Steve Korris News
Dugan grants Monsanto's motion to file counterclaim in East St. Louis pollution lawsuit
EAST ST. LOUIS – Monsanto can challenge the constitutionality of a claim that its pollution violated East St. Louis city ordinances, U.S. District Judge David Dugan ruled on April 17.
Employers urge IL Supreme Court to reconsider fingerprint scan decision they say will cripple IL businesses, economy
Associations representing employers for millions in Illinois say the court has set up a recipe for economic disaster by allowing 'entrepreneurial' trial lawyers to use Illinois' biometrics privacy law to extract annihilative sums of money from businesses for violations of the law that actually harmed no one
Hundreds of Zantac suits filed in Illinois courts after Florida judge rejects 'situational science'
SPRINGFIELD - Suits connecting Zantac indigestion medicine to cancer failed in nationwide litigation at federal court in Florida, so 583 refugee plaintiffs started over by filing suits in three Illinois counties.
Jayne Conroy appointed lead counsel in potential class action over Ohio train derailment
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – U. S. District Judge Benita Pearson chose Jayne Conroy from the New York office of John Simmons’s firm in Alton as one of four leaders for a potential class action over Norfolk Southern’s toxic derailment at East Palestine, Ohio.
Gilbert declares mistrial in excessive force suit over 'gamesmanship and sandbagging' by defense counsel
BENTON – Senior U. S. District Judge Phil Gilbert declared mistrial on an excessive force claim against Madison County because county counsel Heidi Eckert "sandbagged" him and wasted the jury’s time, according to his statements the next day.
McGlynn hears arguments in federal court over injunctive relief from gun ban
EAST ST. LOUIS – During an April 12 hearing in federal court over a request for injunctive relief from Gov. J.B. Pritzker's gun ban, assistant attorney general Christopher Wells told U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn that Illinois citizens can just defend themselves with handguns instead of semiautomatic rifles.
Champaign County circuit judge to preside over Duebbert's malicious prosecution case
BELLEVILLE – Circuit Judge Chad Beckett of Urbana will preside over defamation and malicious prosecution claims of former judge Ron Duebbert against former St. Clair County state’s attorney Brendan Kelly, lawyer Alex Enyart, and Belleville police.
Haine joined by 32 state’s attorneys in brief asking IL Supreme Court to declare gun ban unconstitutional
SPRINGFIELD – Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to declare Gov. Pritzker’s gun law unconstitutional, and state’s attorneys in 32 other counties are standing with him.
Two new lawsuits filed against Amazon over December 2021 tornado; Plaintiffs in prior suits seek trial date
EDWARDSVILLE – Two survivors of a tornado that killed six persons in an Amazon fulfillment center on Dec. 10, 2021, joined litigation of the disaster in March.
Assistant state AG replaced in discrimination suit; Sanctions for discovery violations remain unpaid
EAST ST. LOUIS – Assistant Illinois attorney general Thomas Ewick, whose misconduct in a suit against Chester mental health hospital cost the state in cash and strategy, was removed from the case.
Gilbert reschedules trial in security guard's suit alleging excessive force
BENTON – Madison County jurors found Brian Schell of Highland didn’t resist arrest and now jurors in U.S. district court must decide whether deputies acted appropriately when they tasered him.
O'Fallon high school student alleges wrongful expulsion following confrontation with bullies
EAST ST. LOUIS – O’Fallon Township High School expelled tenth grader Zariah Anthony for alleged "mob action" after bullies attacked her, according to a suit her mother Niesha Anthony filed.
Rosenstengel denies dismissal in suit alleging student suffered discrimination by SIUE faculty over Christian faith
EAST ST. LOUIS – Art therapist Maggie DeJong adequately pleaded that former chancellor Randall Pembrook of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and others violated her right of free speech, Chief U. S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel ruled on March 20.
Former law partner claims David Cates concealed settlements worth millions
EDWARDSVILLE – David Cates of Swansea concealed settlements worth millions when he and partner Ryan Mahoney of Glen Carbon signed a separation agreement, Mahoney’s counsel Thomas Rosenfeld told Circuit Judge Sarah Smith on March 23.
Sierra Club seeks closure of Prairie State power plant, alleging it operates unlawfully; Rep. Meier says electricity rates would 'skyrocket'
BENTON - Sierra Club sued to shut down the Prairie State coal burning power plant near Marissa in federal court on March 22, and Illinois State Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Highland) responded by saying a plant closure could lead to increased electricity rates.
Yandle presides over trial in suit alleging prison brutality
BENTON – Attorney general Kwame Raoul pulled three lawyers off a prison brutality case in three months and replaced them with two fresh lawyers as a March 27 trial date approached.
Fifth District affirms St. Clair County jurisdiction for Georgia residents over incident in northern Illinois
MOUNT VERNON – Plaintiffs from Georgia can sue Cottrell Inc. of Georgia in St. Clair County over an incident that happened in Illinois 230 miles from Belleville, Fifth District appellate judges ruled on March 14.
Alton law firm sues AI legal provider Do Not Pay for infringing on rights of properly licensed lawyers
BENTON – Robot lawyers harm real lawyers, the Miller King firm in Alton alleged on March 15 in a complaint for injunction against artificial intelligence provider Do Not Pay.
Customer service rep settles suit alleging she was terminated after catching COVID-19
BELLEVILLE – Ashley Howe of Marion County and FW Logistics of St. Clair County settled her claim that she lost her job for catching COVID-19.
Second Amendment Law Center opposes gun ban in amicus brief, challenges 14th Amendment argument
EAST ST. LOUIS – Supporters of Gov. Pritzker’s gun law committed serious error by claiming the Fourteenth Amendment changed the Second Amendment’s meaning, according to the Second Amendment Law Center.