Amends the Counties Code. Creates the Lengthy Trial Fund. Provides that the Fund shall be used to provide full or partial wage replacement or wage supplementation to jurors who serve as petit jurors for more than 10 days. Provides that a fee of $10, which shall be paid to the clerk of the court for deposit into the Fund, shall be charged to each attorney who files a civil case or a pleading in response to a complaint. Amends the Jury Act. Provides that jurors shall not be required or requested to use annual, vacation, or sick leave for time spent responding to a summons for jury duty, time spent participating in the jury selection process, or time spent actually serving on a jury. Provides that an employer may not subject an employee to any adverse employment action by reason of the employee's jury service. Provides that a court shall automatically postpone and reschedule the service of a summoned juror who is employed by an employer with 5 or fewer full-time employees, or the equivalent, if another employee of that employer is summoned to appear during the same period. Provides that an individual may be excused from jury service for a period of up to 24 months, instead of seeking postponement, under the listed circumstances. Raises the fees for failure to attend when summoned to appear as a grand or petit juror to any sum not more than $500 (instead of $100). Amends the State Finance Act to create the Lengthy Trial Fund. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2009.
Sponsored bills
Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Allows a member to establish optional credit for up to 2 years of service as a teacher or administrator employed by a private school recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, provided that the teacher (i) was certified under the law governing the certification of teachers at the time the service was rendered, (ii) applies in writing on or before June 30, 2014, (iii) supplies satisfactory evidence of the employment, (iv) completes at least 10 years of contributing service as a teacher, and (v) pays the required contribution. Effective immediately.
Amends the Riverboat Gambling Act. Increases the number of members of the Illinois Gaming Board from 5 to 7. Requires that one of the new members be either a person who has been in a recovery or treatment program for compulsive gambling for at least 10 years or an individual with specialized knowledge or experience in the field of pathological gambling.
Amends the Business Opportunity Sales Law of 1995. Provides that a business opportunity disclosure document shall contain a statement informing the prospective purchaser that he or she will be provided 14 days (rather than 10 business days) to review the disclosure document before signing any contract or agreement or making any payment to the seller or the seller's representative. Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that, if none of the parties joined in good faith as defendants in a civil case are residents of this State, an action against those defendants may be commenced in the State only in the county in which the transaction out of which the cause of action arose, or some part of that transaction, occurred. Provides that a corporation organized under the laws of or authorized to do business in this State is a resident only of any county in which it has its registered office or other office (rather than being a resident of any county in which it does business). Makes similar changes regarding partnerships and voluntary unincorporated associations. Deletes language providing that an insurance company incorporated under the laws of, or doing business in this State may be sued in any county in which the plaintiff or one of the plaintiffs reside. Provides that, if none of the defendants in a civil action are residents of this State, and no part of the transaction out of which the action arose occurred in this State, the action must be dismissed for lack of proper venue. Makes other changes. Provides that the changes apply to causes of action filed on or after the effective date of the Act.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Director of Corrections, in making a determination as to whether an inmate is to be awarded good conduct credit for meritorious service, may consider the inmate's documented conduct either while incarcerated in a Department facility, county jail, house of correction, Department of Juvenile Justice facility, juvenile detention center, or other penal institution or when the inmate was not incarcerated and may make a determination that based on such conduct the inmate's early release poses an elevated risk to public safety. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning instruction.
Proposes to amend the Judiciary Article of the Illinois Constitution to provide that if a Supreme Court Judge recuses himself or herself in a particular case or matter before the Court because of an actual or potential conflict of interest, then the Judge shall notify the Clerk of the Supreme Court in writing of the recusal and a Judge of the Appellate Court shall be selected to serve as an Interim Supreme Court Judge to hear that particular case or matter until it is resolved or otherwise disposed of by the Court. Also proposes that the Interim Supreme Court Judge shall be selected in a random manner from a pool of Appellate Judges as determined by Supreme Court Rule. Effective upon being declared adopted.
Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall prescribe rules and regulations for revoking good conduct credit awarded for meritorious service. Effective immediately.
Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that in actions arising out of bodily injury, death, or damage to property based on negligence or product liability based on strict tort liability there will not be joint and several liability, rather when more than one defendant is found to be liable, a defendant will only be liable for that percentage of the plaintiff's damages, found by the trier of fact, that the defendant's percentage of contributory fault, found by the trier of fact, represents. Amends the Joint Tortfeasor Contribution Act requiring, in the event that the obligation of one or more tortfeasors is uncollectible, the remaining tortfeasors to share, pro rata, the unpaid portion. Repeals Section stating that a plaintiff's right to recover the full amount of his or her tort judgment from any one or more defendants is unaffected by the Contribution Act.