CIVIL PROCEDURE

(735 ILCS 110/) Citizen Participation Act

(735 ILCS 110/1)
Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Citize
!artici"atio Act.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/5)
Sec. 5. !#blic "olicy. !#rs#at to the )#dametal
"hiloso"hy o) the America costit#tioal )orm o) ,o-ermet(
it is declared to be the "#blic "olicy o) the State o)
Illiois that the costit#tioal ri,hts o) citizes ad
or,aizatios to be i-ol-ed ad "artici"ate )reely i the
"rocess o) ,o-ermet m#st be eco#ra,ed ad sa)e,#arded .ith
,reat dili,ece. The i)ormatio( re"orts( o"iios( claims(
ar,#mets( ad other e/"ressios "ro-ided by citizes are
-ital to e))ecti-e la. e)orcemet( the o"eratio o)
,o-ermet( the ma0i, o) "#blic "olicy ad decisios( ad the
coti#atio o) re"resetati-e democracy. The la.s( co#rts(
ad other a,ecies o) this State m#st "ro-ide the #tmost
"rotectio )or the )ree e/ercise o) these ri,hts o) "etitio(
s"eech( associatio( ad ,o-ermet "artici"atio.
Ci-il actios )or moey dama,es ha-e bee )iled a,aist
citizes ad or,aizatios o) this State as a res#lt o) their
-alid e/ercise o) their costit#tioal ri,hts to "etitio(
s"ea0 )reely( associate )reely( ad other.ise "artici"ate i
ad comm#icate .ith ,o-ermet. There has bee a dist#rbi,
icrease i la.s#its termed 1Strate,ic La.s#its A,aist !#blic
!artici"atio1 i ,o-ermet or 1SLA!!s1 as they are "o"#larly
called.
The threat o) SLA!!s si,i)icatly chills ad dimiishes
citize "artici"atio i ,o-ermet( -ol#tary "#blic ser-ice(
ad the e/ercise o) these im"ortat costit#tioal ri,hts.
This ab#se o) the 2#dicial "rocess ca ad has bee #sed as a
meas o) itimidati,( harassi,( or "#ishi, citizes ad
or,aizatios )or i-ol-i, themsel-es i "#blic a))airs.
It is i the "#blic iterest ad it is the "#r"ose o) this
Act to stri0e a balace bet.ee the ri,hts o) "ersos to )ile
la.s#its )or i2#ry ad the costit#tioal ri,hts o) "ersos
to "etitio( s"ea0 )reely( associate )reely( ad other.ise
"artici"ate i ,o-ermet3 to "rotect ad eco#ra,e "#blic
"artici"atio i ,o-ermet to the ma/im#m e/tet "ermitted by
la.3 to establish a e))iciet "rocess )or ideti)icatio ad
ad2#dicatio o) SLA!!s3 ad to "ro-ide )or attorey4s )ees ad
costs to "re-aili, mo-ats.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/10)
Sec. 10. 5e)iitios. I this Act$
16o-ermet1 icl#des a brach( de"artmet( a,ecy(
istr#metality( o))icial( em"loyee( a,et( or other "erso
acti, #der color o) la. o) the 7ited States( a state( a
s#bdi-isio o) a state( or aother "#blic a#thority icl#di,
the electorate.
1!erso1 icl#des ay idi-id#al( cor"oratio(
associatio( or,aizatio( "artershi"( + or more "ersos
ha-i, a 2oit or commo iterest( or other le,al etity.
18#dicial claim1 or 1claim1 icl#de ay la.s#it( ca#se o)
actio( claim( cross&claim( co#terclaim( or other 2#dicial
"leadi, or )ili, alle,i, i2#ry.
19otio1 icl#des ay motio to dismiss( )or s#mmary
2#d,met( or to stri0e( or ay other 2#dicial "leadi, )iled
to dis"ose o) a 2#dicial claim.
19o-i, "arty1 meas ay "erso o .hose behal) a motio
described i s#bsectio (a) o) Sectio +0 is )iled see0i,
dismissal o) a 2#dicial claim.
1:es"odi, "arty1 meas ay "erso a,aist .hom a motio
described i s#bsectio (a) o) Sectio +0 is )iled.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/15)
Sec. 15. A""licability. This Act a""lies to ay motio to
dis"ose o) a claim i a 2#dicial "roceedi, o the ,ro#ds
that the claim is based o( relates to( or is i res"ose to
ay act or acts o) the mo-i, "arty i )#rtherace o) the
mo-i, "arty4s ri,hts o) "etitio( s"eech( associatio( or to
other.ise "artici"ate i ,o-ermet.
Acts i )#rtherace o) the costit#tioal ri,hts to
"etitio( s"eech( associatio( ad "artici"atio i ,o-ermet
are imm#e )rom liability( re,ardless o) itet or "#r"ose(
e/ce"t .he ot ,e#iely aimed at "roc#ri, )a-orable
,o-ermet actio( res#lt( or o#tcome.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/+0)
Sec. +0. 9otio "roced#re ad stadards.
(a) ; the )ili, o) ay motio as described i Sectio
15( a heari, ad decisio o the motio m#st occ#r .ithi %0
days a)ter otice o) the motio is ,i-e to the res"odet. A
a""ellate co#rt shall e/"edite ay a""eal or other .rit(
.hether iterloc#tory or ot( )rom a trial co#rt order deyi,
that motio or )rom a trial co#rt4s )ail#re to r#le o that
motio .ithi %0 days a)ter that trial co#rt order or )ail#re
to r#le.
(b) 5isco-ery shall be s#s"eded "edi, a decisio o the
motio. <o.e-er( disco-ery may be ta0e( #"o lea-e o) co#rt
)or ,ood ca#se sho.( o the iss#e o) .hether the mo-ats acts
are ot imm#ized )rom( or are ot i )#rtherace o) acts
imm#ized )rom( liability by this Act.
(c) The co#rt shall ,rat the motio ad dismiss the
2#dicial claim #less the co#rt )ids that the res"odi,
"arty has "rod#ced clear ad co-ici, e-idece that the acts
o) the mo-i, "arty are ot imm#ized )rom( or are ot i
)#rtherace o) acts imm#ized )rom( liability by this Act.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/+5)
Sec. +5. Attorey4s )ees ad costs. The co#rt shall a.ard
a mo-i, "arty .ho "re-ails i a motio #der this Act
reasoable attorey4s )ees ad costs ic#rred i coectio
.ith the motio.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/30)
Sec. 30. Costr#ctio o) Act.
(a) =othi, i this Act shall limit or "recl#de ay ri,hts
the mo-i, "arty may ha-e #der ay other costit#tioal(
stat#tory( case or commo la.( or r#le "ro-isios.
(b) This Act shall be costr#ed liberally to e))ect#ate
its "#r"oses ad itet )#lly.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/35)
Sec. 35. Se-erability. The "ro-isios o) this Act are
se-erable #der Sectio 1.31 o) the Stat#te o Stat#tes.
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
(735 ILCS 110/%%)
Sec. %%. >))ecti-e date. This Act ta0es e))ect #"o
becomi, la..
(So#rce$ !.A. %5&50'( e)). *&+*&07.)
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