Bill Text: IL SB0977 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends the Judicial Circuits Apportionment Act of 2005. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Failed) 2015-01-13 - Session Sine Die [SB0977 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-SB0977-Engrossed.html

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AN ACT concerning courts.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Jury Act is amended by changing Section 2 as
follows:
(705 ILCS 305/2) (from Ch. 78, par. 2)
Sec. 2. At the September meeting of the county board in
each year in the respective counties in this State, except
those that have jury commissioners, the board shall select from
the list the number of persons as the judges of the circuit
courts, to be held in the county during the succeeding year,
may by joint action determine to serve as petit jurors. In
counties having jury commissioners, the persons to serve as
petit jurors shall be selected by the jury commissioners, as
provided by law. County boards, a jury administrator, and jury
commissioners may utilize the services of the Administrative
Office of the Illinois Courts in making these selections.
Jurors in all counties in Illinois must have the legal
qualifications herein prescribed. Jurors must be:
(1) Inhabitants of the county.
(2) Of the age of 18 years or upwards.
(3) Free from all legal exception, of fair character, of
approved integrity, of sound judgment, well informed, and able

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to understand the English language, whether in spoken or
written form, or interpreted into sign language, or, in
counties in which a pilot program is implemented in accordance
with Section 8-1403 of the Code of Civil Procedure, interpreted
or translated into the juror's predominant language.
(4) Citizens of the United States of America.
(Source: P.A. 90-482, eff. 1-1-98.)
Section 10. The Jury Secrecy Act is amended by changing
Section 1 as follows:
(705 ILCS 315/1) (from Ch. 78, par. 36)
Sec. 1. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever
knowingly and wilfully, by any device or means whatsoever
records or attempts to record, the proceedings of a petit jury
in any court of the State of Illinois while the jury is
deliberating or voting, or listens to or observes, or attempts
to listen to or observe, the proceedings of any petit jury of
which he is not a member in any court of the State of Illinois
while the jury is deliberating or voting, shall be guilty of a
Class A misdemeanor. However, if any juror is deaf or hard of
hearing, the juror may be accompanied by and may communicate
with a court appointed interpreter throughout any period during
which the jury is sequestered or engaged in its deliberations.
In counties in which a pilot program is implemented in
accordance with Section 8-1403 of the Code of Civil Procedure,

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if any juror's predominant language is not English, the juror
may be accompanied by an interpreter. In the case of a
non-English speaking juror, the interpreter shall be available
throughout the actual trial and may accompany and communicate
with the juror throughout any period during which the jury is
sequestered or engaged in its deliberations. If the jury
foreman reasonably believes that an the interpreter is doing
more than interpreting, nothing in this Act shall prevent him
or her from petitioning the court and requesting that the
interpreter be replaced with another interpreter.
(b) A petit juror in any court of the State of Illinois
shall be entitled to take notes in connection with and solely
for the purpose of assisting him in the performance of his
duties as juror, and the sheriff of the county in which such
juror is serving shall provide writing materials for that
purpose. Such notes shall remain confidential, and shall be
destroyed by the sheriff after the verdict has been returned or
a mistrial declared.
(Source: P.A. 88-27.)
Section 15. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
adding Sections 8-1403 as follows:
(735 ILCS 5/8-1403 new)
Sec. 8-1403. Accommodation for jurors whose predominant
language is not English.

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(a) In the counties of Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, and Will,
the court shall implement a pilot program to appoint a
qualified interpreter to interpret or translate proceedings
for a juror whose predominant language is not English. The
interpreter shall be available throughout the trial and may
accompany and communicate with the juror throughout any period
during which the jury is sequestered or engaged in its
deliberations. The court shall determine and allow a reasonable
fee for all services provided under this Section which shall be
paid out of general county funds.
(b) The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts shall
record the following regarding the pilot program: the amount of
funding that is expended; what languages are interpreted; and
the extent to which interpreters are used in each county in
which the pilot program operates.
(c) Before a qualified interpreter participates in any
proceedings authorized under this Section, the interpreter
shall make an oath or affirmation that the interpreter will:
(1) make a true interpretation from English to the
juror's predominant language and from the juror's
predominant language to English;
(2) not interject the interpreter's own thoughts,
beliefs, conclusions, or opinions regarding any
interpretation of what the evidence shows, what the
instructions mean, or how the evidence is analyzed as it
relates to the instructions issued by the court; and

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(3) not express any opinion as to what the verdict
should be.
(d) This Section is repealed 2 years after the effective
date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.