101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB1969

 

Introduced 2/15/2019, by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
705 ILCS 40/2  from Ch. 37, par. 72.42

    Amends the Judicial Vacancies Act. Provides that vacancies authorized to be filled by a specified provision shall be filled within 90 days in a specified manner.


LRB101 11084 LNS 56293 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1969LRB101 11084 LNS 56293 b

1    AN ACT concerning courts.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Judicial Vacancies Act is amended by
5changing Section 2 as follows:
 
6    (705 ILCS 40/2)  (from Ch. 37, par. 72.42)
7    Sec. 2. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (1), (2), (3),
8(4), and (5) of this subsection (a), vacancies in the office of
9a resident circuit judge in any county or in any unit or
10subcircuit of any circuit shall not be filled.
11        (1) If in any county of less than 45,000 inhabitants
12    there remains in office no other resident judge following
13    the occurrence of a vacancy, such vacancy shall be filled.
14        (2) If in any county of 45,000 or more but less than
15    60,000 inhabitants there remains in office only one
16    resident judge following the occurrence of a vacancy, such
17    vacancy shall be filled.
18        (3) If in any county of 60,000 or more inhabitants,
19    other than the County of Cook or as provided in paragraph
20    (5), there remain in office no more than 2 resident judges
21    following the occurrence of a vacancy, such vacancy shall
22    be filled.
23        (4) The County of Cook shall have 165 resident judges

 

 

SB1969- 2 -LRB101 11084 LNS 56293 b

1    on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of
2    1990. Of those resident judgeships, (i) 56 shall be those
3    authorized before the effective date of this amendatory Act
4    of 1990 from the unit of the Circuit of Cook County within
5    Chicago, (ii) 27 shall be those authorized before the
6    effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990 from the unit
7    of the Circuit of Cook County outside Chicago, (iii) 12
8    shall be additional resident judgeships first elected at
9    the general election in November of 1992, (iv) 10 shall be
10    additional resident judgeships first elected at the
11    general election in November of 1994, and (v) 60 shall be
12    additional resident judgeships to be authorized one each
13    for each reduction upon vacancy in the office of associate
14    judge in the Circuit of Cook County as those vacancies
15    exist or occur on and after the effective date of this
16    amendatory Act of 1990 and as those vacancies are
17    determined under subsection (b) of Section 2 of the
18    Associate Judges Act until the total resident judgeships
19    authorized under this item (v) is 60. Seven of the 12
20    additional resident judgeships provided in item (iii) may
21    be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court during the
22    period beginning on the effective date of this amendatory
23    Act of 1990 and ending 60 days before the primary election
24    in March of 1992; those judicial appointees shall serve
25    until the first Monday in December of 1992. Five of the 12
26    additional resident judgeships provided in item (iii) may

 

 

SB1969- 3 -LRB101 11084 LNS 56293 b

1    be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court during the
2    period beginning July 1, 1991 and ending 60 days before the
3    primary election in March of 1992; those judicial
4    appointees shall serve until the first Monday in December
5    of 1992. Five of the 10 additional resident judgeships
6    provided in item (iv) may be filled by appointment by the
7    Supreme Court during the period beginning July 1, 1992 and
8    ending 60 days before the primary election in March of
9    1994; those judicial appointees shall serve until the first
10    Monday in December of 1994. The remaining 5 of the 10
11    additional resident judgeships provided in item (iv) may be
12    filled by appointment by the Supreme Court during the
13    period beginning July 1, 1993 and ending 60 days before the
14    primary election in March of 1994; those judicial
15    appointees shall serve until the first Monday in December
16    1994. The additional resident judgeships created upon
17    vacancy in the office of associate judge provided in item
18    (v) may be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court
19    beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of
20    1990; but no additional resident judgeships created upon
21    vacancy in the office of associate judge provided in item
22    (v) shall be filled during the 59 day period before the
23    next primary election to nominate judges. The Circuit of
24    Cook County shall be divided into units to be known as
25    subcircuits as provided in Section 2f of the Circuit Courts
26    Act. A vacancy in the office of resident judge of the

 

 

SB1969- 4 -LRB101 11084 LNS 56293 b

1    Circuit of Cook County existing on or occurring on or after
2    the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990, but
3    before the date the subcircuits are created by law, shall
4    be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court from the unit
5    within Chicago or the unit outside Chicago, as the case may
6    be, in which the vacancy occurs and filled by election from
7    the subcircuit to which it is allotted under Section 2f of
8    the Circuit Courts Act. A vacancy in the office of resident
9    judge of the Circuit of Cook County existing on or
10    occurring on or after the date the subcircuits are created
11    by law shall be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court
12    and by election from the subcircuit to which it is allotted
13    under Section 2f of the Circuit Courts Act.
14        (5) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of
15    this subsection (a), resident judges in the 12th, 16th,
16    17th, 19th, 22nd, and 23rd judicial circuits are as
17    provided in Sections 2f-1, 2f-2, 2f-4, 2f-5, 2f-6, 2f-9,
18    and 2f-10 of the Circuit Courts Act.
19    (b) Nothing in paragraphs (2) or (3) of subsection (a) of
20this Section shall be construed to require or permit in any
21county a greater number of resident judges than there were
22resident associate judges on January 1, 1967.
23    (c) Vacancies authorized to be filled by this Section 2
24shall be filled within 90 days in the manner provided in
25Article VI of the Constitution.
26    (d) A person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of

 

 

SB1969- 5 -LRB101 11084 LNS 56293 b

1circuit judge shall be, at the time of appointment, a resident
2of the subcircuit from which the person whose vacancy is being
3filled was elected if the vacancy occurred in a circuit divided
4into subcircuits. If a vacancy in the office of circuit judge
5occurred in a circuit not divided into subcircuits, a person
6appointed to fill the vacancy shall be, at the time of
7appointment, a resident of the circuit from which the person
8whose vacancy is being filled was elected. Except as provided
9in Sections 2f-1, 2f-2, 2f-4, 2f-5, 2f-6, and 2f-9 of the
10Circuit Courts Act, if a vacancy occurred in the office of a
11resident circuit judge, a person appointed to fill the vacancy
12shall be, at the time of appointment, a resident of the county
13from which the person whose vacancy is being filled was
14elected.
15(Source: P.A. 98-744, eff. 7-16-14.)