Dan Churney News
IL Atty General hits Chicago lawyer with legal action over alleged mishandling of trust
A longtime Chicago lawyer is in hot water with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Office in connection with questions about his handling of a charitable trust. The Attorney General’s Office lodged a complaint Aug. 31 in Cook County Circuit Court against Richard C. Moenning.
Guilt-by-marriage? Video gambling applicant claims Illinois Gaming Board blackballed her because of spouse’s suit against Board
A West Chicago woman has sued the Illinois Gaming Board, claiming the board improperly turned down her applications last spring for four video gaming licenses for planned establishments in suburban Chicago, in retaliation for a lawsuit her husband had brought against the Board over sweepstakes machines.
Judge refuses new trial vs Owens, Exxon for pipefitter with lung cancer a jury found was caused by cigarettes, not asbestos
A Chicago federal judge refused to grant a new trial Aug. 25 for a retired pipefitter from Braidwood, who failed to convince a jury earlier this year exposure to asbestos on corporate job sites, rather than a cigarette smoking habit, had caused his lung cancer. Charles Krik filed suit in November 2010 in Chicago federal court against Owens-Illinois, ExxonMobil and others, claiming his lung cancer was caused, in part, because the companies negligently exposed him to asbestos while he worked as a
Woman active in Schiller Park politics, community organizations, wants Facebook to reveal ID of blogger
A politically active Schiller Park woman wants to target the blogger she claims defamed her, and to do so has taken action in Cook County Circuit Court to force Facebook and Wordpress to identify the blogger.
Medical marijuana executive withdraws suit vs Chicago law firm over bungled deal, tax liability
A lawsuit brought by a Prospect Heights developer and entrepreneur in Cook County Circuit Court, claiming his financial interest in a medical marijuana consulting company may go to pot because a Loop law firm allegedly bungled a merger between the marijuana company and two other corporations, has been dismissed. The judge entered an order accepting Baroud's motion for voluntary dismissal Dec. 14.
Temporary flooding caused by government action can be illegal taking of property, appellate panel rules
A state appellate panel has ruled the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion, and not that of the state’s highest court, should hold sway in a case in which a group of Chicago area homeowners have argued a decision by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to release flood waters, resulting in backed-up sewers, flooded creeks and extensive damages to surrounding homes, constitutes an illegal taking of their property under the Illinois Constitution.
1st Appellate Court refuses to upset $8 million verdict in I-94 wrongful death case
An appeals panel has upheld an $8 million judgment awarded to the family of a suburban woman killed by a truck along the side of Interstate 94 in 2010, rejecting a trucking company's claims it didn't get a fair trial and the trial judge made a number of mistakes. The First District Appellate Court in Chicago on Aug. 14 affirmed the jury verdict awarded to the family of Stacey L. McHale.
IL attorney discipline panel recommends lawyer imprisoned for bank fraud lose law license
An Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission’s hearing board has recommended the Supreme Court of Illinois strip the license of an imprisoned lawyer, who the regulators assert showed no remorse for committing a multi-million dollar fraud.
FDIC OK to continue pursuit of $100K retainer paid to lawyer just before First DuPage Bank failure
A Chicago federal judge has turned down a motion to dismiss a suit brought against a now-shuttered law firm by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is seeking the return of an alleged improper retainer paid the firm by a failing bank. On Aug. 22, 2014, the FDIC filed a one-count complaint against the Coleman Law Firm, of Chicago, demanding return of $100,000 that had been paid the firm by officers of the now defunct First DuPage Bank.
Former McHenry prosecutor OK'd to sue State's Attorney over firing following testimony in corruption case
A federal judge in Rockford allowed a former assistant prosecutor to continue his suit against his ex-boss, embattled McHenry County State’s Attorney Louis Bianchi, but not against another of Bianchi’s prosecutors, for allegedly firing him for testifying against Bianchi in a failed misconduct case.
Texas businessman's malpractice claim dismissed vs Katten Muchin firm, partner, over handling of fraud suit
A lawsuit brought by a one-time client, who acted as his own attorney, against the Katten Muchin law firm, of Chicago, was dismissed after the man, after filing the lawsuit, opted not to continue to press the case in which he claimed the firm had misled him about their legal skills, torpedoing a fraud lawsuit.
Video gaming 'finder' says Ill. Gaming Board penalized, 'blacklisted' his company without authority
A Dundee man is in Cook County Circuit Court, saying the Illinois Gaming Board dealt him a bad hand by improperly ordering a video gaming company to stop using his business as a broker to arrange contracts for lease of the company's machines.
Bankrupt lender can't sue GE for allegedly lengthening lifespan of Ponzi scheme that ensnared them
A Chicago federal judge has dismissed litigation brought against GE Capital by the trustee for a bankrupt lender who claimed the bank’s failure to publicly expose a Ponzi scheme before the scheme was halted by law enforcement cost the bankrupt lender millions of dollars in defaulted loans.
Class action alleges loan company made 'hundreds of thousands' of collection calls to cell phones
In Chicago’s federal court, it’s Dial L for Lawsuit, as a Mississippi woman has brought a class-action complaint against a multi-state personal finance company for allegedly violating federal law by making hundreds of thousands of unsolicited, automated telephone calls. Shirley Williams filed the suit July 22 against First Tower Loan LLC on behalf of herself and a class including others similarly situated, alleging the company violated the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
Federal judge doesn’t go for corporate shuffling in parking attendant labor suit
A Chicago parking lot attendant company tried to pull away from a class-action labor lawsuit brought by former employees, but a federal judge has applied the brakes.
Family of Chicago cop killed in Dan Ryan motorcycle crash sues city, county over missing express lane posts
The family of a Chicago police officer, killed while off duty last year in an Interstate 94 crash, lodged a wrongful death suit July 16, blaming the city of Chicago and Cook County for contributing to the officer’s death by allegedly failing to replace almost one dozen missing traffic control posts at the scene. Winifred Rodriguez filed an eight-count wrongful death suit in Cook County Circuit Court, accusing the city and county of negligence and willful and wanton misconduct in connection with
K-9 officer sues Lynwood for denying OT for time spent off-duty taking care of police dog
A suburban police chief allegedly told a K-9 officer he was barking up the wrong tree, so the officer went to federal court, claiming his department violated federal law in denying him pay for off-duty time spent caring for a police dog.
Judge refuses request for fresh look at $80 million judgment for casinos over horse tracks owners' conspiracy with Blagojevich
A federal judge has refused to buck a verdict ordering a group of Chicago-area horse track owners to pay about $80 million to four casinos, because the track owners allegedly bribed former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to tax the casinos and hand the purse to horse industry interests. In 2009, Empress Casino and Harrah’s Casino, both in Joliet, as well as Hollywood Casino in Aurora and Grand Victoria Casino Elgin sued several defendants, including Blagojevich and John Johnston, the owner of the Balmoral
Judge: Smart electrical meters are not unconstitutional invasion of homeowners' privacy
The installation of smart electric meters by a city-owned utility does not amount to a violation of a homeowner’s constitutional rights against warrantless search, no matter how much data the meters might collect or transmit about a homeowner’s electrical use, a Chicago federal judge has ruled.
Appellate: Legal malpractice claim over failed Loop project can proceed because firm did not tell of competing lien
A Chicago construction company has prevailed on appeal in its malpractice beef with a Chicago law firm, in which the company claimed it lost more than $1 million after the firm allowed a lender to jump its lien on a failed Loop condominium project.