Jim Thompson

Illinois officials are taking steps to make the state’s criminal law shorter and simpler. A rewrite cuts the length of the criminal code by one-third by deleting outdating, conflicting and confusing material. Governor Pat Quinn approved the last piece of the legal overhaul Monday. The rewrite was drafted by the CLEAR Commission, which stands for Criminal Law Edit, Alignment and Reform. The process doesn't change any crimes or punishments, but it simplifies the law by deleting outdated or unconstitutional parts. Former Gov. Jim Thompson helped lead the commission.