§ 2f-9 — 16th judicial circuit; subcircuits

(a) The 16th circuit shall be divided into 4 subcircuits. Subcircuits 1, 2, and 4 of the 16th circuit in existence on April 15, 2011 shall continue to use their established boundaries in the new 16th circuit as of December 3, 2012. Subcircuit 3 in existence on April 15, 2011 shall continue to use its established boundary until December 3, 2012. For a judge elected to subcircuit 3 as of April 15, 2011, the current boundaries in existence as of April 15, 2011 shall continue until the conclusion of the existing term of office, following the 2012 general election, and upon the conclusion of the existing term of office, the new boundary shall go into effect. The new boundary for subcircuit 3 shall contain and be made up of the following townships in the County of Kane, excluding the portions of the townships currently served by subcircuit 1, 2, or 4: Aurora, Blackberry, Big Rock, Burlington, Campton, Dundee, Elgin, Hampshire, Kaneville, Plato, Rutland, Sugar Grove, and Virgil. 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 4 subcircuits. That numerical order shall be the basis for the order in which resident judgeships are assigned to the subcircuits. 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. (b) (Blank). (c) No resident judge of the 16th circuit serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall be required to change his or her residency in order to continue serving in office or to seek retention in office as judgeships are allotted by the Supreme Court in accordance with this Section. No resident judge elected from a subcircuit serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly shall be required to change his or her residency in order to continue serving in or to seek retention in office until the 2012 general election, or until the conclusion of the existing term. (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. A resident judge elected from a subcircuit after January 1, 2011, 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 16th circuit shall be filled in the manner provided in Article VI of the Illinois Constitution.

Legislative History

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