Michael J. Kasper
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State's attorneys: IL Dems rewrote IL constitution by eliminating bail; IL A/G: SAFE-T Act protects constitutional rights
Legal teams representing 62 Illinois county prosecutors and the Illinois state officials have squared off with opposing filings in Kankakee County court, with the fate of the so-called SAFE-T Act at stake -
Judges say Dems' partisan power grab in drawing new maps didn't also violate Voting Rights Act
Democrat mapmakers were "motivated by partisan political considerations," a panel of federal judges said, so it doesn't matter that they divided Latino and Black populations up among various districts, rather than maximizing majority minority districts -
IL Dems, challengers spar in court over whose map would result in more Latino, Black lawmakers elected
Republicans and Latino and Black advocates told a panel of federal judges that Illinois Democrats drew a new state legislative district map solely to protect Democratic incumbents and boost their party power, stepping on Black and Latino voting rights in the process. -
Republicans, Latino advocates file proposed map to 'correct constitutional defects' of Dems' state districts
The proposed new map, filed with federal judges, would nearly triple the number of majority Latino state House and Senate districts, compared to plan approved by Democrats and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in September -
Judges: Democrats' June state district maps unconstitutional; New September maps still under review
A panel of federal judges said Democrats' decision to use "population estimates," rather than Census data resulted in unbalanced districts, under a plan rushed through simply to retain firm grip on power -
Trial lawyers keep funding Madigan political war chest, despite bribery scandal; $161K donated in September
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is also chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, has been implicated in a federal bribery investigation. Trial lawyers, however, continue to donate money to Madigan's campaign organization. -
State Board of Elections set to hear objections to St. Clair County judges' candidacies Jan. 20
The Illinois State Board of Elections will meet next week to hear challenges to the candidacies of three sitting circuit judges who have chosen unusual paths toward keeping their positions. Twentieth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge John Baricevic and Circuit Judges Robert LeChien and Robert Haida submitted letters of resignation to Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita Garman both on Aug. 3 and Aug. 14, 2015, writing that they intended to seek election to their seats rather than to seek retenti