The Illinois Supreme Court handed down nine opinions on Thursday, September 24. In People v. Stoecker, the Court affirmed the dismissal of a defendant’s petition for relief from judgment. In People v. Hollahan, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no error in a circuit court allowing a jury to watch a video of the defendant’s DUI stop in the courtroom with the defendant present. In People v. Gaines, the Court considered whether a trial court’s sua sponte vacatur of a defendant’s guilty plea and his subsequent trial violated double jeopardy. In People v. Deleon, the Court considered whether section 112a-11.5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 which permits the issuance of a protective order in a crime involving domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking, is unconstitutional on its face and as applied to a defendant. In United States v. Glispie, the Supreme Court answered a certified question by the Seventh Circuit, holding that the limited authority doctrine applies to residential burglary by entry.

Trade secrets such as the Coca-Cola recipe may seem out of reach for many companies, but there are more things to protect than just the obvious—consumer lists and processes, to name a few. Join us from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, to learn about confidentiality agreements and how they can help keep your clients’ secrets safe. Learn how to draft confidentiality agreements, how to avoid having the agreement upended by courts, and under what circumstances an employee should be required to sign the agreement. A discussion on whether or not blanket agreements can survive a court challenge is also included.

Judge Blanche M. Manning was born in December 1934 in Chicago, Illinois. She received her Bachelor of Education from Chicago Teachers College in 1961, a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School in 1967, a Master of Arts from Roosevelt University in 1972, and a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1992. Judge Manning attended law school while working as a Chicago Public School teacher. She also taught at Malcolm X Community College and DePaul University College of Law at various points throughout her career. She held many legal positions, including working as an Assistant State's Attorney for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, supervisory trial attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, general attorney at United Airlines, and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on September 21, 2020. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.