State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB1901

 
                                               LRB9113261STsb

 1        AN  ACT  to  amend the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963
 2    concerning appointment  of  counsel  in  capital  cases  with
 3    multiple defendants.

 4        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 5    represented in the General Assembly:

 6        Section 5. The Code of  Criminal  Procedure  of  1963  is
 7    amended by changing Section 113-3 as follows:

 8        (725 ILCS 5/113-3) (from Ch. 38, par. 113-3)
 9        Sec.  113-3.   (a)  Every  person charged with an offense
10    shall be allowed counsel before pleading to the  charge.   If
11    the  defendant  desires counsel and has been unable to obtain
12    same before arraignment  the  court  shall  recess  court  or
13    continue  the cause for a reasonable time to permit defendant
14    to obtain counsel and consult with him before pleading to the
15    charge. If the accused is a dissolved corporation, and is not
16    represented by counsel, the court may,  in  the  interest  of
17    justice,  appoint  as  counsel  a  licensed  attorney of this
18    State.
19        (b)  In all cases, except where the  penalty  is  a  fine
20    only,  if the court determines that the defendant is indigent
21    and desires counsel, the Public Defender shall  be  appointed
22    as  counsel.  If there is no Public Defender in the county or
23    if the defendant  requests  counsel  other  than  the  Public
24    Defender and the court finds that the rights of the defendant
25    will be prejudiced by the appointment of the Public Defender,
26    the court shall appoint as counsel a licensed attorney at law
27    of this State, except that in a county having a population of
28    2,000,000  or  more the Public Defender shall be appointed as
29    counsel in all  misdemeanor  cases  where  the  defendant  is
30    indigent   and  desires  counsel  unless  the  case  involves
31    multiple defendants, in which  case  the  court  may  appoint
 
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 1    counsel  other  than  the  Public Defender for the additional
 2    defendants.  In capital cases with multiple  defendants,  the
 3    Public  Defender  may  be  appointed  to  represent  only one
 4    defendant; each defendant must have his or her  own  counsel,
 5    either  retained  by the defendant or appointed by the court.
 6    The court shall require an affidavit signed by any  defendant
 7    who  requests  court-appointed counsel.  Such affidavit shall
 8    be in the form established by the  Supreme  Court  containing
 9    sufficient   information   to   ascertain   the   assets  and
10    liabilities of that defendant.   The  Court  may  direct  the
11    Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court to assist the defendant in the
12    completion of the affidavit.  Any person who knowingly  files
13    such  affidavit  containing  false information concerning his
14    assets and  liabilities shall be liable to the  county  where
15    the  case, in which such false affidavit is filed, is pending
16    for the reasonable value of  the  services  rendered  by  the
17    public  defender or other court-appointed counsel in the case
18    to the extent that such services  were  unjustly  or  falsely
19    procured.
20        (c)  Upon  the  filing  with  the  court  of  a  verified
21    statement  of  services  rendered  the  court shall order the
22    county treasurer of the county of trial to pay counsel  other
23    than  the  Public  Defender a reasonable fee. The court shall
24    consider  all  relevant  circumstances,  including  but   not
25    limited  to  the  time spent while court is in session, other
26    time  spent  in  representing  the  defendant,  and  expenses
27    reasonably  incurred  by  counsel.   In   counties   with   a
28    population  greater than 2,000,000, the court shall order the
29    county treasurer of the county of trial to pay counsel  other
30    than the Public Defender a reasonable fee stated in the order
31    and  based  upon  a rate of compensation of not more than $40
32    for each hour spent while court is in session  and  not  more
33    than  $30  for  each  hour  otherwise  spent  representing  a
34    defendant,  and  such compensation shall not  exceed $150 for
 
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 1    each defendant represented in misdemeanor cases and $1250  in
 2    felony  cases, in addition to expenses reasonably incurred as
 3    hereinafter  in  this  Section  provided,  except  that,   in
 4    extraordinary  circumstances, payment in excess of the limits
 5    herein stated may be made if the trial court  certifies  that
 6    such  payment  is  necessary to provide fair compensation for
 7    protracted representation.  A trial court may  entertain  the
 8    filing  of  this verified statement before the termination of
 9    the cause, and may order  the  provisional  payment  of  sums
10    during the pendency of the cause.
11        (d)  In  capital  cases,  in  addition to counsel, if the
12    court determines that the defendant  is  indigent  the  court
13    may,  upon  the filing with the court of a verified statement
14    of services rendered,  order  the  county  Treasurer  of  the
15    county  of  trial  to  pay  necessary  expert  witnesses  for
16    defendant  reasonable compensation stated in the order not to
17    exceed $250 for each defendant.
18        (e)  If the court  in  any  county  having  a  population
19    greater  than  2,000,000  determines  that  the  defendant is
20    indigent the court may, upon the filing with the court  of  a
21    verified   statement  of  such  expenses,  order  the  county
22    treasurer of the county of trial, in such counties  having  a
23    population greater than 2,000,000 to pay the general expenses
24    of  the trial incurred by the defendant not to exceed $50 for
25    each defendant.
26        (f)  The  provisions  of   this   Section   relating   to
27    appointment  of counsel, compensation of counsel, and payment
28    of  expenses  in  capital  cases  apply   except   when   the
29    compensation  and  expenses  are  being  provided  under  the
30    Capital Crimes Litigation Act.
31    (Source: P.A. 91-589, eff. 1-1-00.)

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