705 ILCS 25

in effect

705 ILCS 25/0.01

(705 ILCS 25/0.01) (from Ch. 37, par. 24m) Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Appellate Court Act. (Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(705 ILCS 25/1) (from Ch. 37, par. 25) (Text of Section WITH the changes made by P.A. 89-719, which has been held unconstitutional) Sec. 1. (a) A branch of the appellate court is established in each of the 5 judicial districts as such districts are determined by law. (b) In the first judicial district, 18 appellate court judges shall be elected. (c) In the second judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. In the third judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. In the fourth judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. The 2 additional fourth district appellate court judgeships authorized by this amendatory Act of 1993 shall be initially filled by election at the general election in 1994. In the fifth judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. (d) The Supreme Court may assign additional judges to service in the appellate court from time to time as the business of the appellate court requires. There shall be a number of divisions of not less than 3 judges each, as the Supreme Court shall prescribe. Assignments to divisions shall be made by the Supreme Court and a judge may be assigned to a division in a district other than the district in which such judge resides. The organization of the appellate court and its divisions shall be prescribed by rule of the Supreme Court. The actual and necessary expenses of judges of the appellate court incurred in performing their duties shall be paid by the state. The majority of a division shall constitute a quorum and the concurrence of a majority of the division shall be necessary to a decision of the appellate court. (e) This subsection (e) applies only to the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Judicial Districts. A person who is an appellate judge on the effective date of the Judicial Redistricting Act of 1997 and whose district of residence is changed by that Act may, when next seeking retention in that office, run for retention in either (i) the district in which he or she resides when seeking retention or (ii) any other district that includes a portion of the judicial district in which he or she resided on the day before the effective date of the Judicial Redistricting Act of 1997. If, as a result of the Judicial Redistricting Act of 1997 or of the retention decisions of the appellate judges affected by that Act, a judicial district has more than 6 appellate judges, a vacancy that occurs in that judicial district shall be assigned to and filled in the judicial district having the fewest appellate judges; if 2 or more judicial districts are tied for the fewest appellate judges, the Secretary of State shall determine by random public selection the district to which that vacancy shall be assigned. (Source: P.A. 89-719, eff. 3-7-97.) (Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by P.A. 89-719, which has been held unconstitutional) Sec. 1. (a) A branch of the appellate court is established in each of the 5 judicial districts as such districts are determined by law. (b) In the first judicial district, 18 appellate court judges shall be elected. (c) In the second judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. In the third judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. In the fourth judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. The 2 additional fourth district appellate court judgeships authorized by this amendatory Act of 1993 shall be initially filled by election at the general election in 1994. In the fifth judicial district, 6 appellate court judges shall be elected. (d) The Supreme Court may assign additional judges to service in the appellate court from time to time as the business of the appellate court requires. There shall be a number of divisions of not less than 3 judges each, as the Supreme Court shall prescribe. Assignments to divisions shall be made by the Supreme Court and a judge may be assigned to a division in a district other than the district in which such judge resides. The organization of the appellate court and its divisions shall be prescribed by rule of the Supreme Court. The actual and necessary expenses of judges of the appellate court incurred in performing their duties shall be paid by the state. The majority of a division shall constitute a quorum and the concurrence of a majority of the division shall be necessary to a decision of the appellate court. (Source: P.A. 88-72.)

705 ILCS 25/3

(705 ILCS 25/3) (from Ch. 37, par. 27) Sec. 3. Clerk's salary - destruction of records. (a) The ordinary and contingent expenses of operating the offices of the clerks of the branches of the Appellate Court, including salaries, shall be determined by the Supreme Court and paid from the State Treasury on the warrant of the Comptroller out of appropriations made for that purpose by the General Assembly. The clerk of each branch of the appellate court shall perform the duties usually devolving upon clerks of courts in this State, and shall provide books, stationery and seals for the appellate courts, and shall be entitled to receive the same fees for services in each branch of the appellate court as are allowed for like services in the Supreme Court. All fees paid to or received by any such clerk shall be paid into the Supreme Court Special Purposes Fund, except that any filing fees designated by Supreme Court Rule for alternative dispute resolution programs in the reviewing courts as provided in the Reviewing Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Act shall, within one month after receipt, be remitted to the State Treasurer for deposit in the Mandatory Arbitration Fund. (b) The clerks shall, on the order and under the direction of the court, destroy any or all the records certified by the clerk (or a judge) of a trial court in cases finally decided more than 21 years prior to the entry of the order. (Source: P.A. 98-324, eff. 10-1-13.)

