Judges in Illinois will soon be able to request the removal and withholding of their personal information on the basis of safety, after Gov. Pat Quinn signed a new law called the Michael Lefkow and Donna Humphrey Judicial Privacy Improvement Act of 2012. The law is named after U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow’s husband and mother, who were both shot and killed in 2005 in what was thought to be retaliation after a medical malpractice decision. The law’s purpose, as stated in the article, is “to improve the safety and security of Illinois judicial officers to ensure they are able to administer justice fairly without fear of personal reprisal from individuals affected by the decisions they make in the course of carrying out their public function.” The law will allow judges to request that their information be removed from websites and other public documents, as well as to have their home and personal information redacted on public records requests.

Bethany Krajelis, Quinn Signs Law to Improve Safety of Illinois Judges, Madison – St. Claire Record, July 30, 2012.