93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB7290

 

Introduced 4/2/2004, by Rep. Maria Antonia Berrios

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
705 ILCS 35/2f-25 new

    Amends the Circuit Courts Act. Requires the Attorney General to study the previous division of the Cook County judicial circuit into subcircuits, to investigate the possible redistricting of those subcircuits, to investigate the method of selecting and reappointing associate judges, and to report to the General Assembly by March 1, 2005 (i) the findings of the studies and investigations, (ii) a redistricting plan, and (iii) recommendations for legislative and constitutional changes. Authorizes the Attorney General to appoint task forces for assistance and requires the cooperation of the Illinois Supreme Court, the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning the courts.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Circuit Courts Act is amended by adding
5 Section 2f-25 as follows:
 
6     (705 ILCS 35/2f-25 new)
7     Sec. 2f-25. Cook County; subcircuits and the
8 administration of justice.
9     (a) The General Assembly recognizes the importance of
10 subcircuits and resident judgeships to the administration of
11 justice in the judicial circuit composed of Cook County. More
12 than a decade after the circuit's division into subcircuits,
13 the General Assembly deems it appropriate to review that
14 division and consider the need for redistricting of those
15 subcircuits. Moreover, the General Assembly recognizes that
16 there are other unique problems in the administration of
17 justice and the representation of the diverse community
18 interests in Cook County. These problems need to be reexamined
19 in the context of developments in federal and State
20 constitutional and statutory law, particularly those laws
21 relating to civil rights and voting rights.
22     (b) The Attorney General shall study the consequences of
23 the subcircuiting of the judicial circuit of Cook County under
24 Public Act 86-1478 and the impact upon the administration of
25 justice for the benefit of the citizens of Cook County. The
26 Attorney General's study shall include, but need not be limited
27 to, the following:
28         (1) The demographics of the circuit at the time of its
29 division into subcircuits and the various community
30 interests represented by those demographics.
31         (2) The adequacy of representation of those community
32 interests by the residency requirements for subcircuit

 

 

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1 judges.
2     (c) The Attorney General shall investigate redistricting
3 the 15 subcircuits of the judicial circuit of Cook County based
4 upon the 2000 federal census. The Attorney General's
5 investigation shall include, but need not be limited to, the
6 following:
7         (1) The various community interests of the circuit and
8 the best means of adequately representing those interests
9 through redistricting of the subcircuits.
10         (2) The problems for adequate representation of
11 community interests posed by the current residency of
12 subcircuit judges and possible changes in residency
13 requirements to resolve or mitigate those problems.
14         (3) The challenges to the administration of justice
15 presented by the transition required by redistricting,
16 such as allotment of existing judgeships and creation of
17 new judgeships, and various methods of addressing those
18 challenges.
19     (d) The Attorney General shall investigate the current
20 methods of selection and reappointment of associate judges in
21 the circuit and the possible changes in those methods to
22 resolve or mitigate problems relating to the adequacy of those
23 methods to represent community interests in the judicial
24 circuit.
25     (e) In carrying out the responsibilities of this Section,
26 the Attorney General shall receive the cooperation and
27 assistance of the Illinois Supreme Court, the Chief Judge of
28 the Circuit of Cook County, and the Administrative Office of
29 the Illinois Courts. The Attorney General may appoint one or
30 more task forces to assist in carrying out the responsibilities
31 of this Section.
32     (f) Upon completion of the studies and investigations
33 required by this Section, but no later than March 1, 2005, the
34 Attorney General shall submit to the General Assembly (i) a
35 report of the findings, (ii) a plan for the redistricting of
36 the 15 subcircuits of the judicial circuit of Cook County, and

 

 

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1 (iii) recommendations for legislative or constitutional
2 changes necessary for the implementation of the redistricting
3 plan and its transition, for any changes in judicial residency
4 requirements, and for determining the number and manner of
5 selection of subcircuit and associate judges.
 
6     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
7 becoming law.