In force Jan.[January] 24, 1835.
AN ACT to authorize a Special Term of the Circuit Court in the County of Fayette.
1Judge required to hold a special term on 28th January.
Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the Judge of the Fayette Circuit Court be, and he is hereby authorized and required to hold a Special Term of the said Court,2 in the county of Fayette, on Wednesday, the 28th day of January, 1835,3 for the trial of John Robb, now in jail in said county, charged with the crime of murder or manslaughter: Provided, That if the said John Robb shall be indicted for murder, the said Court shall have power, if he shall desire the same, to try the said John Robb upon such indictment for murder, and if upon such trial for murder, the said John Robb shall be found guilty of manslaughter or other less offence, the Court shall have power to pronounce judgment upon the verdict of the Jury, as though the
said John Robb had been tried at a regular term of the Court upon an indictment for the offence of which the said John Robb may be found guilty.4
<Page 2>
Shall order sheriff to summon jurors.
Sec. 2. The said Judge shall issue an order to the Sheriff of the said county of Fayette, requiring him to summon twenty-three Grand Jurors, and thirty-six Petit Jurors to
appear, at the day aforesaid, for the trial of said Robb.
Vested with certain power.
Sec. 3. That said Judge is hereby vested with all power and authority heretofore vested in
the Judges of the Supreme Court while performing Circuit duties, and in all respects to be governed by the law heretofore
enacted relative to the duties of Circuit Judges.
Approved, Jan. 24, 1835.
1Charles Dunn of the Committee on the Judiciary introduced HB 141 in the House of Representatives on January 21, 1835. The House passed the bill on the same day. On January 22,
the Senate took up the bill, amending it by striking out the words “Monday, the 26th,” and inserting
in lieu thereof, “Wednesday the 28th.” The Senate laid the bill on the table. Later
in the same session, the Senate took up the bill again, further amending it by striking
out all after the word “charged” in the first section, and inserting in lieu thereof
the words, “crime of murder or manslaugther.” It also added a proviso to the first
section regarding John Robb. The Senate passed the bill as amended. The House concur in these amendments.
On January 24, the Council of Revision approved the bill and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1834. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 345-46, 352, 355, 360, 374, 375; Illinois Senate Journal. 1834. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 304, 307, 308, 311, 322.
2By statute, the Fayette County Circuit Court met on one day in May and on one day
in October.
“An Act Regulating the Terms of Holding the Circuit Courts in This State,” approved
2 March 1833, The Revised Laws of Illinois (1833), 163; An Act Regulating the Times of Holding the Supreme and Circuit Courts, and Fixing
the Salary of the Circuit Judges
Printed Document, 2 page(s), Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at their First Session (Vandalia, IL:
J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 33-34, GA Session: 9-1