Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald, who retired from the Illinois Supreme Court in 2010, passed away Sunday at his home following a battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 74.
NEW YORK CITY and EAST ST. LOUIS – Actions that Alton asbestos lawyer John Simmons took six and 12 years ago have stuck him in the spotlight of a criminal corruption trial in New York and an $8 billion corruption claim in Illinois. In New York, former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has served a subpoena for documents about Simmons in preparation for his trial, set to start on Nov. 2. Physician Robert Taub, who received the subpoena, told the court that Silver could get the documents from fede
Doug Wojcieszak, an investigator for lawyers suing State Farm over its role in the 2004 campaign of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier, canceled a deposition about his investigation on five days notice. State Farm counsel Joseph Cancila of Chicago reported the cancellation to U.S.
SPRINGFIELD — Top lawyers for Illinois’ Republican governor and Democratic attorney general are in a dustup over the governor’s office filing a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S.
"My colleagues and I are deeply saddened by Joe’s passing," said Chief Justice Rita B. Garman. "He was truly dedicated to his role as the voice of the Illinois Supreme Court, and we watched in awe as he continued to carry out his duties even as he fought his illness."
Williamson County native, Judge James "Randy" Moore, will be announcing his intention to seek election to the Fifth District Appellate Court on Oct. 13.
EAST ST. LOUIS – Lawyers who claim State Farm corrupted Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier must reveal communications with researchers back to 2005, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Williams ruled on Sept. 28. Williams denied a claim of work product privilege for 34 documents that State Farm requested for its defense in an $8 billion racketeering suit.
Fifth District appellate judges reversed decisions of five judges from Madison, St. Clair, and Randolph counties in a single week. While Fifth District judges panned decisions of circuit judges, the Illinois Supreme Court panned a Fifth District decision.
The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of Prairie Farms Dairy (PFD), locked in a long-term dispute with a Highland couple over a milk marketing agreement.
HILLSBORO – Sarah Deatherage, widow of state trooper Kyle Deatherage, must testify about her dating and social life, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Douglas Jarman ruled on Sept. 17. He ordered her to answer questions she wouldn’t answer in June, at a deposition for her suit against the owners and the driver of a truck that hit her husband.
Another round of judicial review lies ahead in an asbestos contractor's protracted battle against a state agency involving cleanup of federal grounds. The Illinois Supreme Court has ordered the Fifth District to review the record on appeal to determine whether a St. Clair County circuit court abused its discretion in denying Lake Environmental's motion for sanctions against the Illinois Department of Public Health.
SPRINGFIELD – Thousands of losers in corrupt auctions at the Madison County courthouse should pursue recovery one by one rather than as a class, the winners argue at the Illinois Supreme Court. Buyers who purchased delinquent property taxes without competition petitioned the Justices on Sept. 21, for leave to appeal certification of a class action against them.
O'Fallon attorney Todd Alexander Gordon has been suspended for a year and until further order of the Illinois Supreme Court over misconduct involving false statements to clients, failing to return unearned fees and neglecting several different client matters.
HILLSBORO – Sarah Deatherage, widow of state trooper Kyle Deatherage, persists in attacking Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier in Montgomery County litigation. In a deposition for her wrongful death suit against Dot Foods, Deatherage said she volunteered for a press conference against Karmeier’s retention last year.
With two vacant appellate court seats, appointed Appellate Judge James “Randy” Moore announced his plan to seek election to the Fifth District Appellate Court at a press conference in Mount Vernon on Tuesday.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in May that pension benefits flowing to government retirees can never be “diminished or impaired.” A new investigation into state and local pension records reveals this ironclad protection can extend beyond the grave. From 2010 to 2014, 11 of Illinois’ 15 largest pension funds paid out $2.2 million in pension benefits to more than 1,000 dead people.
EDWARDSVILLE – Former Madison County treasurer Fred Bathon, fresh from prison, ignored a court order to provide an email address for a class action over a bid rigging conspiracy he led. Visiting judge William Becker reacted in surprise at a status conference on Sept. 3, upon learning that no one had contacted Bathon. Paul Slocomb, representing bid rigger John Vassen, told Becker he didn’t know if Bathon received a letter he mailed. Slocomb said he did not have a telephone number for Bathon.