Jonathan Bilyk News
Judge blocks IL Dems' law to block out-of-state donations to judge campaigns
Democrats said the law was needed to maintain judicial integrity. A federal judge said he feared the law was actually motivated by a desire for the Democrats who dominate Springfield to "maintain the status quo" of Democratic control of the courts, not to fight corruption
Feds charge Madigan in new bribery conspiracy with AT&T, widening criminal case vs ex-Speaker, Democratic chairman
Under a newly unsealed indictment, former Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Chairman Michael Madigan allegedly solicited bribes to benefit a former state lawmaker loyalist in exchange for helping AT&T rid itself of obligations to provide landline service in Illinois
Jury verdict: BNSF must pay $228M to truck drivers for rail yard gate security fingerprint scans
The verdict against railroad company BNSF ended the first such class action lawsuit taken to trial under Illinois' biometrics privacy law. BNSF vowed to appeal
Judge says IL Dems can't step in to join IL State Elections Board's defense vs challenge to IL vote by mail law
The judge recognized Democrats' election efforts could be strained, should he rule that mail-in ballots can't be counted if they are received after Election Day. But the judge said that's not enough to let them join the court fight
Judge OKs Google Photos face scans class action settlement; Claimants get $150 each, lawyers get $35M
The $100 million settlement ends a class action lawsuit brought against Google, accusing the company of illegally scanning the faces of Illinois residents appearing in photos uploaded to Google Photos.
Report: IL, Cook County courts driving 'nuclear verdicts' trend, leveling big costs on consumers, business, economy
A new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform said Illinois ranks sixth nationwide for jury verdicts totaling at least $10M
Pritzker threatens to sue TV stations that air political ad his lawyers say 'defames' the governor
The ad features Beverly Miles, a Black female Army major and "lifelong Democrat," who claims Gov. JB Pritzker attempted to "get her fired" from her job as a Veterans Administration nurse, allegedly in retaliation for her decision to run against him in the Democratic gubernatorial primary
McHenry County State's Attorney lawsuit: SAFE-T Act's end of cash bail violates crime victims' rights under IL constitution
The lawsuit is the latest in a growing list of constitutional challenges launched in court against Gov. JB Pritzker and the SAFE-T Act, which critics allege would make it too difficult to hold violent criminals in jail while they await trial
Will Co. State's Attorney sues Pritzker, other top IL Dems, says SAFE-T Act violates state constitution
Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow says it takes Democratic lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker can't simply abolish cash bail without amending the state constitution. He further says Democrats trampled constitutional procedures in passing massive bill in the dead of night
Anne Burke to retire from IL Supreme Court, to be replaced by appellate Justice Joy Cunningham
Burke, who is married to indicted powerful Democrat Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, has served on the state Supreme Court since 2006 and will retire Dec. 1. Cunningham, a Black female judge now serving on the Illinois First District Appellate Court in Chicago, was appointed to fill the vacancy until 2024.
'Not out of the woods': New CDC guidelines recognize natural Covid immunity, but vax mandates remain hard to defeat
Vaccine mandate opponents say they intend to use new CDC guidelines to continue efforts to persuade judges to force officials to prove public health mandates that infringe rights actually produce the stated desired results
Appeals panel: Natural immunity proof not enough to defeat Covid vax job mandates; Don't violate 'fundamental rights'
The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals says Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot have a 'low bar' to clear in defending their mandates that force government workers to choose between taking the vaccine and keeping their jobs because the orders don't infringe fundamental rights
Lawyers seek $40M in fees from Google Photos face scans settlement
Google has agreed to pay $100 million to end a sprawling class action under Illinois' biometrics privacy law, bringing about $200-$400 each to an estimated 280,000 Illinois residents. The lawyers who led the lawsuit want 40% of the settlement
IL SnapChat users could get about $100 each under $35M Lenses biometrics class action deal; Lawyers could get $12M
A judge granted a preliminary OK to the settlement deal to end the class action against SnapChat's corporate parent under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.
Appeals court says Pritzker administration can escape fed court oversight of state hiring decisions
The appeals panel said it is 'not naive' about Illinois' history of corruption, and that courts remain open to future lawsuits, if patronage hiring resumes. But they said federal court oversight of state hiring decisions cannot continue indefinitely.
NorthShore to pay $10M to settle Covid vax mandate lawsuit; Fired workers could get $25K and their jobs back
The class action lawsuit accused NorthShore University Health System of illegally firing workers who were refused religious exemptions to the hospital system's workplace Covid vaccine mandate
7th Circuit: Title VII sex discrimination employment protections 'drop out' vs religious schools' religious freedoms
A federal appeals panel said an Indianapolis Catholic high school was within its legal rights under the Constitution and federal law to fire a female guidance counselor and school administrator who married another woman
Lawsuit revived vs Loyola Chicago over refusal to refund tuition, fees, after Covid shutdown
A federal appeals panel says students can press their claim Loyola University Chicago's decision to close the campus and move instruction online in March 2020 breached an 'implied contract' for in-person instruction and access to campus in return for $22,000 per semester tuition
Impax to pay $145M to settle Opana drug market manipulation claims from pharmacies, other direct purchasers
The lawsuit accused Impax Labs of agreeing with drugmaker Endo Pharmaceuticals to delay the entry of its Opana generic equivalent. The deal came quickly after a jury found in favor of Endo on the antitrust claims
SCOTUS decision may doom feds' efforts to sue Townstone Financial over execs' talk radio speech: New filing
Chicago mortgage broker Townstone Financial says federal banking regulators overreached in using anti-discrimination regulations to sue them for comments made on the radio by Townstone executives