Illinois Supreme Court Amends Rules for Juvenile Court Appeals

Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Rules 307 and 660 which will allow for interlocutory appeal on transfer orders from juvenile court to adult court. This change provides minors with the opportunity to request expedited appellate review of a juvenile court’s transfer order. The proposal was championed by former Cook County Circuit Court Judge Stuart Katz, who passed away earlier this year.

“Judge Stuart Katz was a pioneer in reforming the juvenile justice system in Illinois,” said 15th Circuit Court Judge John B. Roe, IV, who serves as Chair of the Illinois Supreme Committee on Juvenile Courts, which proposed the amendments. “This is yet another lasting imprint representing his goal of improving the efficiency of the juvenile court process.”

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 307, titled “Interlocutory Appeals as of Right”, describes the situations in which an appeal may be taken to the Appellate Court from an interlocutory order of a circuit court. The amendment to Rule 307 now adds “granting or denying a petition under 705 ILCS 405/5-805, wherein the state seeks to have a minor’s petition for adjudication dismissed and the minor tried under the criminal laws of the state of Illinois, but the procedure for appeal shall be as provided in Supreme Court Rule 660A, and the procedure for identifying minors shall be as provided in Supreme Court Rule 660(c).”

Supreme Court Rule 660, titled “Appeals in Cases Arising Under the Juvenile Court Act”, provides that appeals from determinations in delinquency proceedings are governed by the rules applicable to appeals in criminal cases, and all other appeals under the Act are governed by the rules governing appeals in civil cases.

The amendments to Rules 307 and 660 are effective immediately and can be found here.

(FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: James Brunner, Public Information Officer of the Illinois Supreme Court at 217.208.3354 or jbrunner@illinoiscourts.gov.)