreme Court under subsection (c) and filled by election. As used in this subsection, a vacancy does not include the expiration of a term of an at large judge who seeks retention in that office at the next term.

(a-10) The 19th judicial circuit shall have 3 additional resident judgeships to be allotted by the Supreme Court under subsection (c). One of the additional resident judgeships shall be filled by election beginning at the 2010 general election. Two of the additional resident judgeships shall be filled by election beginning at the 2012 general election. None of the additional resident judgeships shall be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court before being filled initially by election.

(b) The 19th circuit shall have a total of 12 6 resident judgeships (6 resident judgeships existing on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, 3 formerly at large judgeships as provided in subsection (a-5), and 3 resident judgeships added by subsection (a-10)). The number of resident judgeships allotted to subcircuits of the 19th judicial circuit pursuant to this Section shall constitute all the resident judgeships of the 19th judicial circuit.

(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, (iii) the 3 formerly at large judgeships described in subsection (a-5) as they become available, and (iv) the 3 resident judgeships added by subsection (a-10), for election from the various subcircuits until there are 2 resident judges 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 elected from a subcircuit shall continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office. A resident judge elected from a subcircuit after January 1, 2008, must retain residency as a registered voter in the subcircuit to run for retention from the circuit at large thereafter.

(e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 19th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-727, eff. 2-14-06; 95-610, eff. 9-11-07.)

(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. The first resident judgeship to be assigned after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be assigned to the 5th subcircuit. The next 5 resident judgeships to be assigned after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be assigned to the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 1st, and 2nd subcircuits, in that order. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes.

(a-10) The first vacancy in the 12th judicial circuit's 10 existing circuit judgeships (8 at large and 2 resident), but not in the additional judgeships described in subsections (b) and (b-5), that exists on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall not be filled, by appointment or election, and that judgeship is eliminated. Of the 12th judicial circuit's 10 existing circuit judgeships (8 at large and 2 resident), but not the additional judgeships described in subsections (b) and (b-5), the second to be vacant or become vacant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall be allotted as a 12th circuit resident judgeship under subsection (c).

(a-15) Of the at large judgeships of the 12th judicial circuit not affected by subsection (a-10), the first 2 that are or become vacant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall become resident judgeships of the 12th judicial circuit to be allotted by the Supreme Court under subsection (c) and filled by election, except that the Supreme Court may fill those judgeships by appointment for any remainder of a vacated term until the resident judgeships are filled initially by election.

(a-20) As used in subsections (a-10) and (a-15) 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 6 3 additional resident judgeships, as well as its existing resident judgeship or judgeships, and existing at large judgeships, for a total of 15 12 judgeships available to be allotted under subsection (c) to the 10 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. The additional resident judgeships created by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be filled by election beginning at the general election in 2010. 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, and this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly until the 2006, or 2008, or 2010 general election, as the case may be.

(b-5) In addition to the number of circuit judges and resident judges otherwise authorized by law, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning on April 1, 2006 there shall be one additional resident judge who is a resident of and elected from the fourth judicial subcircuit of the 12th judicial circuit. That additional resident judgeship may be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court until filled by election at the general election in 2008, regardless of whether the judgeships for subcircuits 1, 2, and 3 have been filled.

(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 this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, and (ii) the second vacancy in the at large and resident judgeships of the 12th circuit as provided in subsection (a-10), and (iii) the 2 formerly at large judgeships described in subsection (a-15) as they become available, for election from the various subcircuits until, with the additional judge of the fourth subcircuit described in subsection (b-5), there are 2 is one resident judges 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 elected from a subcircuit shall continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office. A resident judge elected from a subcircuit after January 1, 2008, must retain residency as a registered voter in the subcircuit to run for retention from the circuit at large thereafter.

(e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 12th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-727, eff. 2-14-06; 95-610, eff. 9-11-07.)

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