The Illinois Supreme Court will ride the circuit, virtually, this month in conjunction with schools in the 2nd Judicial District. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases starting at 10:15 a.m., on Thursday, September 23, 2021. Students and teachers have been invited to watch the proceedings online at https://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/9824391.

In recent years the Supreme Court has held oral arguments at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in Champaign and at the Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey.

“Holding oral arguments in locations throughout the state has become an important part of the Court’s ongoing efforts to educate the public on the work we do,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said. “While we are not able to physically able to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for students to observe an actual court hearing. This provides a great window into the vital role played by the judicial system in protecting the foundations of our democracy and affirming individual rights and responsibilities.”  

The Supreme Court on September 23 will hear arguments in the cases of People v. Jones and McDonald v. Symphony Bronzeville Park, LLC. Legal briefs in both cases have been posted to the Court's website at http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/SupremeCourt/Docket/default.asp.

In People v. Jones, the then-juvenile defendant pleaded guilty to murder in exchange for a sentence of 50 years imprisonment. He now seeks relief under recent changes in the law on juvenile sentencing that provides a trial court must consider youth and its attendant characteristics before imposing what amounts to a life sentence on a juvenile. At issue in this case is whether, by entering into a fully negotiated guilty plea, the defendant waived his right to raise these challenges to his sentence. The lower courts held the defendant waived his rights to raise these challenges to his sentence and the defendant has appealed.  

The McDonald v. Symphony Bronzeville Park, LLC case involves a situation where an employer uses biometric data/fingerprints of employees in order for the employees to clock in and clock out of work. An employee filed a lawsuit seeking money damages against the employer, alleging a violation of the Biometric Information Privacy Act based on the employer’s collection and storage of her fingerprint data without complying with the Privacy Act’s requirements.  

At issue in this case is whether the employee’s lawsuit is barred/pre-empted by the Worker’s Compensation Act. The appellate court determined that this type of injury is not of the type intended to be compensable under the Worker’s Compensation Act, and therefore the employee’s lawsuit is not pre-empted by the Worker’s Compensation Act. The employer has appealed.  

The 2nd Judicial District is comprised of the counties of Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, DuPage, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago.