Bill Text: IL SJRCA0001 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Proposes to amend the Judiciary Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a Public Defender shall be appointed for each county in 2024 and every fourth year thereafter for a four-year term. Provides that in counties with a population of 1,000,000 or more the appointment shall be made by the president of the county's board of commissioners with the advice and consent of the county board. Provides that the appointing authorities in other counties are the Circuit Judges of the Circuit Court of the Judicial Circuit in which the county is located. Authorizes 2 or more adjoining counties in the same Judicial Circuit, by joint resolution, to create a common Public Defender's office for the counties joined. Requires individuals who are appointed as a Public Defender to be United States citizens who are licensed to practice law in the State. Specifies that the Public Defender's salary is to be set by law. Effective upon being declared adopted.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-02-28 - Referred to Assignments [SJRCA0001 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SJRCA0001-Introduced.html
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| 1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
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| 3 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be | |||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | submitted to the electors of the State for adoption or | |||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | rejection at the general election next occurring at least 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | months after the adoption of this resolution a proposition to | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | add Section 20 to Article VI of the Illinois Constitution as | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | follows:
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| 11 | ARTICLE VI
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| 12 | THE JUDICIARY
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| 13 | (ILCON Art. VI, Sec. 20 new) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | SECTION 20. PUBLIC DEFENDERS - SELECTION, SALARY | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | A Public Defender shall be appointed for each county in
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| 16 | 2024 and every fourth year thereafter for a four-year term.
In | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | counties with a population of 1,000,000 or more, the president | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | of the county's board of commissioners shall appoint the | |||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Public Defender with the advice and consent of the county | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | board. In a county with a population of less than 1,000,000, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | the Circuit Judges of the Circuit Court of the Judicial | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | Circuit in which the county is located shall, by a majority | |||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | vote of the entire number of those judges, appoint the Public | |||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | Defender. Any 2 or more adjoining counties of this State that | ||||||
| 2 | are within the same Judicial Circuit may, by joint resolution | ||||||
| 3 | of the several county boards involved, create a common Public | ||||||
| 4 | Defender's office for the counties so joined. A person shall | ||||||
| 5 | not be eligible for the office
of Public Defender unless the | ||||||
| 6 | person is a United States citizen and
a licensed | ||||||
| 7 | attorney-at-law of this State. The Public Defender's salary | ||||||
| 8 | shall be
provided by law.
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| 9 | SCHEDULE
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| 10 | This Constitutional Amendment takes effect upon being | ||||||
| 11 | declared adopted in accordance with Section 7 of the Illinois | ||||||
| 12 | Constitutional Amendment Act.
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