103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1844

 

Introduced 2/9/2023, by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
735 ILCS 5/2-702

    Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Allows a delinquent adjudicated in juvenile court and subsequently imprisoned for one or more felonies by the State which he or she did not commit to file a petition for certificate of innocence in the circuit court of the county in which the delinquent was adjudicated. In a provision regarding the facts that a petitioner must prove by a preponderance of evidence to obtain a certificate of innocence, when proving that the petitioner did not by his or her own conduct cause (rather than voluntarily cause or bring about his or her own conviction, provides that a guilty plea or confession does not alone constitute bringing about one's conviction. Makes conforming changes.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB1844LRB103 28444 LNS 54824 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5changing Section 2-702 as follows:
 
6    (735 ILCS 5/2-702)
7    Sec. 2-702. Petition for a certificate of innocence that
8the petitioner was innocent of all offenses for which he or she
9was incarcerated.
10    (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that innocent
11persons who have been wrongly convicted of crimes in Illinois
12and subsequently imprisoned have been frustrated in seeking
13legal redress due to a variety of substantive and technical
14obstacles in the law and that such persons should have an
15available avenue to obtain a finding of innocence so that they
16may obtain relief through a petition in the Court of Claims.
17The General Assembly further finds misleading the current
18legal nomenclature which compels an innocent person to seek a
19pardon for being wrongfully incarcerated. It is the intent of
20the General Assembly that the court, in exercising its
21discretion as permitted by law regarding the weight and
22admissibility of evidence submitted pursuant to this Section,
23shall, in the interest of justice, give due consideration to

 

 

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1difficulties of proof caused by the passage of time, the death
2or unavailability of witnesses, the destruction of evidence or
3other factors not caused by such persons or those acting on
4their behalf.
5    (b) Any person convicted or delinquent adjudicated in
6juvenile court and subsequently imprisoned for one or more
7felonies by the State of Illinois which he or she did not
8commit may, under the conditions hereinafter provided, file a
9petition for certificate of innocence in the circuit court of
10the county in which the person was convicted or delinquent was
11adjudicated. The petition shall request a certificate of
12innocence finding that the petitioner was innocent of all
13offenses for which he or she was incarcerated.
14    (c) In order to present the claim for certificate of
15innocence of an unjust conviction and imprisonment, the
16petitioner must attach to his or her petition documentation
17demonstrating that:
18        (1) he or she has been convicted or adjudicated in
19    juvenile court of one or more felonies by the State of
20    Illinois and subsequently sentenced to a term of
21    imprisonment, and has served all or any part of the
22    sentence; and
23        (2) his or her judgment of conviction or delinquency
24    adjudication was reversed or vacated, and the indictment
25    or information dismissed or, if a new trial was ordered,
26    either he or she was found not guilty at the new trial or

 

 

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1    he or she was not retried and the indictment or
2    information dismissed; or the statute, or application
3    thereof, on which the indictment or information was based
4    violated the Constitution of the United States or the
5    State of Illinois; and
6        (3) his or her claim is not time barred by the
7    provisions of subsection (i) of this Section.
8    (d) The petition shall state facts in sufficient detail to
9permit the court to find that the petitioner is likely to
10succeed at trial in proving that the petitioner is innocent of
11the offenses charged in the indictment, or information, or
12petition or his or her acts or omissions charged in the
13indictment, or information, or petition did not constitute a
14felony or misdemeanor against the State of Illinois, and the
15petitioner did not by his or her own conduct voluntarily cause
16or bring about his or her conviction. The petition shall be
17verified by the petitioner.
18    (e) A copy of the petition shall be served on the Attorney
19General and the State's Attorney of the county where the
20conviction was had. The Attorney General and the State's
21Attorney of the county where the conviction was had shall have
22the right to intervene as parties.
23    (f) In any hearing seeking a certificate of innocence, the
24court may take judicial notice of prior sworn testimony or
25evidence admitted in the criminal or juvenile proceedings
26related to the convictions or adjudications which resulted in

 

 

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1the alleged wrongful incarceration, if the petitioner was
2either represented by counsel at such prior proceedings or the
3right to counsel was knowingly waived.
4    (g) In order to obtain a certificate of innocence the
5petitioner must prove by a preponderance of evidence that:
6        (1) the petitioner or delinquent adjudicated in
7    juvenile court was convicted of one or more felonies by
8    the State of Illinois and subsequently sentenced to a term
9    of imprisonment, and has served all or any part of the
10    sentence;
11        (2)(A) the judgment of conviction or adjudication was
12    reversed or vacated, and the indictment, or information,
13    or petition dismissed or, if a new trial was ordered,
14    either the petitioner was found not guilty at the new
15    trial or the petitioner was not retried and the indictment
16    or information dismissed; or (B) the statute, or
17    application thereof, on which the indictment or
18    information was based violated the Constitution of the
19    United States or the State of Illinois;
20        (3) the petitioner is innocent of the offenses charged
21    in the indictment, or information, or petition or his or
22    her acts or omissions charged in the indictment, or
23    information, or petition did not constitute a felony or
24    misdemeanor against the State; and
25        (4) the petitioner did not by his or her own conduct
26    voluntarily cause or bring about his or her conviction. A

 

 

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1    guilty plea or confession does not alone constitute
2    bringing about one's conviction.
3    (h) If the court finds that the petitioner is entitled to a
4judgment, it shall enter a certificate of innocence finding
5that the petitioner was innocent of all offenses for which he
6or she was incarcerated. Upon entry of the certificate of
7innocence or pardon from the Governor stating that such pardon
8was issued on the ground of innocence of the crime for which he
9or she was imprisoned, (1) the clerk of the court shall
10transmit a copy of the certificate of innocence to the clerk of
11the Court of Claims, together with the claimant's current
12address; and (2) the court shall enter an order expunging the
13record of arrest from the official records of the arresting
14authority and order that the records of the clerk of the
15circuit court and the Illinois State Police be sealed until
16further order of the court upon good cause shown or as
17otherwise provided herein, and the name of the defendant
18obliterated from the official index requested to be kept by
19the circuit court clerk under Section 16 of the Clerks of
20Courts Act in connection with the arrest and conviction for
21the offense but the order shall not affect any index issued by
22the circuit court clerk before the entry of the order. The
23court shall enter the expungement order regardless of whether
24the petitioner has prior criminal convictions.
25    All records sealed by the Illinois State Police may be
26disseminated by the Department only as required by law or to

 

 

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1the arresting authority, the State's Attorney, the court upon
2a later arrest for the same or similar offense, or for the
3purpose of sentencing for any subsequent felony. Upon
4conviction for any subsequent offense, the Department of
5Corrections shall have access to all sealed records of the
6Department pertaining to that individual.
7    Upon entry of the order of expungement, the clerk of the
8circuit court shall promptly mail a copy of the order to the
9person whose records were expunged and sealed.
10    (i) Any person seeking a certificate of innocence under
11this Section based on the dismissal of an indictment or
12information or acquittal that occurred before the effective
13date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly shall
14file his or her petition within 2 years after the effective
15date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly. Any
16person seeking a certificate of innocence under this Section
17based on the dismissal of an indictment, or information, or
18petition or acquittal that occurred on or after the effective
19date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly shall
20file his or her petition within 2 years after the dismissal.
21    (j) The decision to grant or deny a certificate of
22innocence shall be binding only with respect to claims filed
23in the Court of Claims and shall not have a res judicata effect
24on any other proceedings.
25(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)