705 ILCS 25/3a

(705 ILCS 25/3a) (from Ch. 37, par. 27a) Sec. 3a. In case of reversal and remandment by the Supreme Court of any cause or proceeding removed thereto from the Appellate Court, upon the filing in such Appellate Court of a certificate of such reversal and such remandment the clerk of the Appellate Court shall have the right to issue a fee bill for all such costs as accrued in said Appellate Court, and did not abide the final action in the Supreme Court. (Source: Laws 1933, p. 434.)

705 ILCS 25/4

(705 ILCS 25/4) (from Ch. 37, par. 28) Sec. 4. Every such clerk shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, give bond, with one or more sureties, to be approved by one of the justices of the supreme court of this state, which bond shall be in such penalty, not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), as may be fixed by such justice, payable to the People of the State of Illinois, and conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of his office, and to pay over all moneys that may come to his hands by virtue of his office, to the parties entitled thereto, and to deliver up all moneys, papers, books, records and other things appertaining to his office, whole, safe and undefaced when lawfully required to do so; which bond shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. He shall also, before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of clerk of the appellate court, according to the best of my ability. Which oath shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. (Source: Laws 1877, p. 69.)

705 ILCS 25/8.1

(705 ILCS 25/8.1) (from Ch. 37, par. 32.1) Sec. 8.1. In all cases, other than those appealable directly to the Supreme Court as provided by Section 4 of Article VI of the Constitution or by rule of the Supreme Court, appeals from final judgments of a circuit court lie as a matter of right to the appellate court in the district in which the circuit court is located, except that after a trial on the merits in a criminal case, no appeal shall lie from a judgment of acquittal. The appellate court may exercise such original jurisdiction as may be necessary to the complete determination of any cause on review. (Source: P.A. 79-1360.)

705 ILCS 25/8.2

(705 ILCS 25/8.2) (from Ch. 37, par. 32.2) Sec. 8.2. Appeals from the appellate court shall lie to the Supreme Court as a matter of right only (a) in cases in which a question under the Constitution of the United States or of this state arises for the first time in and as a result of the action of the appellate court, and (b) upon the certification by a division of the appellate court that a case decided by it involves a question of such importance that it should be decided by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may provide by rule for appeals from the appellate court in other cases. (Source: P.A. 79-1360.)

705 ILCS 25/9

(705 ILCS 25/9) (from Ch. 37, par. 33) Sec. 9. The appellate court shall be vested with all power and authority necessary to carry into complete execution all its judgments and determinations in all matters within its jurisdiction, according to the rules and principles of the common law and of the law of this State. (Source: P.A. 83-362.)

705 ILCS 25/11

(705 ILCS 25/11) (from Ch. 37, par. 35) Sec. 11. Each branch of the appellate court may grant relief by mandamus to cause a proper record to be duly certified, or made and certified, or to cause any other act to be done which may be necessary to enforce the due administration of justice in all matters, actions or proceedings, which could or might by appeal or in any other lawful manner, be brought within the court's jurisdiction; upon complaint filed, the clerk of the branch appellate court shall issue summons, and like proceedings shall be had as in other cases of mandamus. The appellate court may also grant relief by certiorari and all other relief not prohibited by law, which may be necessary to enforce the due administration of justice in all matters within the appellate court's jurisdiction. Such process shall run in the name of the People of the State of Illinois, and bear test in the name of the presiding judge of the division of the branch appellate court from which it may issue, be signed by the clerk, dated, when issued, sealed with the seal of the court, and made returnable according to law. (Source: P.A. 83-362.)

705 ILCS 25/13

(705 ILCS 25/13) (from Ch. 37, par. 37) Sec. 13. The sheriff of the county in which a branch appellate court may be held, shall attend upon its sittings and perform such duties, under the order and direction of the court, as are usually performed by such officer, and such as the branch appellate courts shall from time to time require; and shall be entitled to the same fees as are now allowed by law for like service for attending upon the supreme court of this state. (Source: P.A. 81-260.)

705 ILCS 25/18

(705 ILCS 25/18) (from Ch. 37, par. 42) Sec. 18. The appellate court shall sit at the places prescribed by rule of the Supreme Court. Where necessary, the judges of any division may rent suitable rooms for the holding of court and for the use of the officers thereof at a rental not exceeding the amount appropriated therefor from time to time by the General Assembly; and the judges of the respective branches of the appellate court shall order all necessary furniture therefor, and for the safekeeping of the records of the court and for moving expenses; the accounts therefor shall be certified by the respective branches of the court to the State Comptroller, who shall draw his warrant on the state treasury for the amount of the same, to be paid out of the appropriation that shall be made therefor. (Source: P.A. 81-260.)

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.aspFetched: 10/17/2026