Illinois Supreme Court

Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride of the Illinois Supreme Court and Chief Judge Val Gunnarsson of the 15th Judicial Circuit in northwestern Illinois announced on Wednesday that news cameras will be allowed in trial courts in five additional Illinois counties under a pilot program approved by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

The counties that make up the 15th circuit are Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle and Stephenson. They join Madison County in the Third Judicial Circuit, Kankakee County in the 21st Judicial Circuit and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties in the 14th Judicial Circuit where extended media coverage was approved earlier by the Supreme Court.

“Chief Judge Gunnarsson’s application and approval by the Supreme Court to allow cameras in the trial courtrooms in the 15th Circuit bring more geographical diversity to the pilot project for electronic coverage approved earlier this year,” said Chief Justice Kilbride. “The 15th Circuit is a more rural area, and will provide a host of smaller newspaper and radio stations with the opportunity to provide their readers and listeners with picture and audio coverage.

“As the pilot project goes forward, I am confident that Chief Judge Gunnarsson and all the judges in the 15th Circuit will carefully balance the goals of greater openness and access to the courts while ensuring the constitutional guarantees of a fair trial and a fair proceeding.”

Approval of the 15th Circuit extends the pilot project to the Second Judicial District.

Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride of the Illinois Supreme Court and Chief Judge Ann Callis of the Third Judicial Circuit announced Thursday that news cameras will be allowed in the criminal trial courts in Madison County under a pilot program approved by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

The Third Circuit follows the 14th Judicial Circuit in the Quad Cities area where extended media coverage has already been implemented under the experimental program, as well as the 21st Circuit which received approval last week for allowing news cameras at criminal trials in Kankakee County.

“I congratulate Chief Judge Callis for moving her circuit forward in this experimental program,” said Chief Justice Kilbirde. “Madison County and the surrounding area is known for a vibrant and energetic brand of media. Because of its proximity to St. Louis, it will provide the pilot program with input from metropolitan TV and radio stations, who are already accustomed to camera coverage in Missouri courts.

“The pilot program is proceeding in the 14th Circuit where still or video cameras have already recorded actual court proceedings in Rock Island, Henry and Whiteside counties. In the 21st Circuit, Chief Judge Kathy Bradshaw Elliott has met with media in the Kankakee and Chicago area and expects to implement camera coverage shortly. As the pilot project goes forward in another geographical area of the state, the most important issue is to continue to balance carefully the goals of greater openness and access with dig-nity for the process and the guaranteed rights of defendants to a fair trial.”

Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride and Rock Island County Circuit Clerk Lisa Bierman announced Monday that Rock Island County joins three other Illinois counties in a pilot project to allow e-filing of an electronic trial record on appeal.

The Illinois Supreme Court Order authorized the Illinois Appellate Court in the Third Judicial District to begin a pilot project that will allow attorneys, parties and appellate justices to view, access and work from the official record of cases on appeal from Rock Island County.

Circuit Clerk Bierman said that utilizing the electronic transfer of record in Rock Island County will assist greatly in streamlining the workload in the clerk's office.

"I am very excited as we begin this project together with the Third District Appellate Court," Ms. Bierman said. "Being accepted as a part of this project for electronic transmission of appeals is going to be a way for the Rock Island County Circuit Clerk’s Office to save expenses, improve our time worked on ap-peals and introduce more technology into our office.

"We have always worked together with our Appellate Court and will continue to do so. I thank the Supreme Court Justices for giving us this opportunity."

Rock Island joins Adams County in the Fourth Judicial District along with DuPage and Ogle Counties in the Second Judicial District to electronically transfer and make electronically accessible the official court record of cases on appeal.

Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride announced on Tuesday that the Supreme Court has approved a policy for a pilot project to allow news cameras and electronic news recording in Illinois trial courtrooms for the first time. Read the order for extended media coverage.

The policy is effective immediately and invites the Circuit Courts in the state to apply for approval from the Supreme Court to take part in the experimental program. Once a Circuit is approved by the Supreme Court, media may request to electronically cover eligible cases in that Circuit.

"This is another step to bring more transparency and more accountability to the Illinois court system," said Chief Justice Kilbride. "The provisions of this new policy keep discretion in the chief circuit judge and the trial judge to assure that a fair and impartial trial is not compromised, yet affords a closer look at the workings of our court system to the public through the eyes of the electronic news media and news photographers.

"I am thankful to all of my fellow justices on the Court for giving a willing ear, thoughtful consideration and unanimous approval to this experiment. It is new to Illinois, but has been standard practice in many other states. I am confident that through the diligence of our chief circuit judges and our trial judges, along with the professionalism of the news media, that it may become a standard practice in our state too."