2026 Articles

On May 21, 2026, the Illinois Supreme Court held that issue preclusion barred the state from prosecuting severed weapons charges after a jury acquitted the defendant of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon (UPWF) and necessarily found that he did not knowingly possess the firearm.

The Illinois General Assembly amended the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 to restrict when minors may be held in secure detention. 

On June 17, 2026, the Fifth District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that a default order terminating a father’s parental rights was void because the state failed to conduct a diligent inquiry before service by publication.

The Department of Agriculture adopted a new Part titled Local Food Infrastructure Grant, implementing the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Act.

The General Assembly amended the Illinois Vehicle Code to authorize local governments to install rapid-flashing beacons at certain school crosswalks.

On Dec. 5, 2025, the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court held that mandatory life sentences are inapplicable to defendants under the age of 21 at the time of the offense.

The General Assembly amended the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code to expand the circumstances in which an employee of a mental health or developmental disability facility must not contact recipients of services during an investigation.

The Illinois General Assembly enacted the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act. The Act will permit a mentally capable adult resident with a terminal disease to request a prescription for self-administered medication that brings about a peaceful death.

On Dec. 2, 2025, the Fourth District of the Illinois Appellate Court held a section 2-1401 petition under the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure requires a movant to allege a meritorious defense and facts showing that the movant exercised due diligence in defending against the original action.

The General Assembly amended the Code of Civil Procedure to prohibit minors, defined as a non-emancipated person under the age of 18, from being named as a defendant in a complaint in an eviction proceeding. 

The General Assembly amended the Workplace Transparency Act to further limit employment contract provisions that restrict employees from reporting unlawful workplace conduct. 

The Office of the Treasurer adopted amendments to the Part titled Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. These amendments require “finders” to be licensed by the office and to charge client fees of less than 10 percent of the collected amount. License applicants must be of good moral character, demonstrate understanding of the Act, pay a $500 initial licensing fee, and pay a $250 renewal fee every three years.