Two men who spent 16 years in prison for a murder they didn’t commit were awarded $60 million each by a federal jury Monday after a nearly five-year court battle.

From: 
Chicago Sun-Times

A mother held in jail on a misdemeanor charge was not fit for trial, an Illinois judge ordered, and was set to be transferred to a mental health facility for treatment, a 2023 lawsuit said.

From: 
Belleville News-Democrat

Chicago Public Schools chief Pedro Martinez is alleging the firm representing the school board in an ongoing lawsuit has a conflict of interest that warrants disqualification.

From: 
Chicago Tribune

Administrative Director Declares Illinois Associate Judge Appointed in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Thomas E. St. Jules as an associate judge of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. St. Jules received his undergraduate degree in 2005 from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa and his Juris Doctor in 2008 from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. St. Jules is currently affiliated with Llamas St. Jules LLP in Aurora, Illinois.

Evading Trial

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Kelsey Jo Burge

When your client fails to show for trial, judges can conduct one in absentia, but they are obligated to ensure that statutory requirements are met before commencing, notes Charles Golaszewski in his March Illinois Bar Journal article, “Evading Trial.” Golaszewski states prosecutors and defense attorneys must be prepared to argue whether a trial in absentia is warranted in light of the statutory requirements and the circumstances of the case. But if the judge decides to start the trial without the defendant, both parties will need to adjust their trial strategies.

A Cook County judge, on March 20, will decide whether to grant a new trial to a Chicago man who decades ago was convicted within 45 minutes in a case that drew significant concerns from an Illinois appeals court. 

From: 
The Crusader

Artificial intelligence isn’t replacing lawyers, but it is transforming how they work.

From: 
ABA Journal

A Joliet police detective is seeking to use the report of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office investigation of the police department in his federal racial discrimination lawsuit.

From: 
Shaw Local News Network

The state of Illinois is looking to dismiss the case that the U.S. Department of Justice brought against the state over migrant sanctuary policies.

From: 
Advantage News