Jonathan Bilyk News
IL biometrics claims multiplied again in '24, helping to fuel big class action payouts nationwide
A new report from defense law firm Duane Morris said class action settlements again totaled more than $40B in 2024, with attorneys raking in many of those billions for themselves in fees. In Illinois, much of the action was driven by hundreds of new claims under the Illinois biometrics privacy law, despite reforms
SCOTUS weighing challenge to IL two-week-long mail-in vote counting system
The U.S. Supreme Court has directed the state of Illinois to respond to a petition for appeal filed by Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Bost, who has argued lower courts wrongly denied him the ability to sue the state for requiring mail-in ballots to be counted up to two weeks after Election Day, which he says violates federal law
Cook, St. Clair County judges can't undo reforms that may limit judges' pension benefits
A Cook County judge ruled two of her Illinois state court judicial colleagues - a retired St. Clair County judge and current Cook County judge - aren't entitled to collect higher 'Tier 1' pension benefits just because they worked for other state or local governments before becoming judges under 'Tier 2' pension reforms
Appeals panel: Woman booted from Franklin Co. judicial ballot can't challenge state election law over last names
A state appeals court in Springfield noted the case filed by Vanessa Minson-Minor, arguing state election law discriminates vs women, presents weighty questions courts haven't grappled with before. But they said the election is over, so she now has no case
'Assault weapons' ban to continue in IL, for now, while courts handle appeal
The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request from Illinois Atty Gen Kwame Raoul to keep a decision on hold from a southern Illinois federal judge, who declared Illinois' ban on so-called "assault weapons" an "unconstitutional affront" to the Second Amendment
Justice for Jussie? IL Supreme Court overturns Smollett conviction for lying to cops
The Illinois Supreme Court said Smollett's conviction for lying to police about his hoax attack claims was an unconstitutional violation of his rights to due process because he should have been able to rely on the charge-dropping deal from Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx
Judges: Reforms to limit harm from IL biometrics law should apply to pending lawsuits, too
Recent rulings from a Chicago federal judge and a Cook County judge are seen as key wins for Illinois businesses, as they begin the work of answering a key question that could decide the fates of potentially hundreds of lawsuits with many millions of dollars at stake
Constitution doesn't block Indiana's ban on gender transition procedures for kids: Appeals court
A divided federal appeals panel said the Indiana ban on surgeries, puberty blockers and other care do not violate parent's rights to direct their children's medical care nor the speech rights of doctors, dissolving a lower court's injunction blocking enforcement of the law
SAFE-T Act pretrial jailing appeals drop 88% after court rule changes; 'Found a sweet spot,' says task force chair
The number of appeals filed by criminal defendants seeking release from jail while they await trial dropped from 1,041 in January to mid-April to 154 in the three months following rule changes to ease the burden. The appeals numbers are still up significantly compared to years preceding Illinois' criminal justice system reforms
'Unconstitutional affront:' Federal judge strikes down Illinois 'assault weapons' ban
Saying the law falls far short under the Constitution, U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn entered an injunction which would block the state from enforcing Gov. Pritzker's ban on so-called 'assault weapons.' The ruling is stayed for 30 days, pending an expected appeal from the state
Republicans sweep Madison County elections, claim 20-6 supermajority on county board
The November general election results reflect continued growth in the Republican Party's dominance in Madison County. Republicans Brynn Kincheloe and Donald McMaster unseated Democratic incumbent County Board members Mathew King and Robert Pollard, respectively
Stuart beats Keeven to retain 112th District IL House seat; Elik cruises; Schmidt poised to win
The race was marked by a concerted effort by powerful Democrats to block former Edwardsville Police Chief Jay Keeven from placing his name on the ballot to challenge incumbent Democratic State Rep. Katie Stuart in the seat representing portions of Madison and St. Clair counties
Judge mostly tosses effort to force IL elections authorities to make voter rolls more accurate
A Chicago federal judge said conservative groups don't have standing to sue Illinois state and county election officials for allegedly failing to live up to their obligations under federal election law to remove people who aren't eligible to vote from Illinois voter rolls
Federal judge asked to block IL law that restricts what employers can say to their workers
In a new filing, the Illinois Policy Institute and Technology and Manufacturing Association say the state has unconstitutionally set up a regime to allow labor unions and other political allies to speak, while silencing employers' speech on politics, public policy and religion in the workplace
IL counties can't end lawsuit accusing them of unconstitutionally taking homes over unpaid taxes
A Chicago federal judge said the counties can't beat the lawsuit by claiming they aren't violating the Constitution because state law allows private investors to keep the homes and the profits from the forced sales, not the governments themselves
Nursing homes can use Pritzker Covid orders to block suits over Covid deaths
The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled trial lawyers can't entirely sidestep emergency orders issued by Gov. JB Pritzker at the onset of the Covid pandemic to hit nursing homes with lawsuits over Covid deaths, even though the governor's orders appeared to protect them from such lawsuits
'A downward spiral': Biz groups, legal reformers urge IL high court to nix bid to kill anti-forum shopping rule
The filings come in response to an attempt by the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association to seize on a dispute over the constitutionality of a controversial state law to win a long sought policy goal, which would funnel lawsuits into Cook, Madison and St. Clair counties, in pursuit of bigger, easier verdicts
Pipe maker J-M says big asbestos firm Simmons Hanly shouldn't escape lawsuit fraud claims
J-M Manufacturing is pushing back against efforts by prominent asbestos law firm Simmons Hanly Conroy to end J-M's lawsuit accusing Simmons of a racket of "sham" asbestos lawsuits. The Simmons firm claims such racketeering claims aren't allowed against law firms over such litigation activities
Judge: Speedway will need settlement or trial to end class action over worker fingerprint scans
A federal judge rejected attempts by Speedway to avoid paying out millions of dollars or more to as many as 7,200 workers at its Illinois stores for allegedly wrongly requiring them to scan their fingerprints when punching the clock at work, as part of a class action under Illinois' biometrics privacy law
IL Baptists plan to appeal ruling that IL abortion coverage mandate doesn't violate religious rights
A Springfield judge agreed with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul that the state's abortion health insurance coverage mandate doesn't violate religious objectors' rights because they can still buy health insurance from other states