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IL HB5251

Bill

Official Source

Status

Introduced

2/5/2026

Primary Sponsor

Jed Davis

Click for details

Origin

House of Representatives

104th General Assembly

AI Summary

  • Allows defendants charged with petty offenses (no imprisonment or mandatory license suspension) to waive their jury trial right by mail or electronic submission rather than appearing in open court
  • Waiver requests must include the defendant's name, mailing address, driver's license number, citation number, date of birth, and signature acknowledging they are giving up their constitutional right to a jury trial
  • Upon receiving a valid waiver, the court clerk schedules a bench trial and enters the waiver into the record without requiring the defendant's personal appearance
  • Authorizes circuit court clerks to mark cases satisfied and cancel court appearances when defendants have fully paid all fines, fees, and costs for traffic infractions, ordinance violations, or misdemeanors where the court order states the defendant need not appear if paid in full
  • Effective January 1, 2027

Legislative Description

CRIM PRO-JURY TRIAL WAIVER

Last Action

Referred to Rules Committee

2/10/2026

Committee Referrals

Rules2/10/2026

Full Bill Text

No bill text available