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Supreme Court puts hold on Cook Co. judge accused of abusing authority in pursuing sanctions in asbestos case

By Jonathan Bilyk | Wednesday, Aug 2, 2017 @ 3:44pm

The Illinois Supreme Court, acting in response to a request from lawyers who claim they and others have been targeted by a “rogue” Cook County judge, has stepped in to slap a hold on potential sanctions proceedings against lawyers and litigants on both sides of an asbestos personal injury case, blocking the judge, for now, from continuing his bench investigation of what he said resembled an improper “grand bargain” between plaintiffs’ lawyers and those for defendant gasket maker John Crane Inc.