The Illinois Supreme Court has announced the creation of the Illinois Judicial College Committee on Pretrial Education (CPTE) as a seventh Standing Committee of the Illinois Judicial College (Judicial College), elevating pretrial education from its current Pretrial Board Workgroup status in the Judicial College.

The establishment of the CPTE follows the Court’s determination to sunset the Pretrial Implementation Task Force and to promote comprehensive pretrial education as an aid to the Judicial Branch in its preparedness and readiness to interpret and apply the SAFE-T Act law, effective September 18, 2023.

“The Pretrial Implementation Task Force, under the leadership of the Hon. Robbin Stuckert (ret.), did a remarkable job preparing the Judicial Branch and other justice partners for the Pretrial Fairness Act components of the SAFE-T Act,” Chief Justice Theis said. “We now move on to a new phase and the Illinois Judicial College is well-equipped to provide the ongoing education and training necessary for successful implementation.”

The CPTE will provide judges, pretrial officers and other judicial branch justice partners ongoing continuing education and the educational opportunities to overview and discuss the substantive and procedural law, rules, materials, and pretrial resources.

The Judicial College Board of Trustees will recommend CPTE members for the Court’s consideration and approval, in particular individuals with demonstrated pretrial subject matter expertise in Illinois dedicated to the development and oversight of comprehensive pretrial education for the Illinois Judicial Branch. 

The other six existing Standing Committees of the Judicial College are the Committee on Circuit Court Clerk Education (CCCE), the Committee on Judicial Education (COJE), the Committee on Probation Education (COPE), the Committee on Guardian ad Litem Education (GALE), the Committee on Judicial Branch Staff Education (JBSE), and the Committee on Trial Court Administrator Education (TCAE).