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COOK COUNTY RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Campaigns & Elections

Spyropoulos wins circuit court clerk race, becomes latest to pledge to modernize, restore trust in embattled office

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Mariyana Spyropoulos rode big support from Cook County Democratic Party to defeat incumbent one-term incumbent Iris Martinez
Campaigns & Elections

Foxx's No. 2 Lanier loses bid for bench; Cook voters select nominees for 40 open county judgeships

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Only 13 of the 40 open Cook County judgeships produced contested races in the March Democratic primary election. Republicans field candidates for only four judgeships in two suburban subcircuits.
Campaigns & Elections

Bring Chicago Home headed to defeat, in big loss for Mayor, political allies

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Campaigns & Elections

Cunningham cruises to win in Cook Dem IL Supreme Court race; GOPer Holder White unopposed in 4th District

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Illinois Supreme Court justices Joy V. Cunningham and Lisa Holder White - the state's first two black female high court justices - are expected to secure 10-year terms on the court. Cunningham was appointed to replace ex-Chief Justice Anne Burke; Holder White appointed to replace retired Justice Garman
Hot Topics

Chicago City Hall sues Glock, says gunmaker to blame for exacerbating city's 'epidemic' of gun violence

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The administration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has partnered with anti-gun activists to sue firearms manufacturer Glock under Illinois' new consumer fraud law specifically allowing gunmakers to get sued. Glock becomes latest company to be blamed in lawsuits for Chicago's societal woes
While the bill likely will go nowhere, it’s unfathomable that it could even be proposed: In the relevant part, a bill now pending in the Illinois legislature would criminalize, as “parental bullying,” any parent who knowingly, with intent to discipline or alter the behavior of a child, says or messages anything that would coerce the child.
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Lawdragon names Cozen O’Connor’s Shaw among Top 500 leading U.S. bankruptcy and restructuring lawyers

CHICAGO, July 17, 2023 — Lawdragon has named Chicago attorney Brian Shaw, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring practice, to its 2023 list of the Top 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers.

Cozen O’Connor attorney Matt DiCianni honored with Rising Stars Award from the National Immigrant Justice Center

Matt DiCianni, a labor and employment associate at Cozen O’Connor, has been honored with a Rising Stars Award from the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC).
Latest News
Lawsuits

Wingstop hit with biometrics class action for allegedly allowing virtual ordering app to record customer voices on phone

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit also names as defendant tech vendor ConverseNow, allegedly the supplier of a virtual AI phone order assistant
Lawsuits

Black female worker says Metra wrongly fired her over Covid vax mandate

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit claims the commuter rail agency wrongly denied her request for a religious exemption from the 2021 Covid vaccine mandate.
Lawsuits

Class action accuses CommonSpirit Health of shorting workers OT

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit seeks to include thousands of current and former workers at one of the largest Catholic health systems in the U.S.
Lawsuits

Class action accuses Physicians Immediate Care over handling of data breach

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit asserts people's personal identifying information was allegedly exposed in an April 2023 data breach, but people weren't notified until 10 months later.
Lawsuits

Class action claims Target anti-shoplifting camera system violates IL biometrics privacy law

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit could carry a potentially huge payout for Target Corp., which is accused of improperly scanning the faces of people in Target stores using its anti-theft surveillance system.
Lawsuits

Class action accuses Eggland's Best of allegedly falsely claiming its eggs are lower in saturated fat

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit alleges Eggland's Best misled consumers by advertising its eggs contained "25% less saturated fat than regular eggs," when the lawsuit claims lab tests reveal the opposite
Lawsuits

Class action accuses Quaker Oats of failing to warn customers about salmonella risk on product labels

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit doesn't allege anyone was actually exposed to salmonella, only that Quaker Oats allegedly should have stated on their product labels that their products could contain salmonella.
Lawsuits

Class action accuses Prairie Village senior living centers over worker fingerprint scans

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit asserts Prairie Village and Vantage Senior Care improperly required workers to scan fingerprints when punching the clock
Lawsuits

Class action accuses JBS Carriers of allegedly improperly using biometric cameras to monitor drivers on the job

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit accuses JBS of violating the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act. It is one of thousands filed against employers under that law in Illinois.

Wingstop hit with biometrics class action for allegedly allowing virtual ordering app to record customer voices on phone

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit also names as defendant tech vendor ConverseNow, allegedly the supplier of a virtual AI phone order assistant

Black female worker says Metra wrongly fired her over Covid vax mandate

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit claims the commuter rail agency wrongly denied her request for a religious exemption from the 2021 Covid vaccine mandate.

