Illinois Supreme Court lifts hold on judicial redistricting

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Supreme Court will lift its pause order on judicial redistricting on Jan. 1, fully implementing new judicial boundaries passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this year.

The judicial district boundaries will change for the first time since they were established in 1964.

The court entered the order on June 7, pausing the transition to a new judicial redistricting statute. Beginning Jan. 1, appeals filed in the circuit will go to the appellate district determined by the new map. The redistricting process was paused to allow for planning and implementation, according to a news release from the Illinois Supreme Court.

The new map extends the 4th District, which currently runs across central Illinois from Kankakee County to the Quad Cities. The new 4th District will gain Peoria County and the Quad Cities region, both formerly in the 3rd District. Winnebago and DuPage Counties will move to the 4th District from the 2nd District.

Circuit courts will remain subject to the rule that state appellate court decisions will bind the decisions of circuit courts in their districts. In a redistricted circuit, the appropriate district will be the district in which the circuit was located at the time the circuit court case was initiated.

If a case is heard by one appellate district on appeal and then there is a subsequent appeal is heard by a new appellate district, the new district will treat the decision of the prior district as the law of the case.

The Supreme Court shares district lines with the state's appellate courts. The new maps will not impact the tenure of current appellate and Supreme Court justices.

Under the Illinois Constitution, incumbent judges can run for retention in either the counties of the district that elected the judge or in the counties of the new district where the judge resides.