725 ILCS 215

in effect

725 ILCS 215/1

(725 ILCS 215/1) (from Ch. 38, par. 1701) Sec. 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Statewide Grand Jury Act. (Source: P.A. 87-466.)

(725 ILCS 215/2) (from Ch. 38, par. 1702) (Text of Section from P.A. 103-1071) Sec. 2. (a) County grand juries and State's Attorneys have always had and shall continue to have primary responsibility for investigating, indicting, and prosecuting persons who violate the criminal laws of the State of Illinois. However, in recent years organized terrorist activity directed against innocent civilians and certain criminal enterprises have developed that require investigation, indictment, and prosecution on a statewide or multicounty level. The criminal enterprises exist as a result of the allure of profitability present in narcotic activity, the unlawful sale and transfer of firearms, and streetgang related felonies and organized terrorist activity is supported by the contribution of money and expert assistance from geographically diverse sources. In order to shut off the life blood of terrorism and weaken or eliminate the criminal enterprises, assets, and property used to further these offenses must be frozen, and any profit must be removed. State statutes exist that can accomplish that goal. Among them are the offense of money laundering, violations of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act, and gunrunning. Local prosecutors need investigative personnel and specialized training to attack and eliminate these profits. In light of the transitory and complex nature of conduct that constitutes these criminal activities, the many diverse property interests that may be used, acquired directly or indirectly as a result of these criminal activities, and the many places that illegally obtained property may be located, it is the purpose of this Act to create a limited, multicounty Statewide Grand Jury with authority to investigate, indict, and prosecute: narcotic activity, including cannabis and controlled substance trafficking, narcotics racketeering, money laundering, violations of the Cannabis and Controlled Substances Tax Act, and violations of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; the unlawful sale and transfer of firearms; gunrunning; and streetgang related felonies. (b) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, and prosecute violations facilitated by the use of a computer of any of the following offenses: indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting for a sexually exploited child, keeping a place of commercial sexual exploitation of a child, juvenile pimping, child pornography, aggravated child pornography, or promoting commercial sexual exploitation of a child except as described in subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012. (c) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, and prosecute violations of organized retail crime. (Source: P.A. 102-757, eff. 5-13-22; 103-1071, eff. 7-1-25.) (Text of Section from P.A. 104-245) Sec. 2. (a) County grand juries and State's Attorneys have always had and shall continue to have primary responsibility for investigating, indicting, and prosecuting persons who violate the criminal laws of the State of Illinois. However, in recent years organized terrorist activity directed against innocent civilians and certain criminal enterprises have developed that require investigation, indictment, and prosecution on a statewide or multicounty level. The criminal enterprises exist as a result of the allure of profitability present in narcotic activity, the unlawful sale and transfer of firearms, and streetgang related felonies and organized terrorist activity is supported by the contribution of money and expert assistance from geographically diverse sources. In order to shut off the life blood of terrorism and weaken or eliminate the criminal enterprises, assets, and property used to further these offenses must be frozen, and any profit must be removed. State statutes exist that can accomplish that goal. Among them are the offense of money laundering, violations of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act, and gunrunning. Local prosecutors need investigative personnel and specialized training to attack and eliminate these profits. In light of the transitory and complex nature of conduct that constitutes these criminal activities, the many diverse property interests that may be used, acquired directly or indirectly as a result of these criminal activities, and the many places that illegally obtained property may be located, it is the purpose of this Act to create a limited, multicounty Statewide Grand Jury with authority to investigate, indict, and prosecute: narcotic activity, including cannabis and controlled substance trafficking, narcotics racketeering, money laundering, violations of the Cannabis and Controlled Substances Tax Act, and violations of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; the unlawful sale and transfer of firearms; gunrunning; and streetgang related felonies. (b) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, and prosecute violations facilitated by the use of a computer of any of the following offenses: indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting for a juvenile prostitute, keeping a place of juvenile prostitution, juvenile pimping, child sexual abuse material, aggravated child pornography, or promoting juvenile prostitution except as described in subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012. (c) A Statewide Grand Jury may also investigate, indict, and prosecute violations of organized retail crime. (Source: P.A. 104-245, eff. 1-1-26.)

