Michael Carroll News
IL Supreme Court Justice Rochford's address to Dem Party fundraiser likely violated judicial ethics rules
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford defended her decision to speak at a Lake County Democratic fundraiser, despite ethics rules explicitly forbidding judges from doing so
New IL law opens employers, others to risk of massive punitive damages in wrongful death cases; Law could face challenges
HB219, signed by Pritzker, is another controversial state law that appears to have been enacted while ignoring by Democratic state lawmakers who ignored constitutional rules governing how laws must be approved
Seventh Circuit rejects challenge to Corps of Engineers' plans to manage Middle Mississippi River
The Army Corps of Engineers’ ongoing plan to manage the Middle Mississippi River region received a green light from a federal appeals court on Aug. 1 when the court rejected environmental group's concerns about issues such as flooding and wildlife threats.
Seventh Circuit: Illinois man's claims against village's land grab can go forward
A federal appeals court has resuscitated an Illinois man’s lawsuit against the Village of Ashmore that alleged authorities forced him and his family out of a home located on land the village wanted for a municipal park.
Family of guard killed in East St. Louis bank robbery files wrongful death lawsuit
The wife of a security guard who was killed during a holdup at First Bank in East St. Louis in 2021 is suing the bank and the now-incarcerated robbers on wrongful-death grounds.
St. Clair County class action alleges privacy violations through Meta's augmented reality filters
A class-action lawsuit filed in St. Clair County accuses Meta Platforms Inc. of violating provisions of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) through the social media company’s use of facial identifiers.
Cross-River Crime Task Force responds to Granite City biker gatherings, aids in probe of fatal Alton shooting
Responding to reports of large gatherings of motorcycle clubs, Madison County’s Cross-River Crime Task Force this month arrested two people in Granite City on charges of public drunkenness or disorderly conduct and issued 10 traffic citations.
Pritzker signs bill aiding victims of human trafficking
A bipartisan bill by state Sen. Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) to allow human-trafficking victims to expunge their criminal records was signed into law last month by Gov. JB Pritzker.
Democrats pressed to back coronavirus legislation that protects mask-makers from lawsuits
House Democrats have agreed this week to extend some liability protections to manufacturers of masks that can protect health professionals from the coronavirus, Legal Newsline has learned.
Latest 7th Circuit nominees Scudder, St. Eve, seen as well-qualified, experienced by many legal observers
Legal observers have praised President Donald Trump’s two most-recent nominees to the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, singling out their experience and intelligence as well as the White House’s efforts to gain bipartisan support for the nominees.
Illinois lawmakers say they're open to some higher education reforms
Some state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem open to at least a few of the reform ideas recently proposed by an Illinois think tank to help reduce higher education costs and make colleges and universities more affordable to students in the state.
Boost in lawyer registration fees will benefit Illinois substance abuse program
CHICAGO – The registration fees paid by attorneys who want to practice in Illinois will go up by $3 next year to benefit a nonprofit program that helps law students, attorneys and judges get confidential help for alcohol and substance abuse problems as well as depression, the Illinois Supreme Court announced last week.
County Board members' debate over lawsuit costs not drawn on purely political lines; History shows county has had its share of costs, verdicts and settlements
A recent press release critical of Madison County Treasurer Kurt Prenzler's handling of a former employee's discrimination claims, was called "ill-timed, misleading and political" by five county board members who countered with their own ammunition on Friday.
Tort reform group doesn't see comprehensive Illinois budget deal anytime soon
MARION – An Illinois watchdog group that has championed the causes of litigation reform and ending lawsuit abuse doesn’t see a comprehensive state budget accord on the horizon anytime soon.
Illinois higher education crisis pushes lawmakers toward compromise
SPRINGFIELD – With the Southern Illinois University (SIU) system on the verge of lowering a budget ax that will slash both jobs and classes, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are vowing to step up efforts to find a solution even as the House adjourned for a four-week break.