Except as is otherwise provided in this Division, no certified person shall be removed, demoted or suspended except for cause, upon written charges filed with the Merit Commission by the sheriff. Upon the filing of such a petition, the sheriff may suspend the certified person pending the decision of the Commission on the charges. After the charges have been heard, the Commission may direct that the person receive his pay for any part or all of this suspension period, if any. The charges shall be heard by the Commission upon not less than 14 days' certified notice. At such hearing, the accused certified person shall be afforded full opportunity to be represented by counsel, to be heard in his own defense and to produce proof in his defense. Both the Commission and the sheriff may be represe
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Except as is otherwise provided in this Division, no certified person shall be removed, demoted or suspended except for cause, upon written charges filed with the Merit Commission by the sheriff. Upon the filing of such a petition, the sheriff may suspend the certified person pending the decision of the Commission on the charges. After the charges have been heard, the Commission may direct that the person receive his pay for any part or all of this suspension period, if any. The charges shall be heard by the Commission upon not less than 14 days' certified notice. At such hearing, the accused certified person shall be afforded full opportunity to be represented by counsel, to be heard in his own defense and to produce proof in his defense. Both the Commission and the sheriff may be represented by counsel. The State's Attorney of the applicable county may advise either the Commission or the sheriff. The other party may engage private counsel to advise it. The Commission shall have the power to secure by its subpoena both the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers in support of the charges and for the defense. Each member of the Commission shall have the power to administer oaths. If the charges against an accused person are established by the preponderance of evidence, the Commission shall make a finding of guilty and order either removal, demotion, loss of seniority, suspension for a period of not more than 180 days, or such other disciplinary punishment as may be prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Commission which, in the opinion of the members thereof, the offense justifies. If the charges against an accused person are not established by the preponderance of evidence, the Commission shall make a finding of not guilty and shall order that the person be reinstated and be paid his compensation for the suspension period, if any, while awaiting the hearing. The sheriff shall take such action as may be ordered by the Commission. However, on and after June 1, 2007, in any sheriff's office with a collective bargaining agreement covering the employment of department personnel, such disciplinary measures and the method of review of those measures shall be subject to mandatory bargaining, including, but not limited to, the use of impartial arbitration as an alternative or supplemental form of due process and any of the procedures laid out in this Section. The provisions of the Administrative Review Law, and all amendments and modifications thereof, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, shall apply to and govern all proceedings for the judicial review of any order of the Commission rendered pursuant to this Section. The plaintiff shall pay the reasonable cost of preparing and certifying the record for judicial review. However, if the plaintiff prevails in the judicial review proceeding, the court shall award to the plaintiff a sum equal to the costs paid by the plaintiff to have the record for judicial review prepared and certified.