725 ILCS 215/3

(725 ILCS 215/3) Sec. 3. Written application for the appointment of a Circuit Judge to convene and preside over a Statewide Grand Jury, with jurisdiction extending throughout the State, shall be made to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Upon such written application, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint a Circuit Judge from the circuit where the Statewide Grand Jury is being sought to be convened, who shall make a determination that the convening of a Statewide Grand Jury is necessary. In such application, the Attorney General shall state that the convening of a Statewide Grand Jury is necessary because of an alleged offense or offenses set forth in this Section involving more than one county of the State and identifying any such offense alleged; and: (a) that he or she believes that the grand jury function for the investigation and indictment of the offense or offenses cannot effectively be performed by a county grand jury together with the reasons for such belief, and (b)(1) that each State's Attorney with jurisdiction over an offense or offenses to be investigated has consented to the impaneling of the Statewide Grand Jury, or (2) if one or more of the State's Attorneys having jurisdiction over an offense or offenses to be investigated fails to consent to the impaneling of the Statewide Grand Jury, the Attorney General shall set forth good cause for impaneling the Statewide Grand Jury. If the Circuit Judge determines that the convening of a Statewide Grand Jury is necessary, he or she shall convene and impanel the Statewide Grand Jury with jurisdiction extending throughout the State to investigate and return indictments: (a) For violations of any of the following or for any other criminal offense committed in the course of violating any of the following: Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Cannabis Control Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, or the Narcotics Profit Forfeiture Act; a streetgang related felony offense; Section 16-25.1, 24-2.1, 24-2.2, 24-3, 24-3A, 24-3.1, 24-3.3, 24-3.4, 24-4, or 24-5 or subsection 24-1(a)(4), 24-1(a)(6), 24-1(a)(7), 24-1(a)(9), 24-1(a)(10), or 24-1(c) of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; or a money laundering offense; provided that the violation or offense involves acts occurring in more than one county of this State; and (a-5) For violations facilitated by the use of a computer, including the use of the Internet, the World Wide Web, electronic mail, a message board, a newsgroup, or any other commercial or noncommercial on-line service, of any of the following offenses: indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting for a sexually exploited child, keeping a place of commercial sexual exploitation of a child, juvenile pimping, child sexual abuse material, aggravated child pornography, or promoting commercial sexual exploitation of a child except as described in subdivision (a)(4) of Section 11-14.4 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; and (b) For the offenses of perjury, subornation of perjury, communicating with jurors and witnesses, and harassment of jurors and witnesses, as they relate to matters before the Statewide Grand Jury. "Streetgang related" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act. Upon written application by the Attorney General for the convening of an additional Statewide Grand Jury, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint a Circuit Judge from the circuit for which the additional Statewide Grand Jury is sought. The Circuit Judge shall determine the necessity for an additional Statewide Grand Jury in accordance with the provisions of this Section. No more than 2 Statewide Grand Juries may be empaneled at any time. (Source: P.A. 103-1071, eff. 7-1-25; 104-245, eff. 1-1-26; 104-852, eff. 8-21-26.)

725 ILCS 215/4

(725 ILCS 215/4) (from Ch. 38, par. 1704) Sec. 4. (a) The presiding judge of the Statewide Grand Jury will receive recommendations from the Attorney General as to the county in which the Grand Jury will sit. Prior to making the recommendations, the Attorney General shall obtain the permission of the local State's Attorney to use his or her county for the site of the Statewide Grand Jury. Upon receiving the Attorney General's recommendations, the presiding judge will choose one of those recommended locations as the site where the Grand Jury shall sit. Any indictment by a Statewide Grand Jury shall be returned to the Circuit Judge presiding over the Statewide Grand Jury and shall include a finding as to the county or counties in which the alleged offense was committed. Thereupon, the judge shall, by order, designate the county of venue for the purpose of trial. The judge may also, by order, direct the consolidation of an indictment returned by a county grand jury with an indictment returned by the Statewide Grand Jury and set venue for trial. (b) Venue for purposes of trial for the offense of narcotics racketeering shall be proper in any county where: (1) Cannabis or a controlled substance which is the basis for the charge of narcotics racketeering was used; acquired; transferred or distributed to, from or through; or any county where any act was performed to further the use; acquisition, transfer or distribution of said cannabis or controlled substance; or (2) Any money, property, property interest, or any other asset generated by narcotics activities was acquired, used, sold, transferred or distributed to, from or through; or, (3) Any enterprise interest obtained as a result of narcotics racketeering was acquired, used, transferred or distributed to, from or through, or where any activity was conducted by the enterprise or any conduct to further the interests of such an enterprise. (c) Venue for purposes of trial for the offense of money laundering shall be proper in any county where any part of a financial transaction in criminally derived property took place, or in any county where any money or monetary interest which is the basis for the offense, was acquired, used, sold, transferred or distributed to, from, or through. (d) A person who commits the offense of cannabis trafficking or controlled substance trafficking may be tried in any county. (e) Venue for purposes of trial for any violation of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 may be in the county in which an act of terrorism occurs, the county in which material support or resources are provided or solicited, the county in which criminal assistance is rendered, or any county in which any act in furtherance of any violation of Article 29D of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 occurs. (f) Venue for purposes of trial for the offense of organized retail crime shall be proper in any county where: (1) any property, property interest, asset, money, or thing of value that is the basis for the charge of organized retail crime was used, acquired, transferred, or distributed to, from, or through; or any county where any act was performed to further the use, acquisition, transfer, or distribution of the property, property interest, asset, money, or thing or value; or (2) any enterprise interest obtained as a result of organized retail crime was acquired, used, transferred, or distributed to, from, or through, or where any activity was conducted by the enterprise or any conduct to further the interests of such an enterprise. (Source: P.A. 102-757, eff. 5-13-22.)

