The Illinois Supreme Court handed down six opinions on Thursday, June 18. In People v. Legoo, the court affirmed a man’s conviction of being a child sex offender in a public park. In People v. Robinson, the court granted a defendant’s leave to file a successive post-conviction petition asserting a claim of actual innocence in a murder trial. In People v. Swenson, the court upheld a man’s conviction for disorderly conduct after he called a school administrator and made extensive comments about shootings and violence during a phone conversation, causing the school to go on lockdown. In People v. Radford, the Supreme Court found that a trial court did not violate a defendant’s right to a public trial by partially closing the courtroom during jury selection and that no error occurred when the jury was instructed. In City of Chicago v. Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7, the court ruled that state public information laws require Chicago to preserve decades-old police misconduct records despite a provision in the police union’s collective bargaining agreement. In Hernandez v. Lifeline Ambulance, LLC , the court ruled that section 3.150 of the EMS Act provides no immunity from civil liability to an ambulance owner and its driver where the driver, allegedly speeding, collided with another vehicle en route to pick up a patient for nonemergency transportation.
Practice News
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June 19, 2020 | Practice News
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June 17, 2020 |
Practice News
One of the most mystifying complexities of the civil legal system is its procedure. A lawyer helps demystify the experience for her clients. But how about the thousands of people who must face the system unrepresented when their money, homes, safety, and families may be on the line? For them, Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) offers indispensable tools that diminish the bewilderment and stress a pro se defendant feels when walking into a courtroom. ILAO simplifies the law into understandable terms by providing accessible tools and resources online.
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June 16, 2020 |
Practice News
Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Judge Cara LeFevour Smith as an At-Large Cook County Circuit Judge.
Judge LeFevour Smith was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kathleen M. McGury on June 1, 2020. The appointment is effective July 1, and will conclude December 4, 2022, following the November 2022 general election.
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June 15, 2020 |
Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts have launched an application process for two grant initiatives to begin an expansion of the network of court personnel who assist self-represented litigants (SRLs). The application process for both grant initiatives will open on June 15, 2020 and run through July 15, 2020.
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June 15, 2020 | Practice News
In her June Illinois Bar Journal Article, “Illinois’ Progressive Prevailing Wage Act,” Kara M. Principe shows why the Act is arguably one of the most progressive prevailing-wage laws in the nation, especially at a time when many states have been acting to repeal similar laws. According to Principe, the most substantial amendments relate to how rates are ascertained and how they are challenged. The amendments also create minority- and local-employment-reporting requirements as well as require new information to be listed on certified payroll records. Principe also explains why penalties for violating the Act are consequential.
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June 9, 2020 | Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court on June 9 amended Rules 501, 526, 556, and 585. All changes go into effect July 1.
The amendments relate to classifications of and bail requirements for certain traffic offenses.
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June 8, 2020 |
Practice News
Helping attorneys through the toughest times of their lives has been at the core of what the Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF) has done since 1951. Today, the IBF recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis has presented all of us with a new set of unforeseen, unpredictable challenges. With limited court access and futures uncertain for many, the IBF has established the COVID-19 Lawyers Care Relief Fund as an extension of the existing Warren Lupel Lawyers Care Fund. This initiative will enable the IBF to further its reach to even more attorneys in need throughout the state and will specifically provide financial aid to attorneys struggling to make ends meet as a result of this crisis. This special relief fund has been made possible by a generous cy pres award directed to the IBF by friends at Edelson PC.
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June 8, 2020 | Practice News
Despite how simple celebrities like Henry Winkler and Tom Selleck make reverse mortgages out to be on their television commercials targeting seniors, loss mitigation for reverse mortgages confounds homeowners, advocates, and judges alike. In his June 2020 Illinois Bar Journal article, “Reverse Mortgages Gone Bad,” Matthew Hulstein explains what families can do to bring a reverse mortgage out of default and keep their home.
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June 4, 2020 | Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court handed down three opinions on Thursday, June 4. In People v. Coty, the court declined to extend the protections of Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S. 460 (2012), to an intellectually disabled adult. In Williamson County Board of Commissioners v. The Board of Trustees of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, the court found that amended section 7-137.2(a) of the Illinois Pension Code was unconstitutional. In Rios v. Bayer Corp., the court dismissed the case for lack of specific personal jurisdiction over an out-of-state defendant as to the claims of out-of-state plaintiffs for personal injuries suffered outside of Illinois from a device manufactured outside of Illinois.
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June 4, 2020 | Practice News
The Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee will hear comments on June 24, 2020, at a remote public hearing via the Zoom videoconference platform on seven proposals, including a proposal to require all written opinions by the Appellate Court to be published and a proposal to create a new Supreme Court Rule that would require all eviction complaints to include a copy of the written eviction notice or demand.