Illinois Code § 720 ILCS 5/12-20.6

Abuse of a corpse.
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
(a) In this Section:
 
"Corpse" means the dead body of a human being.
 
"Sexual conduct" has the meaning ascribed to the term in Section 11-0.1 of this Code.
 
(b) A person commits abuse of a corpse if he or she intentionally:
 
 
(1) engages in sexual conduct with a corpse or 
 
involving a corpse; or
 
 
(2) removes or carries away a corpse and is not 
 
authorized by law to do so.
 
(c) Sentence.
 
 
(1) A person convicted of violating paragraph (1) of 
 
subsection (b) of this Section is guilty of a Class 2 felony.
 
 
(2) A person convicted of violating paragraph (2) of 
 
subsection (b) of this Section is guilty of a Class 4 felony.
 
(d) Paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of this Section does not apply to:
 
 
(1) persons employed by a county medical examiner's 
 
office or coroner's office acting within the scope of their employment;
 
 
(2) the acts of a licensed funeral director or 
 
embalmer while performing acts authorized by the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code;
 
 
(3) cemeteries and cemetery personnel while 
 
performing acts pursuant to a bona fide request from the involved cemetery consumer or his or her heirs, or pursuant to an interment or disinterment permit or a court order, or as authorized under Section 14.5 of the Cemetery Protection Act, or any other actions legally authorized for cemetery employees; 
 
 
(4) the acts of emergency medical personnel or 
 
physicians performed in good faith and according to the usual and customary standards of medical practice in an attempt to resuscitate a life;
 
 
(5) physicians licensed to practice medicine in all 
 
of its branches or holding a visiting professor, physician, or resident permit under the Medical Practice Act of 1987, performing acts in accordance with usual and customary standards of medical practice, or a currently enrolled student in an accredited medical school in furtherance of his or her education at the accredited medical school; or 
 
 
(6) removing or carrying away a corpse by the 
 
employees, independent contractors, or other persons designated by the federally designated organ procurement agency engaged in the organ and tissue procurement process. 

involving a corpse; or
authorized by law to do so.
subsection (b) of this Section is guilty of a Class 2 felony.
subsection (b) of this Section is guilty of a Class 4 felony.
office or coroner's office acting within the scope of their employment;
embalmer while performing acts authorized by the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code;
performing acts pursuant to a bona fide request from the involved cemetery consumer or his or her heirs, or pursuant to an interment or disinterment permit or a court order, or as authorized under Section 14.5 of the Cemetery Protection Act, or any other actions legally authorized for cemetery employees;
physicians performed in good faith and according to the usual and customary standards of medical practice in an attempt to resuscitate a life;
of its branches or holding a visiting professor, physician, or resident permit under the Medical Practice Act of 1987, performing acts in accordance with usual and customary standards of medical practice, or a currently enrolled student in an accredited medical school in furtherance of his or her education at the accredited medical school; or
employees, independent contractors, or other persons designated by the federally designated organ procurement agency engaged in the organ and tissue procurement process.

‹ Prev All Illinois sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.