Bill Text: IL HB4409 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Alienation of Affections Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning public policy.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB4409 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2011-HB4409-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning civil law.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Alienation of Affections Act is amended by | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | changing Section 1 as follows:
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6 | (740 ILCS 5/1) (from Ch. 40, par. 1901)
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7 | Sec. 1.
It is hereby declared, as a matter of legislative | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | determination,
that
that the remedy heretofore provided by law | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | for the enforcement of the
action for alienation of affections | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | has been subjected to grave abuses and
has been used as an | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | instrument for blackmail by unscrupulous persons for
their | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | unjust enrichment, due to the indefiniteness of the damages
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13 | recoverable in such actions and the consequent fear of persons | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | threatened
with such actions that exorbitant damages might be | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | assessed against them.
It is also hereby declared that the | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | award of monetary damages in such
actions is ineffective as a | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | recompense for genuine mental or emotional
distress. | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | Accordingly, it is hereby declared as the public policy of the
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19 | state that the best interests of the people of the state will | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | be served by
limiting the damages recoverable in such actions | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | and by leaving any
punishment of wrongdoers guilty of | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | alienation of affections to proceedings
under the criminal laws | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | of the state, rather than to the imposition of
punitive, |
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1 | exemplary, vindictive, or aggravated damages in actions for
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2 | alienation of affections. Consequently, in the public | ||||||
3 | interest, the
necessity for the enactment of this chapter is | ||||||
4 | hereby declared as a matter
of legislative determination. | ||||||
5 | (Source: Laws 1947, p. 796.)
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