After months of fighting for the right to appeal a class certification order in a Madison County suit involving bid rigging, an order was filed on the record outlining the Illinois Supreme Court’s conclusions.
SPRINGFIELD – Former Highland dairy farmers Michael and Denise Richter, who let a suit against Prairie Farms languish for five years, found no visible support at the Illinois Supreme Court for their plea that they didn’t let it die. At oral argument on Jan. 14, questions from the Justices harmonized better with Prairie Farms than with Fourth District appellate judges who kept the case alive.
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Supreme Court denied Stephen Tillery’s plea to recall a 2006 Court-issued mandate that struck down a $10.0 billion judgment against Phillip Morris in attempt to close the long-battled case.
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
Investigator Doug Wojcieszak, whose reports form the basis of corruption claims against Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier, might not take the stand at trial on that subject. Lawyers who paid him for evidence that State Farm secretly financed Karmeier’s campaign in 2004 have abruptly reduced his status to potential witness.
SPRINGFIELD – Last time the Illinois Supreme Court rejected Stephen Tillery’s $10.1 billion judgment against Philip Morris, 10 years ago, he petitioned the U.S.
Fund-raising efforts for two Democratic contenders seeking seats at the Fifth District Appellate Court tell different stories. According to financial disclosure statements filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Metro-East personal injury firms or attorneys contributed approximately one-fourth of the total $30,200 in itemized individual contributions received by the campaign committee of Jo Beth Weber of Mount Vernon.
Madison County Associate Judge Stephen Stobbs denied a motion to dismiss an asbestos case filed by Ford Motor Company, relying on a statement made by Ford to the Illinois Supreme Court expressing its substantial contacts with the state.
WASHINGTON — Forced unionization of government workers may be on the brink of ending in the United States if questions asked Monday by justices of the U.S.
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court has denied attorney Stephen Tillery's request to recall a mandate the Court issued a decade ago after it struck down a $10.1 billion judgment against Philip Morris. In the same announcement posted this afternoon, the Court also denied Tillery's move to recuse or disqualify Justice Lloyd Karmeier from hearing the matter. Only Justice Robert Thomas did not participate in the decisions. Karmeier denied a similar recusal motion last year, after Tillery’s b
A state appellate panel has struck down an Illinois law providing tax exemptions to hospitals, saying lawmakers erred under the state constitution in believing hospitals should be able to avoid paying property taxes because they may provide enough benefits to their communities to offset the millions of dollars in tax revenue lost to cities, counties, school districts and other local property tax-collecting entities. On Jan. 5, a three-justice panel of the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Cour
The Illinois Supreme Court has shot down a plaintiff’s attempt to change judges after she dropped a lawsuit and then re-filed it, saying her attempt to “reset the clock” on the process was a loophole those who wrote the rules did not intend to be exploited. State law allows each party to a lawsuit to request one substitution of judge without cause, as long as the motion is made before the judge ha
A fraud suit that originated 10 years ago in Madison County will be argued at the Illinois Supreme Court on Jan. 14. Prairie Farms Dairy (PFD) is appealing a Fourth District Appellate Court decision involving a milk marketing agreement that went in favor of plaintiffs Michael and Denise Richter of Highland in June.
The Illinois Supreme Court on Jan. 12 will hear oral arguments involving a speeding ticket issued in Troy, and any action it takes could alter the rules of the road. The case involves driver Christopher Geiler who was stopped by Troy police May 5, 2014, for exceeding the speed limit by 15 miles per hour.
St. Clair County judges commit fraud on the public by running for election rather than retention, radio voice Bob Romanik alleges in complaints to the state Judicial Inquiry Board.
HILLSBORO – Swansea attorney Tom Keefe signed an order on Dec. 14, agreeing to not resort to snide, insulting, derogatory, uncivil or harassing comments in Montgomery County circuit court. Keefe withdraws an allegation that lawyers for DOT Foods and a trucking subsidiary deserve sanctions for misconduct at a deposition of a company witness. He concedes that his client Sarah Deatherage must answer questions about dating and social life. He agrees not to disparage opposing counsel in email to l
Subpoenas have been requested of St. Clair County Circuit Judges John Baricevic, Robert LeChien and Robert Haida in a case before the State Board of Elections challenging their nominations as Democratic candidates for seats they vacated. Dallas Cook, Belleville's city clerk, seeks to have the judges' names removed from the March primary ballot, arguing their candidacies are not valid because they are required by statute to run for retention, not re-election as they seek to do.