101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2532

 

Introduced 1/28/2020, by Sen. Dave Syverson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
55 ILCS 5/3-9008  from Ch. 34, par. 3-9008

    Amends the Counties Code. Provides that payment for attorney's fees or litigation expenses shall be made from the funding source the county determines to be appropriate.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB2532LRB101 12425 AWJ 68819 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing Section
53-9008 as follows:
 
6    (55 ILCS 5/3-9008)  (from Ch. 34, par. 3-9008)
7    Sec. 3-9008. Appointment of attorney to perform duties.
8    (a) (Blank).
9    (a-5) The court on its own motion, or an interested person
10in a cause or proceeding, civil or criminal, may file a
11petition alleging that the State's Attorney is sick, absent, or
12unable to fulfill his or her duties. The court shall consider
13the petition, any documents filed in response, and if
14necessary, grant a hearing to determine whether the State's
15Attorney is sick, absent, or otherwise unable to fulfill his or
16her duties. If the court finds that the State's Attorney is
17sick, absent, or otherwise unable to fulfill his or her duties,
18the court may appoint some competent attorney to prosecute or
19defend the cause or proceeding.
20    (a-10) The court on its own motion, or an interested person
21in a cause or proceeding, civil or criminal, may file a
22petition alleging that the State's Attorney has an actual
23conflict of interest in the cause or proceeding. The court

 

 

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1shall consider the petition, any documents filed in response,
2and if necessary, grant a hearing to determine whether the
3State's Attorney has an actual conflict of interest in the
4cause or proceeding. If the court finds that the petitioner has
5proven by sufficient facts and evidence that the State's
6Attorney has an actual conflict of interest in a specific case,
7the court may appoint some competent attorney to prosecute or
8defend the cause or proceeding.
9    (a-15) Notwithstanding subsections (a-5) and (a-10) of
10this Section, the State's Attorney may file a petition to
11recuse himself or herself from a cause or proceeding for any
12other reason he or she deems appropriate and the court shall
13appoint a special prosecutor as provided in this Section.
14    (a-20) Prior to appointing a private attorney under this
15Section, the court shall contact public agencies, including,
16but not limited to, the Office of Attorney General, Office of
17the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, or local State's
18Attorney's Offices throughout the State, to determine a public
19prosecutor's availability to serve as a special prosecutor at
20no cost to the county and shall appoint a public agency if they
21are able and willing to accept the appointment. An attorney so
22appointed shall have the same power and authority in relation
23to the cause or proceeding as the State's Attorney would have
24if present and attending to the cause or proceedings.
25    (b) In case of a vacancy of more than one year occurring in
26any county in the office of State's attorney, by death,

 

 

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1resignation or otherwise, and it becomes necessary for the
2transaction of the public business, that some competent
3attorney act as State's attorney in and for such county during
4the period between the time of the occurrence of such vacancy
5and the election and qualification of a State's attorney, as
6provided by law, the vacancy shall be filled upon the written
7request of a majority of the circuit judges of the circuit in
8which is located the county where such vacancy exists, by
9appointment as provided in The Election Code of some competent
10attorney to perform and discharge all the duties of a State's
11attorney in the said county, such appointment and all authority
12thereunder to cease upon the election and qualification of a
13State's attorney, as provided by law. Any attorney appointed
14for any reason under this Section shall possess all the powers
15and discharge all the duties of a regularly elected State's
16attorney under the laws of the State to the extent necessary to
17fulfill the purpose of such appointment, and shall be paid by
18the county he serves not to exceed in any one period of 12
19months, for the reasonable amount of time actually expended in
20carrying out the purpose of such appointment, the same
21compensation as provided by law for the State's attorney of the
22county, apportioned, in the case of lesser amounts of
23compensation, as to the time of service reasonably and actually
24expended. The county shall participate in all agreements on the
25rate of compensation of a special prosecutor.
26    (c) An order granting authority to a special prosecutor

 

 

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1must be construed strictly and narrowly by the court. The power
2and authority of a special prosecutor shall not be expanded
3without prior notice to the county. In the case of the proposed
4expansion of a special prosecutor's power and authority, a
5county may provide the court with information on the financial
6impact of an expansion on the county. Prior to the signing of
7an order requiring a county to pay for attorney's fees or
8litigation expenses, the county shall be provided with a
9detailed copy of the invoice describing the fees, and the
10invoice shall include all activities performed in relation to
11the case and the amount of time spent on each activity; and
12payment for attorney's fees or litigation expenses shall be
13made from the funding source the county determines to be
14appropriate.
15(Source: P.A. 99-352, eff. 1-1-16.)