Illinois Compiled Statutes
55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (2026)
Removal, demotion or suspension
✓ current as of May 2026
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(55 ILCS 5/3-7012)
(from Ch. 34, par. 3-7012)
Sec. 3-7012. Removal, demotion or suspension. Except as is
otherwise provided in this Division, no deputy sheriff in
the County Police Department, no full-time deputy sheriff not employed
as a county police officer or county corrections officer and no employee in
the County Department of Corrections shall be removed, demoted or suspended
except for cause, upon written charges filed with the Board by the Sheriff
and a hearing before the Board thereon upon not less than 10 days' notice
at a place to be designated by the chairman thereof. At such hearing, the
accused deputy sheriff shall be afforded full opportunity to be heard in
his or her own defense and to produce proof in his or her defense. The
Board shall have the power to secure by its subpoena both the attendance
and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers in
support of the charges and for the defense. The fees of witnesses for
attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees of witnesses before the
circuit courts of this State, and shall be paid in the same manner as other
expenses of the Board. Each member of the Board shall have the power to
administer oaths or affirmations. If the charges against an accused deputy
sheriff are established by a preponderance of evidence, the Board shall
make a finding of guilty and order either removal, demotion, suspension for
a period of not more than 180 days, or such other disciplinary punishment
as may be prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Board which, in
the opinion of the members thereof, the offense merits. The Board shall render its decision no later than 120 days following the conclusion of any hearings conducted under this Section. Thereupon the
sheriff shall direct such removal or other punishment as ordered by the
Board and if the accused deputy sheriff refuses to abide by any such
disciplinary order, the sheriff shall remove him or her forthwith. On and after June 1, 2018, for an appointed officer rank subject to hearing under this Section that is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, disciplinary measures and the method of review of those measures are subject to mandatory bargaining, including, but not limited to, the use of impartial arbitration as an alternative or supplemental form of due process and any of the procedures laid out in this Section. Within 21 days after the conclusion of a hearing overseen by a hearing officer appointed under Section 3-7004, the hearing officer shall issue a recommended order in writing, which shall include findings of fact and a determination of whether cause for discipline has been established by the Sheriff. The hearing officer shall also recommend whether discipline should be imposed and the level of the discipline. Any hearing officer may issue the recommended order. Within 21 days after receipt of service of the recommended order, the Sheriff and the respondent may file with the board written exceptions to any part of the order. Exceptions shall be supported by argument and served on all parties at the time they are filed. If no exceptions are filed, the recommended order shall become the order of the board without further review. The board may set any further rules in accordance with this Section.
In case of the neglect or refusal of any person to obey a subpoena
issued by the Board, any circuit court or a judge thereof, upon application
of any member of the Board, may order such person to appear before the
Board and give testimony or produce evidence, and any failure to obey such
order is punishable by the court as a contempt thereof.
The provisions of the Administrative Review Law,
and all amendments and modifications thereof, and the rules adopted
pursuant thereto, shall apply to and govern all proceedings for the
judicial review of any order of the Board rendered pursuant to the
provisions of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 100-912, eff. 8-17-18.)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 36
cases (15 in the last 5 years), 1994–2026 · leading case: Goral v. Dart, 2020 IL 125085 (Ill. 2020).
Goral v. Dart, 2020 IL 125085 (Ill. 2020). “55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2012). ¶ 35 B. The Doctrine of Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies ¶ 36 1.”
Mireles v. Dart, 2023 IL App (1st) 221090 (Ill. App. Ct. 2023). “55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2014). ¶ 54 Under the Administrative Review Law, our review extends to all questions of fact and law presented by the entire record.”
Beauchamp v. Dart, 2022 IL App (1st) 210091 (Ill. App. Ct. 2022). “55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2018). Furthermore, the rules of the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board provide that “the Sheriff *** may be represented by counsel,” but representation by counsel is not required by those Rules.”
Albert Flenner & William Glover v. Michael F. Sheahan, 107 F.3d 459 (7th Cir. 1997). “Sheriff Sheahan refers to 55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 1993), which states in pertinent part: "[N]o deputy sheriff in the Counly Police Department, no full-time deputy sheriff not employed as a counly police officer or county correctional officer and no employee in the County…”
Malacina v. Cook Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd., 2021 IL App (1st) 191893 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “See 55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2018) (“The Board shall render its decision no later than 120 days following the conclusion of any hearings conducted under this Section.”
Thomas Kolman, Thomas Codilis, Rick Pere v. Michael Sheahan, Sheriff of Cook Cnty., 31 F.3d 429 (7th Cir. 1994). “and no employee in the County Department of Corrections shall be removed, demoted or suspended except for cause, upon written charges filed with the [Merit] Board by the Sheriff and a hearing before the Board thereon upon not less than 10 days’ notice .”
Walker v. Dart, 2015 IL App (1st) 140087 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). “55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2010). "If the charges against an accused deputy sheriff are established by a preponderance of evidence, the Board shall make a finding of guilty and order either removal, demotion, suspension for a period of not more than 180 days, or such other…”
Roman v. Cook Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd., 2014 IL App (1st) 123308 (Ill. App. Ct. 2014). “55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2008). “ ‘Cause’ is a substantial shortcoming that renders continuance in office detrimental to the discipline and efficiency of the service, or something that the law and sound public opinion recognize as good cause for no longer occupying office.”
Walker v. Dart, 2015 IL App (1st) 140087 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). “55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2010). “If the charges against an accused deputy sheriff are established by a preponderance of evidence, the Board shall make a finding of guilty and order either removal, demotion, suspension for a period of not more than 180 days, or such other…”
Lesner v. The Police Bd. of the City of Chicago, 2016 IL App (1st) 150545 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016). “¶ 65 An example of a legislative grant of power to a board to impose its own penalties can be found in section 3-7012 of the Counties Code (55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2012)), which deals with the removal, demotion or suspension of deputy sheriffs.”
Roman v. Cook Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd., 2014 IL App (1st) 123308 (Ill. App. Ct. 2014). “55 ILCS 5/3-7012 (West 2008). " 'Cause' is a substantial shortcoming that renders continuance in office detrimental to the discipline and efficiency of the service, or something that the law and sound public opinion recognize as good cause for no longer occupying office.”
Falk v. Cook Cnty. Sheriff's Off., 904 F. Supp. 797 (N.D. Ill. 1995). “The issue of whether plaintiff falsified his employment applications was adjudicated before the Merit Board.”
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