(a) Upon the written motion of the defendant made prior to trial before or after a plea has been entered the court may dismiss the indictment, information or complaint upon any of the following grounds:
         (1) The defendant has not been placed on trial in
    
compliance with Section 103-5 of this Code.
        (2) The prosecution of the offense is barred by
    
Sections 3-3 through 3-8 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
        (3) The defendant has received immunity from
    
prosecution for the offense charged.
        (4) The indictment was returned by a Grand Jury which
    
was improperly selected and which results in substantial injustice to the defendant.
        (5) The indictment was returned by a Grand Jury which
    
acted contrary to Article 112 of this Code and which results in substantial injustice to the defendant.
        (6) The court in which the charge has been filed does
    
not have jurisdiction.
        (7) The county is an improper place of trial.

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Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 725 ILCS 5/114-1

  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

         (8) The charge does not state an offense.
         (9) The indictment is based solely upon the testimony
    
of an incompetent witness.
        (10) The defendant is misnamed in the charge and the
    
misnomer results in substantial injustice to the defendant.
        (11) The requirements of Section 109-3.1 have not
    
been complied with.
    (b) The court shall require any motion to dismiss to be filed within a reasonable time after the defendant has been arraigned. Any motion not filed within such time or an extension thereof shall not be considered by the court and the grounds therefor, except as to subsections (a)(6) and (a)(8) of this Section, are waived.
     (c) If the motion presents only an issue of law the court shall determine it without the necessity of further pleadings. If the motion alleges facts not of record in the case the State shall file an answer admitting or denying each of the factual allegations of the motion.
     (d) When an issue of fact is presented by a motion to dismiss and the answer of the State the court shall conduct a hearing and determine the issues.
     (d-5) When a defendant seeks dismissal of the charge upon the ground set forth in subsection (a)(7) of this Section, the defendant shall make a prima facie showing that the county is an improper place of trial. Upon such showing, the State shall have the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the county is the proper place of trial.
     (d-6) When a defendant seeks dismissal of the charge upon the grounds set forth in subsection (a)(2) of this Section, the prosecution shall have the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the prosecution of the offense is not barred by Sections 3-3 through 3-8 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
     (e) Dismissal of the charge upon the grounds set forth in subsections (a)(4) through (a)(11) of this Section shall not prevent the return of a new indictment or the filing of a new charge, and upon such dismissal the court may order that the defendant be held in custody or, if the defendant had been previously released on pretrial release, that the pretrial release be continued for a specified time pending the return of a new indictment or the filing of a new charge.
     (f) If the court determines that the motion to dismiss based upon the grounds set forth in subsections (a)(6) and (a)(7) is well founded it may, instead of dismissal, order the cause transferred to a court of competent jurisdiction or to a proper place of trial.