Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

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55 ILCS 5/3-4004.2

(55 ILCS 5/3-4004.2) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-4004.2)

Sec. 3-4004.2.

Qualifications of Public Defender and terms of
employment in counties over 1,000,000.  In counties with a population over
1,000,000, the following qualifications and terms of employment shall apply:

(a) The president shall select as Public
Defender only a person with the following qualifications: an attorney whose
practice of law has clearly demonstrated experience in the representation
of persons accused of crime; who has been licensed to practice law in this
State or in another state for at least 5 years; who has had administrative
experience; and who is dedicated to the goals of providing high quality
representation for eligible persons and to improving the quality of defense
services generally.

(b) The Public Defender shall devote full time to the duties of the
public defender system and shall not otherwise engage in the practice of law.

(c) The Public Defender once approved by the Board shall serve for 6
years and may be removed by the President only for good cause or
dereliction of duty after notice and a hearing before the Board.  The
effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991 shall be deemed the
commencement of the term of the current public defender.

(d) The Public Defender's compensation shall be set at a level that is
commensurate with his qualifications and experience and professionally
appropriate with the responsibility of the position.
The Public Defender's compensation shall be
comparable with that paid to circuit court judges, but in no event
shall be more than that of the State's Attorney of the county.

(Source: P.A. 87-111.)