Class action accuses CommonSpirit Health of shorting workers OT

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit seeks to include thousands of current and former workers at one of the largest Catholic health systems in the U.S.

Class action claims Target anti-shoplifting camera system violates IL biometrics privacy law

By Cook County Record |
The lawsuit could carry a potentially huge payout for Target Corp., which is accused of improperly scanning the faces of people in Target stores using its anti-theft surveillance system.

Lawsuits claim Henyard mistreated, fired workers in Dolton, Thornton Township for refusing illegal schemes

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Three ex-Dolton village and Thornton Township workers claim Dolton Mayor and Thorntown Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard demanded they perform illegal acts, then allegedly harassed them, and ultimately fired them for refusing.

Chicago City Hall sues Glock, says gunmaker to blame for exacerbating city's 'epidemic' of gun violence

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The administration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has partnered with anti-gun activists to sue firearms manufacturer Glock under Illinois' new consumer fraud law specifically allowing gunmakers to get sued. Glock becomes latest company to be blamed in lawsuits for Chicago's societal woes

IL Supreme Court asked to hear cross-appeals on judge’s order declaring forum law unconstitutional

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
Madison County Associate Judge Ronald Foster’s order declaring Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s forum law is unconstitutional for plaintiffs residing or injured outside of Cook and Sangamon Counties has been appealed directly to the Illinois Supreme Court by both parties for separate reasons.

Realtors to pay $418M to end home seller commission class action; Big changes coming to home sale process

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Lawyers who brought the lawsuits could be in for a big payday, as well, potentially claiming $140 million from the deal, plus $69 million from earlier settlements with large real estate brokerages facing similar claims of alleged collusion to boost real estate agent commissions

Foster declares Pritzker's venue law unconstitutional, refuses to transfer firearm liability challenge to Sangamon County

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
Madison County Associate Judge Ronald J. Foster Jr. declared Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s forum law favoring Cook and Sangamon County is unconstitutional and denied Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s motion to transfer an Alton gun store’s constitutional challenge to both the venue law and the firearm liability law.

Opponents to Chicago property sales tax hike referendum ask IL Supreme Court to step in

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Business groups argued an appellate court's decision reinstating the referendum on the ballot would effectively allow the Chicago City Council and other lawmaking bodies across the state to place any referendum questions on any ballot they wish, regardless if the questions are constitutional

Judge blocks big piece of IL Dems' temp worker regulation law

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A Chicago federal judge ruled that major changes to Illinois' law regulating temp workers and day laborers can't take effect because they are preempted by federal law 

IL courts hit with avalanche of pre-trial jail appeals under SAFE-T Act; Rules rewritten to ease 'staggering' burden

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The Illinois Supreme Court has rewritten rules governing how criminal defendants can appeal judges' decisions to keep them locked up while they await trial, after such appeals rose from 171 in the past 10 years to more than 1,900 in the past five months under Illinois Democrats' SAFE-T Act

Illinois Supreme Court sets new standard on when convicted felons can credibly claim 'torture' by cops

By Scott Holland |
A divided Illinois Supreme Court rejected the attempt by Darrell Fair, who was convicted of murder and armed robbery, but claimed some of his statements while in police custody were coerced by torture. A Cook County trial judge had called such claims "an absolute lie."

Judge OKs Cook County 'assault weapons' ban, agrees that bans only apply to guns not protected by 2nd Amend

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A Chicago federal judge became the latest to uphold a ban on so-called "assault weapons," saying she was bound by a 2023 appellate ruling which declared weapons labeled by lawmakers as "dangerous," "military-grade" weapons aren't protected by the Second Amendment and can be banned

Ex-St. Anthony's Hospital HR exec appeals end of lawsuit accusing hospital of firing her for exposing 'pay-for-play'

By Scott Holland |
St. Anthony's former HR head claims she lost job for opposing 'pay-to-play' schemes linked, in part, to ex-House Speaker Madigan, who is now criminally indicted on corruption charges

Cook County Judge Carl Boyd suspended from hearing cases after charged with domestic battery

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Cook County Circuit Judge Carl Boyd was charged with domestic battery in an incident Chicago Police say left a woman with a cut on her cheek from broken glass. Boyd has served on the Cook County bench since 2012