A series of recommendations for improving security at courthouses in Illinois has been referred by the ISBA Board of Governors to its Committee on Scope and Correlation for further study.

The board on Dec. 6 adopted and referred the report of a Bench and Bar Section Council subcommittee on how the ISBA might become involved in establishing tighter security for the judiciary and participants in courthouse activity.

Judge Michael P. Kiley of Shelbyville, vice chair of the section council, told the board that current funding mechanisms are inadequate, and alternative means of providing court security should be investigated.

Kiley pointed out the disparities resulting from statutory provision for imposition of court service fees to defray security expenses in large and small counties.

“For example, Will County reports receipts of $1,904,784 compared to Brown County's $4,385,” he told the ISBA board, during the period from Dec. 1, 2004, to Nov. 30, 2005.

“It is apparent that the smaller counties must look to other resources to adequately fund court security measures and, lacking those resources, court security suffers.”

Kiley also noted that the judiciary does not control either the type or quality of security in courthouses. Those responsibilities usually fall to county sheriff departments, with financial oversight from county boards.

The Bench and Bar report suggests that the judiciary should have “a greater role or voice in court security planning or implementation to provide a safe environment for all participants.”

Campaigning by candidates for the elections of an ISBA third vice president and members of the Board of Governors and Assembly is in full swing.

The period for filing nominating petitions runs from Tuesday, Jan. 16, through Thursday, Feb. 15. Completed petitions may be filed at either the Illinois Bar Center in Springfield or the Chicago Regional Office.

An ISBA third vice president will be elected from one of the four judicial districts outside of Cook County, and will become ISBA president in 2010.

Seven members of the ISBA Board of Governors will be elected; 38 Assembly seats in Cook County will be filled, plus a total of 88 in all 22 other circuits. A law student member of the Assembly may be nominated and elected from each of the 13 affiliated law schools.

See election notice for the list of incumbents and complete details of the election process.

Petitions may be obtained from the office of executive director by calling (800) 252-8908 or sending an e-mail to jhibbs@isba.org. Submitted petitions must contain original signatures, and may not be filed by e-mail or facsimile.

Election ballots will be distributed by April 1 to ISBA members in good standing, whose dues are current on March 1. Completed ballots must be returned by May 10.