725 ILCS 215/5

(725 ILCS 215/5) (from Ch. 38, par. 1705) Sec. 5. A Statewide Grand Jury shall be called and shall sit at such times and for such periods, and subject to the same procedures, as grand juries in counties having not more than 1,000,000 inhabitants, except as otherwise provided in this Act. (Source: P.A. 87-466.)

725 ILCS 215/6

(725 ILCS 215/6) (from Ch. 38, par. 1706) Sec. 6. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, a Statewide Grand Jury shall have the same powers and duties, shall be selected in the same manner, shall be served by county personnel in the same manner, and shall follow the same procedures, as other grand juries in the county in which the Statewide Grand Jury sits. A Statewide Grand Jury may, at the discretion of the presiding judge, draw jurors from counties adjoining the one in which it is to sit. Personnel of adjoining counties shall assist the Statewide Grand Jury in drawing such jurors from their respective counties in the same manner as they would assist in the selection of grand jurors sitting in their own county. (Source: P.A. 87-466.)

725 ILCS 215/7

(725 ILCS 215/7) (from Ch. 38, par. 1007) Sec. 7. The Attorney General or his assistant shall attend each Statewide Grand Jury, and shall prosecute any indictment returned by it, unless the State's Attorney of the country of venue for the indictment consents to prosecute the indictment. The Attorney General or his assistant shall have the same powers and duties in relation to a Statewide Grand Jury that a State's Attorney has in relation to a county grand jury, except as otherwise provided in this Act. (Source: P.A. 87-466.)

725 ILCS 215/8

(725 ILCS 215/8) (from Ch. 38, par. 1708) Sec. 8. The costs of impaneling a Statewide Grand Jury, and the costs and expenses incurred in the performance of its functions and duties, shall be paid by the county in which it sits. The county shall be reimbursed for such costs and expenses by the State out of funds appropriated to the Attorney General for that purpose. (Source: P.A. 87-466.)

725 ILCS 215/9

(725 ILCS 215/9) (from Ch. 38, par. 1709) Sec. 9. No provision of this Act shall be construed as limiting the jurisdiction of county grand juries or State's Attorneys, nor shall an investigation by a Statewide Grand Jury be deemed to preempt an investigation by any other grand jury or agency having jurisdiction over the same subject matter. (Source: P.A. 87-466.)

725 ILCS 215/10

(725 ILCS 215/10) (from Ch. 38, par. 1710) Sec. 10. The Attorney General shall, at the earliest opportunity, upon initiation of Grand Jury action, consult with and advise the State's Attorney of any county involved in a Statewide Grand Jury terrorist or narcotics investigation. Further, the State's Attorney may attend the Grand Jury proceedings or the trial of any party being investigated or indicted by the Statewide Grand Jury, and may assist in the prosecution, which in his or her judgment, is in the interest of the people of his or her county. Prior to granting transactional immunity to any witness before the Statewide Grand Jury, any State's Attorney with jurisdiction over the offense or offenses being investigated by the Statewide Grand Jury must consent to the granting of immunity to the witness. Prior to granting use immunity to any witness before the Statewide Grand Jury, the Attorney General shall consult with any State's Attorney with jurisdiction over the offense or offenses being investigated by the Statewide Grand Jury. (Source: P.A. 92-854, eff. 12-5-02.)

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.aspFetched: 10/17/2026