Jonathan Bilyk News
New filing: Illinois has constitutional authority to ignore immigration law, complicate deportations
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul responded to the Trump administration's lawsuit vs Illinois' 'Sanctuary' laws, arguing the U.S. Constitution and past court decisions allow the state to pass laws forbidding police from cooperating with nearly all federal immigration enforcement 'schemes'
Anti-Israel activists seek end to class action over protest blockade of main O'Hare road entrance
Lawsuit accuses activists of illegally conspiring to block I-190 and "imprison" people in their vehicles as part of a nationwide campaign to disrupt economic and societal activity to support Hamas in its war with Israel. The activists say the lawsuit is "baseless" and the plaintiffs should be punished by the court
IL high court questions if GOP gerrymandering suit is 'timely;' GOP: 'Unquestionably' so
Democrats have yet to respond to a Republican lawsuit seeking to toss out Democrats' partisan gerrymandered Illinois state legislative maps. But the Democrat-dominated Illinois Supreme Court moved on its own to ask both sides to present arguments if the challenge to the maps was "timely."
Appeals court: CTA can't be sued over death of woman struck by L train while retrieving dropped phone
A state appeals panel said the CTA owed no special duty to keep a watch out for or rescue a woman who had dropped down onto the tracks at the 69th Street Red Line station to retrieve the mobile phone she had dropped seconds before she was struck and killed by a train attempting an emergency stop
City Hall curbs class action over cell phone distracted driving tickets
Plaintiffs have filed to appeal the ruling of a Cook County judge, who said a recent Illinois Supreme Court decision all but demolishes a class action lawsuit claiming the city has for more than a decade wrongly prosecuted distracted driving tickets through city administrative hearings, rather than in court
Triton College seeks to block potential sale of Rosemont Theatre, amid a tiff over taxes
The trustees of Triton College, a community college district in River Grove, has filed suit against the village of Rosemont, saying the village is violating state law by attempting to sell the Rosemont Theatre and then claim all of its property tax revenue for the next two decades.
No delay for new EtO cancer trial for Lake County woman vs Steris Isomedix
Medical device sterilizer Steris Isomedix said it should be allowed to attempt to force other companies who used EtO at sterilization plants in Lake County to share the potential payouts, when any of hundreds of lawsuits go to trial blaming emissions from the plant for cancers.
D113 pays $500K to settle ex-Highland Park HS asst principal's suit over record-shredding, sex offender favoritism
Former Highland Park H.S. Assistant Principal Amy Burnetti had accused Township High School District 113 of illegally demoting her in retaliation for cooperating with prosecutors investigating misconduct claims vs D113 officials
Pritzker donating big money again in hot Wisconsin state Supreme Court race
Billionaire IL Gov. JB Pritzker has so far donated $500K in the contest, amid a flood of outside money coming in the race to determine control of the key swing state's top court. In 2023, Pritzker also donated more than $1M in Wisconsin, despite also supporting a law prohibiting outside groups from donating in Illinois judicial races
IL Treasurer: Chicago City Hall wrongly keeping millions of dollars worth of unclaimed checks, other property
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, through Attorney General Kwame Raoul, sued the city of Chicago, seeking a court order knocking down the city's claim that its home rule power exempts it from having to turn over to the state millions of dollars of unclaimed checks and refunds owed to Illinoisans
Ex-IL House Speaker, Dem leader Madigan convicted of bribery, wire fraud
Michael J. Madigan, who used his position as state House Speaker and chairman of the state Democrats to amass sweeping influence across all levels in Illinois for decades, was convicted by a federal jury. Reform advocates and GOPers say it should serve as a "wake-up call" for more extensive reforms in the notoriously corruption-plagued state
Professor says UIC fired him for being white, speaking out against anti-white hiring practices
A former professor has sued the University of Illinois Chicago, claiming they discriminated against him as a white male and retaliated against him for voicing concerns over alleged illegal anti-white faculty hiring and promotion policies and programs
City to pay $27M to family of woman who died after being paralyzed by suspects fleeing cops; Lawyers get $9M
Chicago City Council Finance Committee OKs $27 million deal to end lawsuit from family of woman who was struck by a vehicle fleeing police in August 2020 on South Side. The suit accused the city over officers' alleged violations of city policies forbidding such chases. The family will get $17 million from the settlement.
'The offender is the victim now:' City to debate deal to pay Dexter Reed's family $1.25M
The deal, which could be approved by Chicago City Council by Feb. 19, would pay $1.25 million to the family of a man all but his own family and their lawyers conceded fired first at Chicago cops. It has drawn intense criticism from aldermen who assert it sends a terrible message to police and the community
'This ends today:' DOJ asks court to block IL, Chicago from using 'Sanctuary' laws to hinder deportation of criminals
Federal lawsuit from the Trump administration asserts the state of Illinois, city of Chicago and Cook County are unconstitutionally using state laws and local ordinances to shield illegal immigrants - and particularly, illegal immigrants who have been convicted of other, violent crimes - from being removed from the U.S.
IL appeals court: Ex-Fertility Clinics finance director can't sue over firing, but not because of crimes
The court said the IL Human Rights Commission was OK to dismiss a complaint lodged by a man who claimed Fertility Clinics of Illinois illegally fired him from his post as finance director after finding out he had been indicted for financial crimes. The Commission had ruled the man was unresponsive and abandoned his case
Lawsuits: City Hall, Bally's illegally blocking white males from investing in new Chicago casino
The lawsuits, filed by the American Alliance for Equal Rights and the Liberty Justice Center, say Chicago City Hall illegally forced Bally's to agree to racial and sex-based ownership and hiring quotas at the planned new Chicago casino, which resulted in white males being denied the opportunity to invest in the project
Not 'free and equal:' IL GOP asks court to toss out gerrymandered state House map
Republicans have asked the Illinois Supreme Court to uphold the legislative district mapmaking principles spelled out in its own prior rulings and knock out a map so gerrymandered that Republicans say Democrats can win a supermajority even if they lose the statewide popular vote, trampling voting rights
Pro-immigrant activists demand court shut down Trump immigration raids in Chicago
The activist groups claim the immigration raids violate their First Amendment rights because Chicago was targeted to punish cities and other jurisdictions who have flouted federal immigration laws by enacting so-called "Sanctuary" policies and vowing to protect illegal immigrants
IL Sup Court upholds changes to workers' comp law; Asbestos, other toxic exposure suits from decades past not barred
The court ruled changes enacted by Illinois Democrats at the urging of trial lawyers don't deprive companies of their constitutional due process rights by now allowing them to be sued over exposure to asbestos and other toxic substances from decades past, when they had previously been explicitly shielded