§ 2f-4 — 12th circuit; subcircuits; additional judges

(a) The 12th circuit shall be divided into 5 subcircuits. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. The General Assembly by law shall create the subcircuits, using population data as determined by the 2000 federal census, and shall determine a numerical order for the 5 subcircuits. That numerical order shall be the basis for the order in which resident judgeships are assigned to the subcircuits. The 5 resident judgeships to be assigned after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be assigned to the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 1st, and 2nd subcircuits, in that order. Once a resident judgeship is assigned to a subcircuit, it shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit for all purposes; provided that a resident judge elected from a subcircuit seeking retention shall run for retention at large in the circuit in accordance with Article VI, Section 12(d) of the Illinois Constitution. (a-5) In 2022, the General Assembly shall redraw the boundaries of the subcircuits to reflect the results of the 2020 federal decennial census. The General Assembly shall redraw the subcircuit boundaries after every federal decennial census. The subcircuits shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population. In accordance with subsection (a), a resident judgeship assigned to a subcircuit shall continue to be assigned to that subcircuit; provided that a resident judge elected from a subcircuit seeking retention shall run for retention at large in the circuit in accordance with Article VI, Section 12(d) of the Illinois Constitution. Any vacancy in a resident judgeship existing on or occurring after the effective date of a law redrawing the boundaries of the subcircuits shall be filled by a resident of the redrawn subcircuit. (a-10) The first vacancy in the 12th judicial circuit's 10 existing circuit judgeships (8 at large and 2 resident), but not in the additional judgeships described in subsections (b) and (b-5), that exists on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall not be filled, by appointment or election, and that judgeship is eliminated. Of the 12th judicial circuit's 10 existing circuit judgeships (8 at large and 2 resident), but not the additional judgeships described in subsections (b) and (b-5), the second to be vacant or become vacant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall be allotted as a 12th circuit resident judgeship under subsection (c). (a-15) Of the at large judgeships of the 12th judicial circuit not affected by subsection (a-10), the first 2 that are or become vacant on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall become resident judgeships of the 12th judicial circuit to be allotted by the Supreme Court under subsection (c) and filled by election, except that the Supreme Court may fill those judgeships by appointment for any remainder of a vacated term until the resident judgeships are filled initially by election. (a-20) As used in subsections (a-10) and (a-15), a vacancy does not include the expiration of a term of an at large or resident judge who seeks retention in that office at the next term. (b) The 12th circuit shall have 6 additional resident judgeships, as well as its existing resident judgeship as established in subsection (a-10), and existing at large judgeships, for a total of 15 judgeships available to be allotted under subsection (c) to the 10 subcircuit resident judgeships. The additional resident judgeship created by Public Act 93-541 shall be filled by election beginning at the general election in 2006. The 2 additional resident judgeships created by this amendatory Act of 2004 shall be filled by election beginning at the general election in 2008. The additional resident judgeships created by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall be filled by election beginning at the general election in 2010. After the subcircuits are created by law, the Supreme Court may fill by appointment the additional resident judgeships created by Public Act 93-541, this amendatory Act of 2004, and this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly until the 2006, 2008, or 2010 general election, as the case may be. (b-5) In addition to the number of circuit judges and resident judges otherwise authorized by law, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning on April 1, 2006 there shall be one additional resident judge who is a resident of and elected from the fourth judicial subcircuit of the 12th judicial circuit. That additional resident judgeship may be filled by appointment by the Supreme Court until filled by election at the general election in 2008, regardless of whether the judgeships for subcircuits 1, 2, and 3 have been filled. (c) The Supreme Court shall allot (i) the additional resident judgeships of the 12th circuit created by Public Act 93-541, this amendatory Act of 2004, and this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, (ii) the second vacancy in the at large and resident judgeships of the 12th circuit as provided in subsection (a-10), and (iii) the 2 formerly at large judgeships described in subsection (a-15) as they become available, for election from the various subcircuits until, with the additional judge of the fourth subcircuit described in subsection (b-5), there are 2 resident judges to be elected from each subcircuit. No at large or resident judge of the 12th circuit serving on August 18, 2003 shall be required to change his or her residency in order to continue serving in office or to seek retention in office as at large or resident judgeships are allotted by the Supreme Court in accordance with this Section. (d) A resident judge elected from a subcircuit shall continue to reside in that subcircuit as long as he or she holds that office. A resident judge elected from a subcircuit after January 1, 2008, must retain residency as a registered voter in the subcircuit to run for retention from the circuit at large thereafter. (e) Vacancies in resident judgeships of the 12th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-477, eff. 6-1-20; 102-668, eff. 11-15-21; 102-1126, eff. 2-10-23.)