The number of appeals filed by criminal defendants seeking release from jail while they await trial dropped from 1,041 in January to mid-April to 154 in the three months following rule changes to ease the burden. The appeals numbers are still up significantly compared to years preceding Illinois' criminal justice system reforms
The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled trial lawyers can't entirely sidestep emergency orders issued by Gov. JB Pritzker at the onset of the Covid pandemic to hit nursing homes with lawsuits over Covid deaths, even though the governor's orders appeared to protect them from such lawsuits
Learn how to use Microsoft Teams during your next virtual administrative hearing, how to submit documents before and after the hearing, and what you need to know to handle online continuances and withdrawals.
The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services (OSPS) unveiled a new interactive pretrial data dashboard today that provides a summary of several initial decision points for criminal cases filed since the implementation of Public Act 101-652 and Public Act 102-1104, (commonly referred to as the Pretrial Fairness Act) on Sept. 18, 2023.
The settlement will end legal actions launched by 43 states accusing Johnson & Johnson of allegedly misleading consumers about the safety of its talc baby powder and body powder products. The company has denied its products cause cancer, as other plaintiffs have claimed in thousands of other lawsuits
EAST ST. LOUIS - Former restaurant manager Amanda Aucutt of Dupo must abide by an arbitration agreement that she declared she didn’t remember signing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Gilbert Sison ruled on May 1.
The ongoing debate revolves around the distinction between free speech and harassment or intimidation. While one party's expression is often defended as a fundamental right, opposing viewpoints challenging their statements can sometimes be labeled as harassment. In my perspective, individuals should indeed have the freedom to express their preferences and support their chosen candidates. However, when these expressions escalate into making defamatory or libelous remarks, they undermine the very protections they seek to uphold.
EAST ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge David Dugan, who granted default judgment against Chinese electric sock maker Global Vasion in a wrongful death suit in 2021, has set a hearing on Nov. 15 to determine damages.
Five Midwest states have enacted or expanded school choice programs since the Invest in Kids Act was enacted in 2017. Now Illinois’ scholarships are set to expire while other programs thrive.
EAST ST. LOUIS – Former Fayetteville Treasurer Georgia Huelsman claims Village President Brian Funk fired her for reporting corruption that included suspicious purchases of ammunition, riot gear, and shotguns.
MONROE, Louisiana – U. S. District Judge Terry Doughty, who on the Fourth of July enjoined censorship of social media by Joe Biden’s administration, found the government censored a St. Louis native and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. three days after Biden took the oath of office.
BELLEVILLE – A patient has filed a lawsuit against his doctor and HSHS Medical Group, claiming he suffered an infection following surgery that led to amputation.
Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Twentieth Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Sara L. Rice as an associate judge of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit.
BELLEVILLE – A negligence lawsuit alleges a Fairview Heights woman's dog bit a child and she refused to cooperate with authorities, forcing the child to undergo rabies treatments.
BENTON – St. Clair Country Club of Belleville can’t stop Cincinnati Insurance from serving subpoenas on contractors who have seen the clubhouse roof, U.S. Magistrate Judge Reona Daly ruled on June 26.
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered three historic decisions Friday. The response by leading Illinois progressives insulted not just the Court but most Americans — who side with the Court. The progressive’s comments were intended to inflame division and undermine the Court’s legitimacy. They were brazenly hypocritical, and many comments included flat-out lies.
Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, announced today that the Eleventh Judicial Circuit judges voted to select Mary E. Koll as associate judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
BELLEVILLE – The family of a patient at Belleville Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center claims he died while under their care as a result of employee negligence and carelessness.
