State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB4642

 
                                               LRB9110207DJcd

 1        AN ACT in relation to the elderly.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.   The  Code  of Criminal Procedure of 1963 is
 5    amended by changing Section 115-10.3 as follows:

 6        (725 ILCS 5/115-10.3)
 7        Sec. 115-10.3.  Hearsay exception regarding elder adults.
 8        (a)  In a prosecution for abuse,  neglect,  or  financial
 9    exploitation  perpetrated  upon or against an eligible adult,
10    as defined in the Elder Abuse and Neglect  Act,  who  at  the
11    time  the act was committed has been diagnosed by a physician
12    to suffer  from  (i)  any  form  of  dementia,  developmental
13    disability,  or  other  form of mental incapacity or (ii) any
14    physical  infirmity  which  prevents  the  eligible   adult's
15    appearance   in   court,   including   but   not  limited  to
16    prosecutions for violations of  Sections  10-1,  10-2,  10-3,
17    10-3.1,  10-4, 11-11, 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-3.2, 12-4, 12-4.1,
18    12-4.2, 12-4.5, 12-4.6, 12-4.7, 12-5, 12-6,  12-7.3,  12-7.4,
19    12-11,  12-13,  12-14, 12-15, 12-16, 12-21, 16-1, 16-1.3, and
20    17-3 of the Criminal Code of  1961,  the  following  evidence
21    shall be admitted as an exception to the hearsay rule:
22             (1)  testimony  by  an  eligible adult, of an out of
23        court statement made by the eligible adult,  that  he  or
24        she complained of such act to another; and
25             (2)  testimony  of an out of court statement made by
26        the eligible adult, describing any complaint of such  act
27        or  matter  or  detail  pertaining to any act which is an
28        element  of  an  offense  which  is  the  subject  of   a
29        prosecution for abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation
30        perpetrated upon or  against the eligible adult.
31        (b)  Such  Testimony  described  in  subsection (a) shall
 
                            -2-                LRB9110207DJcd
 1    only be admitted if:
 2             (1)  The court finds in a hearing conducted  outside
 3        the  presence  of  the  jury  that the time, content, and
 4        circumstances  of  the   statement   provide   sufficient
 5        safeguards of reliability; and
 6             (2)  The eligible adult either:
 7                  (A)  testifies at the proceeding; or
 8                  (B)  is  unavailable  as a witness and there is
 9             corroborative evidence  of  the  act  which  is  the
10             subject of the statement.
11        (c)  If a statement is admitted pursuant to this Section,
12    the  court shall instruct the jury that it is for the jury to
13    determine  the  weight  and  credibility  to  be  given   the
14    statement  and  that,  in  making the determination, it shall
15    consider the condition of the eligible adult, the  nature  of
16    the  statement,  the  circumstances under which the statement
17    was made, and any other relevant factor.
18        (d)  The  proponent  of  the  statement  shall  give  the
19    adverse party reasonable notice of his or  her  intention  to
20    offer the statement and the particulars of the statement.
21    (Source: P.A. 90-628, eff. 1-1-99.)

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