Governor signs Illinois Judicial Privacy Act
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July 27, 2012
Illinois: Governor Pat Quinn recently visited the Illinois State Police Forensics Labs in Chicago to sign several new laws, including the Illinois Judicial Privacy Act (House Bill 5877). This law is meant to protect judges and judicial officers. It prohibits anyone from posting personal information about a judicial officer if that person requests in writing that the information be removed from the public eye. It applies to individuals, as well as businesses and even government agencies. If an official requests the removal of information, government agencies have five business days to comply, while individuals, associations and businesses have 72 hours.
The law was created in response to the murder of both the mother and husband of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow, which police believe to have been an act of revenge for an unfavorable ruling.[1] The bill was initiated by the Illinois Judges Association and was sponsored by Rep. Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago). The association says that threats to judges have increased over the past decade. The sections of the law involving posting information are effective in 60 days, while other provisions about information used by the Secretary of State are effective on Jan. 1.[2]
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