Steve Korris News
Dugan denies class certification in Casino Queen pension suit, finding too many differences in claims
EAST ST. LOUIS - On Feb. 26, U.S. District Judge David Dugan denied certification of a class action for Casino Queen employees whose pension plan collapsed.
Rosenstengel orders every plaintiff in paraquat MDL to provide proof of exposure
EAST ST. LOUIS - Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, who has been combing through cases alleging weed killer paraquat caused Parkinson's disease for plaintiffs she could trust had legitimate claims, decided not to trust any of them and ordered discovery for everyone.
Slusser: Prenzler collected $82,000 in contributions from county vendors; Prenzler says he didn't know which were vendors
EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Treasurer and Board Chairman candidate Chris Slusser is drawing attention to contributions made to incumbent Kurt Prenzler’s campaign committee in light of a promise he made in 2016 not to accept money from county vendors.
Former Centralia prison officer allegedly terminated for refusing to wear mask on religious grounds
EAST ST. LOUIS - Former Centralia prison officer Garrett Rose of Salem claims corrections department leaders didn’t discipline officers who ignored the mask mandate but terminated him for disobeying on religious grounds.
McGlynn orders parties to answer questions about banned weapons in PICA challenges
EAST ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn asked 15 questions about weapons the state banned in the Protecting Illinois Communities Act (PICA) and directed the parties to pick a date for providing answers.
First trial over claims that Enfamil formula caused infant's death is underway in St. Clair County
BELLEVILLE - Pressure will build for weeks at the St. Clair County courthouse in the nation’s first trial on a claim that Mead Johnson’s Enfamil formula caused an infant’s death, but the first day of jury selection brought smiles and connected the community.
Mistrial declared after jury reaches impasse in former SIU-C professor's discrimination suit
EAST ST. LOUIS - One juror among eight prevented a verdict at a discrimination trial of former Associate Professor Tawanda Greer-Medley against Southern Illinois University.
Seventh Circuit affirms Dugan in Ancestry.com arbitration dispute
CHICAGO - Users of Ancestry.com agree to arbitrate disputes, but if they test their children then the children don’t lose the right to sue, U.S. Seventh Circuit appellate judges ruled on Feb. 15.
Dupo woman opposes arbitration in wrongful termination dispute
EAST ST. LOUIS - Amanda Aucutt of Dupo, who sued former employer Capstone Restaurant Group, claims she never saw or signed an agreement to arbitrate such a dispute.
Suit alleges man was crushed by machinery while performing maintenance
EAST ST. LOUIS - Lisa Mattern of Albers seeks damages from the manufacturer of a foundry machine that crushed husband Mark Mattern at Century Brass Works in Swansea in 2022.
Rosenstengel grants default judgment in suit over broadcast of boxing match
EAST ST. LOUIS - Khalilah Liddell owes $14,445.15 to Joe Hand Promotions for showing a boxing match at Teddy’s bar in Cahokia Heights without a license, Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel ruled on Feb. 13.
Suit: Florida lender chartered under Wisconsin tribal law charges 712% interest and isn't tribe member
EAST ST. LOUIS - Katherine Schnefke of Edwardsville, who last year settled a claim that online lender First Loan charged 777% interest, filed another claim last week that online lender Avail Blue charged 712%.
Another paraquat plaintiff selected for deposition dismisses claims
EAST ST. LOUIS - Another plaintiff in national litigation of claims that weed killer paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease closed a case rather than testify about it.
Rosenstengel partially denies summary judgment in Chester Mental Health employee's suit alleging failure to accommodate disabilities
EAST ST. LOUIS - Chester Mental Health Center admissions and discharge coordinator Angela Kongeal deserves trial on claims that her employers didn’t accommodate her disabilities, Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel ruled on Feb. 12.
Route 13 Diner cook granted default judgment in overtime pay dispute
EAST ST. LOUIS - Route 13 Diner owner Jimmy Johnson owes more than $3,000 to former cook Dorrine Douglas and more than $7,000 to her lawyer Nathan Volheim of Lombard, U.S. District Judge David Dugan ruled on Feb. 6.
Illinois Supreme Court grants petition for outside judge in Hulme, Dorman suits
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Supreme Court gave former Madison County Administrator Doug Hulme and former Technology Director Rob Dorman an outside judge for a day to decide if they require an outside judge for good.
More than one third of plaintiffs selected for depositions on paraquat claims have dismissed their cases
EAST ST. LOUIS - Nine of 25 plaintiffs that Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel selected to test the substance of claims that weed killer paraquat caused Parkinson’s disease dismissed their claims in two weeks.
Cates, Mahoney to appeal arbitration ruling in $10 million settlement fee dispute
EDWARDSVILLE - Ryan Mahoney and David Cates, former partners in a $10 million dispute over fees from settlements, both plan to appeal an order of Circuit Judge Sarah Smith awarding each of them a partial victory on arbitration.
McGlynn moves forward with gun ban litigation, says he won't wait for gov to figure out what they actually passed
EAST ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn told Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wells he won’t wait for the state to explain the choices legislators made in the weapon ban they passed last year.
EPA report: No risk of Parkinson's disease from weed killer paraquat
WASHINGTON - Benefits of weed killer paraquat easily outweigh risks, according to regulators at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A report they issued on Jan. 30 assigned no weight at all to a risk of Parkinson’s disease.