Illinois Court of Claims FY2007 Annual Report

              On behalf of the
judges, commis-sioners
and staff
of the Illinois Court
of Claims, I am
pleased to present
this FY2007 Annual
Report. The accom-plishments
sum-marized
reflect the
dedication and hard
work of Court of Claims employees as well
as the offices of the Governor, Attorney
General and Secretary of State. I also thank
the members of the General Assembly for
their continued support.
Technology enhancements in FY2007
allowed documents to be viewed online in
real-time by Judges, Commissioners, and
Attorney General employees. The Court has
further improved customer service and
efficiency by implementing training stan-dards
for employees and setting individual
goals. Finally, our efforts to inform and
educate the people of Illinois about Crime
Victims Compensation available to elderly
victims have been very successful.
I look forward to continuing our efforts
toward achieving a Court that provides effi-cient
services to the people of Illinois, and
ensures that eligible applicants get the com-pensation
they deserve. I applaud the
accomplishments of everyone involved.
Each of you is an essential part of the sys-tem,
and I thank you for your service to the
State of Illinois.
Jesse White
Secretary of State
Ex-officio Clerk of the Court of Claims
Established in July 1906, the Court of Claims is a forum of specific jurisdic-tion
to decide the monetary claims and lawsuits against the State of Illinois.
The offices of the Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State are
involved in the Court of Claims.
The seven judges on the court serve six-year terms and are appointed by the
Governor and confirmed by the Senate. One judge is designated by the
Governor as chief justice. The judges' orders serve as recommendations to
the General Assembly to appropriate payment of claims. The 16 commis-sioners
appointed by the Court conduct trials, take evidence and make rec-ommendations
to the Court in the region of the state where they reside. The
Attorney General represents the State of Illinois on all matters. The
Secretary of State serves as ex-officio clerk of the Court of Claims. The
Clerk's Office fulfills its statutory duty by providing support services to the
judges, commissioners and claimants, and by disbursing monetary awards.
In addition to the exclusive jurisdiction in matters against the state, the
Court of Claims also administers claims under the following Acts:
• Line of Duty Compensation Act — Provides for compensation to benefi-ciaries
of state or local government employees killed in the line of duty.
• Illinois National Guardsmen and Naval Militiamen's Compensation Act —
Provides for compensation to beneficiaries of Guard and Navy personnel
killed in the line of duty during state service (not on active military duty
pursuant to an order of the President of the United States). An amendment
to the Act now allows compensation for military personnel killed in con-nection
with Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Act — Provides for compensation
to innocent victims of violent crimes who have inadequate insurance or
funds to cover expenses associated with the crime, including medical
bills, counseling, lost wages and other expenses.
Illinois
Court of Claims
FY2007 ANNUAL REPORT
VISION The Clerk's Office of the Illinois Court of Claims
will be recognized as one of the premier Secretary of State agencies
that provides excellent customer service by maintaining a highly
trained and professional workforce that uses progressive court man-agement
technologies.
In pursuit of providing the highest standard of
service, the Clerk's Office of the Illinois Court of Claims will:
—Maintain and ensure the integrity of the official records and case
files of the Court.
— Provide prompt, friendly and efficient support services to the gen-eral
public, judges, commissioners and other constituents.
—Ensure that awards made by the Court are processed in an expedi-tious
manner.
MISSION
Court of Claims
Office of the Secretary of State
630 S. College
Springfield, IL 62756
Jesse White • Secretary of State
Produced by the Secretary of State Communications Department.
Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. April 2008 — CC97
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Commissioners
Cook County
Louis Apostol
George Argionis
Andrea Buford
Joseph Cavanaugh
Christine Curran
Maritz Martinez
Lourdes Monteagudo
Mary Nicolau
Elizabeth Rochford
Ron Serpico
Sangamon County
Tim Timoney
St. Claire County
Thomas Ysursa
Will County
David Neal
Williamson County
Patricia Murphy
Winnebago County
Gregory Tuite
Officials
Court Administrator
Matthew Finnell
Counsel to the Court
Michael Mathis
Deputy Court
Administrator/Fiscal Officer
Bill Kline
Executive Assistant
Tiffany Kretzinger
Private Secretary
Peggy Pohlman
Administrative Staff
Director & Deputy Clerk
Delores J. Martin
Assistant to the Director
Annetta Sargent
Administrative Assistant
Ruth Ann Vincent
Secretary
Yasna Frier
Crime Victims Outreach
Program
Rosemary Thomas
Support Staff
Willie Coleman
Alison Doherty
Erin Foley
Angela Harris
Donna Hogan
Theresa Oller
Kristine Rice Van-Houten
Kent Weil
Five-Year Annual Claims Summary — General
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
Awarded 2,935 2,258 3,028 3,683 3,978
Denials 46 136 177 134 191
Dismissed 604 584 759 660 734
Total Decisions 3,585 2,978 3,964 4,477 4,903
Five-Year Annual Claims Summary — Crime Victims
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
Awarded 3,431 3,339 2,879 3,094 3,621
Denials 3,100 2,346 2,361 2,707 2,386
Dismissed 126 55 104 140 265
Total Decisions 6,657 5,740 5,344 5,941 6,272