Opinion ID: 2236288
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Cook County Litigation

Text: On March 10, 1997, the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association filed two lawsuits in the circuit court of Cook County against the Secretary of State and the State Board of Elections, seeking to enjoin implementation of the Act on the basis of its unconstitutionality. The circuit court ultimately ruled that the Act was unconstitutional in its entirety. Chicago Bar Ass'n v. Boyle, Nos. 97-CH-2903, 97-CH-2904 cons. (Cir.Ct.Cook Co. March 31, 1997). Specifically, the court found that the Act contravened the constitutional prohibition against the subdivision of the First Judicial District and that these unconstitutional provisions could not be severed from the remainder of the Act. In addition, the circuit court ruled that even if the unconstitutional provisions could be severed from the remainder of the Act, the redistricting of judicial districts two through five was constitutionally infirm due to the fact that the legislature drew boundaries which impermissibly divided several judicial circuits. Furthermore, the court agreed with the plaintiffs' contention that the Act's special election provisions violated article VI, section 10, of the 1970 Constitution, which mandates that the term of office for a supreme and appellate court judge be 10 years. The court also found that the General Assembly did not comport with the requirement of article IV, section 8(d), that a bill be read by title on three different days in each house. The circuit court's ruling was never appealed.