Daily Legal News Archive
Friday, March 12, 2010
'Sexting' teen offenders may be spared sex offender punishment
The Illinois House moved Thursday to spare teenagers who engage in "sexting" from having to register as sex offenders.
From: Chicago Sun-Times
Trooper's lawyers: police don't have to obey speed limits
Lawyers for the Illinois State Police trooper accused of causing a crash that killed two Collinsville sisters argued Thursday that the judge in the case must use reason and not emotion when deciding whether prosecutors can pursue reckless homicide and reckless driving charges.
From: Belleville News-Democrat
Blagojevich attorneys want to delay trial until November
Lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich want his corruption trial delayed until November. In a filing Thursday, Blagojevich's attorneys contend they cannot adequately prepare his defense for the scheduled June 3 trial without knowing whether they have to defend against charges of "honest services" fraud.
From: Chicago Tribune
Exelon to pay $1 million to settle suits over leaks at power plants
Exelon agreed Thursday to pay more than $1 million to settle lawsuits filed by Attorney General Lisa Madigan after the company allowed radioactive tritium to leak outside three of its nuclear power plants.
From: Chicago Tribune
Gutierrez’s influence cited in testimony at developer trial
Testimony in the federal corruption trial of a Chicago developer on Thursday revealed that U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez met with the developer and Mayor Richard Daley to push for the city's approval of a controversial real estate venture.
From: Chicago Tribune
Man sentenced to prison in Collinsville racial graffiti case
Another suspect is headed to federal prison in a case involving racial threats and epithets scrawled on a Collinsville home where a black couple lived with a white friend.
From: Belleville News-Democrat
Red-light camera legislation coming
Lawmakers are moving closer to a compromise on reforming the use of red-light cameras while a complete repeal of the technology appears to face little chance.
From: Daily Herald
Illinois mother pushes reform after child is shaken to death
A state registry that compiles offenders of violent crimes against children may soon include people who have shaken toddlers to death, partly because of efforts of a southern Illinois woman.
From: Bloomington Pantagraph
House committee passes bill brought on by death of Danville toddler
A bill that would require judges to impose extended sentences in some cases of death caused by child abuse cleared an Illinois House committee on Thursday.
From: Champaign News-Gazette
Ex-cheerleading coach gets 40 months for sex abuse
A former Naperville cheerleading coach was sentenced Thursday to more than three years in prison for an ongoing sexual relationship he had in 2006 with a 13-year-old student.
From: Chicago Tribune
Lawsuit: Harvey mayor, cop threatened murder frame-up
A south suburban man alleges in a federal civil lawsuit that Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg and a now-convicted Harvey police detective threatened to frame him for murder, then fabricated a gun charge for not returning their stolen cocaine.
From: Chicago Tribune
Anheuser-Busch sues liquor commission for right to distribute beer in Illinois
Anheuser-Busch Cos. is suing the Illinois Liquor Control Commission over its decision to deny the beer giant a license to distribute in the state.
From: Chicago Business
Doc, 2 others indicted in $1 million fraud case
A medical doctor, a chiropractor and a billing employee at a Maywood clinic have been indicted on federal charges of taking part in a $1 million health care fraud.
From: Daily Herald
Gee defendant's trial delayed
The trial for a woman accused of providing a false alibi for an Armington man accused in the September deaths of a Beason family has been pushed back to June 21.
From: Bloomington Pantagraph
Widow plans lawsuit against EP police
The widow of an East Peoria man shot and killed by police late last year plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit to bring attention to what she calls a lack of training for officers dealing with mentally ill people.
From: Peoria Journal Star
Kane to spend $170,000 to study court space needs
Two Kane County Board members aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of commissioning a $170,000 study of judicial resources.
From: Aurora Beacon News
Howrey to Cut Between 20 and 30 Partners
Over the past couple of weeks, we've talked to a half-dozen sources close to Howrey who say the firm has plans to cut at least 20 partners and possibly as many as 30. So we weren't caught totally off guard when Robert Ruyak, the firm's managing partner, confirmed just that Thursday in interviews with the Am Law Daily and the U.K. publication Legal Week.
From: American Lawyer
Attorney and Chicago civic leader
Described by one friend as an "in-depth do-gooder," Robert B. Wilcox played leadership roles in arenas including environmentalism and criminal justice.
From: Chicago Tribune