The term of the chief judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit shall be for a period of three (3) consecutive calendar years, with the possibility of serving an additional consecutive year by a consensus and vote of the circuit judges. Thereafter, a circuit judge may not succeed himself/herself.  The chief judge shall be elected at a meeting of the circuit judges to be held on the second Monday in September of the year preceding the term of office.

The chief judge selected pursuant to the Illinois Constitution, Article VI, section 7, paragraph (c) may appoint one of the circuit judges to act as chief judge in the absence of the chief judge. The acting chief judge shall have the same powers and duties as the chief judge.

Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of chief judge, any two circuit judges may call a meeting of the circuit judges to select a circuit judge to fill such vacancy.

In the exercise of general administrative authority pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 21 (b), the chief judge may enter general orders including, but not restricted to, orders providing for assignment of judges, selection and terms of juvenile and county division Presiding judges, general or specialized divisions, and times and places of holding court. Assignment of associate judges within the county division shall be rotated from time to time at the discretion of the presiding judge of the county division with the chief judge's approval.

Such general orders shall be kept on file with the circuit clerks' office, chief judge, presiding judge of Boone County, judges of the 17th judicial circuit, court administrator, bar associations and county law libraries of Boone and Winnebago Counties. The court administrator shall maintain the orders as permanent court records, which shall be available for inspection as public documents. Copies of the general orders shall be available from the court administrator for a nominal fee.