SB2141 EngrossedLRB097 10174 AJO 50363 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 2-701 and by adding Section 2-701.5 as
6follows:
 
7    (735 ILCS 5/2-701)  (from Ch. 110, par. 2-701)
8    Sec. 2-701. Declaratory judgments. (a) No action or
9proceeding is open to objection on the ground that a merely
10declaratory judgment or order is sought thereby. The court may,
11in cases of actual controversy, make binding declarations of
12rights, having the force of final judgments, whether or not any
13consequential relief is or could be claimed, including the
14determination, at the instance of anyone interested in the
15controversy, of the construction of any statute, municipal
16ordinance, or other governmental regulation, or of any deed,
17will, contract or other written instrument, and a declaration
18of the rights of the parties interested. The foregoing
19enumeration does not exclude other cases of actual controversy.
20Except as provided for in Section 2-701.5, the The court shall
21refuse to enter a declaratory judgment or order, if it appears
22that the judgment or order, would not terminate the controversy
23or some part thereof, giving rise to the proceeding. In no

 

 

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1event shall the court entertain any action or proceeding for a
2declaratory judgment or order involving any political question
3where the defendant is a State officer whose election is
4provided for by the Constitution; however, nothing herein shall
5prevent the court from entertaining any such action or
6proceeding for a declaratory judgment or order if such question
7also involves a constitutional convention or the construction
8of a statute involving a constitutional convention.
9    (b) Declarations of rights, as herein provided for, may be
10obtained by means of a pleading seeking that relief alone, or
11as incident to or part of a complaint, counterclaim or other
12pleading seeking other relief as well, and if a declaration of
13rights is the only relief asked, the case may be set for early
14hearing as in the case of a motion.
15    (c) If further relief based upon a declaration of right
16becomes necessary or proper after the declaration has been
17made, application may be made by petition to any court having
18jurisdiction for an order directed to any party or parties
19whose rights have been determined by the declaration to show
20cause why the further relief should not be granted forthwith,
21upon reasonable notice prescribed by the court in its order.
22    (d) If a proceeding under this Section involves the
23determination of issues of fact triable by a jury, they shall
24be tried and determined in the same manner as issues of fact
25are tried and determined in other civil actions in the court in
26which the proceeding is pending.

 

 

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1    (e) Unless the parties agree by stipulation as to the
2allowance thereof, costs in proceedings authorized by this
3Section shall be allowed in accordance with rules. In the
4absence of rules the practice in other civil actions shall be
5followed if applicable, and if not applicable, the costs may be
6taxed as to the court seems just.
7(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
 
8    (735 ILCS 5/2-701.5 new)
9    Sec. 2-701.5. Declaratory judgment in an action involving
10defamation, slander, or libel.
11    (a) Findings. The General Assembly finds that defamation,
12slander, and libel can seriously damage a person's reputation
13and significantly distort the integrity of the democratic
14process. Defamatory, slanderous, and libelous statements
15against a person expose the person to ridicule, contempt, or
16reproach, and otherwise injure the person in the person's
17business or occupation. The General Assembly further finds that
18there are significant expenses and obstacles involved in
19actions seeking to restore a person's reputation. It is the
20intent of the General Assembly to expedite the process of
21restoring a person's reputation following a defamatory,
22slanderous, or libelous statement and to minimize the
23litigation expenses of all parties. The State of Illinois
24agrees with the U.S. Supreme Court's finding that "[t]he right
25of a man to the protection of his own reputation from

 

 

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1unjustified invasion and wrongful hurt reflects no more than
2our basic concept of the essential dignity and worth of every
3human being – a concept at the root of any decent system of
4ordered liberty." Rosenblatt v. Baer, 383 U.S. 75, 92 (1966).
5There is a compelling state interest in (i) deterring the harm
6caused to innocent persons by false statements, (ii) promoting
7the vindication and protection of personal reputation, and
8(iii) minimizing the judicial resources and costs that are
9associated with restoring a person's reputation. The General
10Assembly seeks to protect the constitutionally recognized
11interest of a person in his or her reputation, as was discussed
12by the Illinois Supreme Court in Troman v. Wood, which stated
13that "[f]rom the outset it has been recognized that an
14individual is entitled to a remedy 'for all injuries and wrongs
15that he may receive in his person, property or character.'
16(Const. of 1818, art. VIII, sec. 12; Const. of 1848, art. XIII,
17sec. 12.) (In the most recent constitutions the word
18'reputation' is substituted for 'character.' Const. of 1870,
19art. II, sec. 19; Const. of 1970, art. I, sec. 12.) The freedom
20of speech provisions of both our former and present
21constitutions (Const. of 1870, art. II, sec. 4; Const. of 1970,
22art. I, sec. 4) recognize the interest of the individual in the
23protection of his reputation, for they provide that the
24exercise of the right to speak freely shall not relieve the
25speaker from responsibility for his abuse of that right. The
26constitutionally recognized interest of the individual in his

