Practice News

The Circuit Court of Cook County is alerting the public that effective April 2, 2016, the Cook County Department of Facilities Management will no longer provide storage lockers for the public to store banned items at courthouses. This includes the Leighton Criminal Court Building, at 26th Street and California Avenue, where smartphones have been banned for the past 3 years.

Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans was notified by the Cook County Department of Facilities Management that, due to security and staffing concerns, it will remove all storage lockers that it had installed at courthouses as a service for the public to safely store banned items while they conduct court business.

“It is critical that the message gets out that there will no longer be lockers available beginning April 2 at any of the courthouses,” said Chief Judge Evans. “At the Leighton Criminal Court Building, my particular concern is that people who are relying on the county’s storage lockers won’t be able to clear security and will miss court if they bring a smartphone.”

People who miss court could be subjected to bail forfeitures, be held in contempt of court or have warrants issued for their arrest. Family and friends of defendants and victims could also miss court hearings, and subpoenaed witnesses would be subject to being held in contempt of court and possible civil liability to the party issuing the subpoena.

The Sheriff has banned approximately two dozen items from all Cook County courthouses, and the list includes items such as knives, mace spray, cameras and recording devices.

Tax scams can hit close to home, even for tax lawyers like Kathryn Garlow of Chicago. Her sister called and said, “Kathy, someone from the IRS called and left a message. They want me to call them back. I’m worried.”

She told her sister what she tells her clients -- the call was a fake. "The IRS doesn’t contact you by telephone, only through written correspondence,” Garlow writes in the March ISBA Federal Taxation newsletter. She goes on to share advice from the IRS that you can give to your clients, to community groups -- even to siblings.

"1. The IRS will only ask for payment with a written, mailed bill. They will not ask for payment over the telephone.

2. In the written correspondence, the IRS will give you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount due.

3. The IRS does not require taxpayers to pay only by a prepaid debit card.

4. The IRS will not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

5. The IRS will not threaten to bring in law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying the amount due."

Read her article for more about how to avoid tax scams, including what to tell a client who gave a social security number to scammers.

Asked and Answered

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. We are an 18-attorney firm based in Tucson, Arizona. Our practice is a boutique general liability defense firm. Our clients tend to be self-insured large corporations and smaller business firms. Currently all of our clients are billed by the hour. Recently, we have been discussing whether we should propose an alternative billing approach to our clients. We would be interested in your thoughts.

The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed James R. Mendillo of Belleville to serve as the Chair of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). The ARDC is the Supreme Court agency that investigates allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois. His appointment was effective on January 1, 2016. Mr. Mendillo will preside over the next Commission meeting, set for April 15, 2016.

Mr. Mendillo is a partner in the Belleville firm of Freeark, Harvey, and Mendillo, PC. He is licensed to practice law in both Illinois and Missouri.