 

 

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1reputation is not and can not be measured solely in terms of
2monetary compensation. At the least, the individual has an
3interest in preserving and restoring his reputation through an
4authoritative and publicly known determination that an
5injurious statement about him is in fact false. To foreclose or
6restrict the availability of the judicial process as a means of
7securing such a determination prevents the individual from
8obtaining the effective vindication to which he is entitled."
9Troman v. Wood, 62 Ill.2d 184, 194-195 (1975).
10    (b) Legislative intent. The cause of action for declaratory
11judgment is hereby provided in this Section as an alternative
12to a defamation action for damages for any person who believes
13that his or her reputation has been damaged by a published
14false statement of fact. This alternative action is intended
15for the expeditious resolution with minimal costs of litigation
16due to the elimination of issues unrelated to the question of
17the truth or falsity of the statement at issue.
18    (c) Definitions. For purposes of this Section,
19    "Mass media" means, but is not limited to, a newspaper or
20periodical, or any broadcast, cable, or satellite means of mass
21communication, including an Internet website.
22    "Person" means a natural person.
23    (d) Action. Any person who has been defamed, slandered, or
24libeled may bring an action for declaratory judgment pursuant
25to Section 2-701. If an adverse party files a motion pursuant
26to Section 15 of the Citizen Participation Act in an action,

 

 

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1then any person who is a party to the action may bring an
2action for declaratory judgment alleging defamation, slander,
3or libel pursuant to Section 2-701. An action for declaratory
4judgment alleging defamation, slander, or libel shall be
5brought by filing a verified complaint or other pleading
6setting forth facts showing the following:
7        (1) that the defendant made a statement of fact
8    referring to the plaintiff that is damaging to the
9    plaintiff's reputation;
10        (2) that the statement was published; and
11        (3) that the statement was false.
12If the statement at issue was published in writing, a copy of
13the published statement must be attached to the complaint. The
14provisions of this Section are in derogation of the common law.
15    (e) Pre-trial proceedings.
16        (1) Except for limitations on discovery as provided in
17    this Section, pre-trial proceedings are governed by the
18    Code of Civil Procedure and the Supreme Court Rules.
19        (2) A plaintiff shall be furnished, upon his or her
20    request, from a defendant that is a mass media entity with
21    a copy of each tape, film, or digital file of the alleged
22    defamatory, slanderous, or libelous statement, or if a
23    tape, film, or digital file is not available, any available
24    transcript of the alleged statement. A defendant that is a
25    mass media entity that has been served with a complaint
26    under this Section identifying the statement at issue must

 

 

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1    preserve any tape, film, digital file, or transcript which
2    contains that statement.
3        (3) Discovery is severely restricted. No discovery may
4    take place without specific prior approval by the court in
5    writing, after a hearing in which the party requesting
6    discovery is able to demonstrate by clear and convincing
7    evidence to the court's satisfaction that there is a
8    compelling need for the particular information sought.
9    Discovery is specifically prohibited with regard to the
10    following matters due to their irrelevance:
11            (A) the status of the plaintiff;
12            (B) any malice, intention, knowledge,
13        recklessness, or other mental state of the defendant,
14        any agent of the defendant, or any employee of the
15        defendant pertaining to the publication of the
16        statement at issue.
17    (f) Affirmative defense. In addition to other common law
18defenses which may be applicable, it is an affirmative defense
19to an action for declaratory judgment alleging defamation,
20slander, or libel that the allegedly false statement referring
21to the plaintiff:
22        (1) appeared in a report of an official action or
23    proceeding or of a meeting open to the public that dealt
24    with a matter of public concern, if the report is accurate
25    and complete or a fair abridgment of the occurrence
26    reported; or

 

 

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1        (2) was taken from remarks made by an identified
2    governmental official or by an identified candidate for
3    public office who has already filed his or her petitions of
4    candidacy, if the published statement is an accurate and
5    complete rendition of those remarks or a fair abridgment of
6    the statement.
7    (g) Trial proceedings. Trial proceedings are governed by
8the Code of Civil Procedure and the Supreme Court Rules. The
9plaintiff has the burden of proving by clear and convincing
10evidence each of the allegations required to be pled in this
11Section. No damages may be awarded to a plaintiff who is
12granted a declaratory judgment that finds that the defendant
13made a defamatory, slanderous, or libelous statement against
14the plaintiff.
15    (h) Declaratory judgment; judicial declaration of falsity.
16The judgment to be entered on behalf of a plaintiff who
17prevails on his or her complaint alleging defamation, slander,
18or libel shall be entitled to a "Judicial Declaration of
19Falsity".
20    (i) Publication of a notice of a judicial declaration of
21falsity.
22        (1) A plaintiff who prevails on his or her action filed
23    pursuant to this Section may petition the court for the
24    publication of a Notice of Judicial Declaration of Falsity
25    by a court-supervised method.
26        (2) Whether a Notice of Judicial Declaration of Falsity

 

 

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1    shall be published, and if published the contents of the
2    notice, shall be determined by the court after a hearing
3    that considers the following matters:
4            (A) if the nature of the statement, parties, and
5        circumstances warrant, in the court's discretion, a
6        Notice being published;
7            (B) a notice shall contain only factual statements
8        which must pertain to the proceedings in which the
9        Judicial Declaration of Falsity is sought;
10            (C) a notice may refer to the statement found to be
11        false;
12            (D) a notice, consistent with the other criteria
13        under this paragraph (2), it shall be as brief as
14        possible;
15            (E) a notice shall be published at a time and in a
16        manner so that the greatest number of people who saw or
17        heard the false statement are likely to see or hear it;
18            (F) if requested by the plaintiff, the notice shall
19        indicate that it is a compulsory statement; otherwise,
20        that indication shall be left to the court's
21        discretion; and
22            (G) the notice may be ordered to be published more
23        than once if the statement found to be false was
24        published more than once.
25        (3) The court may determine that the Notice of a
26    Judicial Declaration of Falsity shall be published by a

 

 

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1    medium of mass communication by purchase of time or space,
2    as for advertising. The medium shall be selected by the
3    court after a hearing in which the parties may present
4    their proposed choices. The court additionally shall
5    attempt to choose a medium as close in form to the medium
6    used by the defendant as possible. A court may order a mass
7    media defendant to publish the Notice of a Judicial
8    Declaration of Falsity in the defendant's own medium of
9    mass communication only if the mass media defendant
10    mutually agrees to such publication. In determining the
11    method or form of publishing the Notice of a Judicial
12    Declaration of Falsity, the court may, among other things,
13    take into account case law and stare decisis of the United
14    States Supreme Court and the Illinois Supreme Court dealing
15    with freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
16        (4) All expenses arising from the publication of a
17    Notice of a Judicial Declaration of Falsity ordered under
18    this Section shall be reviewed and approved by the court
19    and taxed against the defendant.
20        (5) Any order entered under this subsection (i) may be
21    enforced through the court's contempt powers.
22    (j) Bar on actions for damages. A plaintiff who files a
23complaint for declaratory judgment action alleging defamation,
24slander, or libel is thereafter barred from ever asserting any
25other cause of action of any kind and from ever seeking damages
26based upon the statements or conduct of the defendant which are

 

 

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1the subject of the action. No action for damages no matter how
2designated may be filed concurrently or joined with an action
3for declaratory judgment action alleging defamation, slander,
4or libel.
5    (k) Statute of limitations. An action for declaratory
6judgment action alleging defamation, slander, or libel shall be
7commenced within one year next after the cause of action
8accrued or within 30 days after a motion is filed pursuant to
9Section 15 of the Citizen Participation Act, whichever is
10later.
 
11    Section 10. The Citizen Participation Act is amended by
12changing Section 15 and by adding Section 21 as follows:
 
13    (735 ILCS 110/15)
14    Sec. 15. Applicability.
15    This Act applies to any motion to dispose of a claim in a
16judicial proceeding on the grounds that the claim is based on,
17relates to, or is in response to any act or acts of the moving
18party in furtherance of the moving party's rights of petition,
19speech, association, or to otherwise participate in
20government. However, this Act does not apply to any pleading
21filed in accordance with Section 2-701.5 of the Code of Civil
22Procedure.
23    Acts in furtherance of the constitutional rights to
24petition, speech, association, and participation in government

 

 

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1are immune from liability, regardless of intent or purpose,
2except when not genuinely aimed at procuring favorable
3government action, result, or outcome.
4(Source: P.A. 95-506, eff. 8-28-07.)
 
5    (735 ILCS 110/21 new)
6    Sec. 21. Motion for declaratory judgment.
7    A natural person who is a party to an action in which an
8adverse party filed a motion pursuant to Section 15 may file a
9declaratory judgment action alleging defamation, slander, or
10libel, in accordance with Section 2-701.5 of the Code of Civil
11Procedure, so long as the person files the declaratory judgment
12action within 30 days after the moving party filed the Section
1315 motion.
14    A party who files a declaratory judgment action pursuant to
15this Section and Section 2-701.5 shall voluntarily dismiss all
16claims that are the subject of the motion filed pursuant to
17Section 15. The court shall also dismiss any motions filed
18pursuant to Section 15 against the party who filed the action
19for a declaratory judgment under this Section.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.