Jonathan Bilyk News
Judge: Mercedes can't sue Chicago for empowering city workers to complicate car impound reclaim process
A federal judge said Mercedes Benz had no constitutional claims against the city of Chicago for allegedly giving city workers too much power to complicate the process vehicle owners and lienholders must navigate to recover vehicles impounded for unpaid parking tickets before the vehicle is "disposed of"
IL high court: State OK to restrict constitutional challenges to state laws solely to Chicago, Springfield courts
The Illinois Supreme Court has let stand a partisan law, backed by Democrats, that blocks judges outside of Chicago and Springfield from hearing cases challenging the constitutionality of state laws. The court declined to use the ruling to end a rule limiting lawsuit 'forum shopping,' outcome sought by trial lawyers
Oak Park violated federal law in banning natgas in new homes, other buildings: Lawsuit
A group of labor unions, contractors, energy providers and industry associations sued the village of Oak Park, saying its ban on natural gas appliances in new construction violates federal law and denies its residents their rights to choice in how to power and heat their buildings
Counties ask judge to rope IL state govt, private 'tax buyers' into class action over property tax 'takings'
Suburban counties of DuPage, Lake, Will and Kane, along with three downstate counties, say they can't be forced to wear the blame and foot the bill for unconstitutional takings under a property tax system the state created and private investors are allowed to profit from
IL Sup Ct to decide if insurers can avoid covering companies hit with lawsuits over permitted emissions
A federal appeals panel has asked the Illinois Supreme Court to answer the murky legal question of whether insurers can use 'pollution exclusion' clauses to avoid paying legal defense costs for companies, like Sterigenics, hit with massive lawsuits over emissions that never broke any laws or regulations
New filing: 'Whistleblowers' can back fraud, racketeering claims vs Simmons, other asbestos lawsuit firms
L.A.-based pipemaker J-M Manufacturing wants to revive its lawsuit against Simmons Hanly Conroy and now other prominent asbestos plaintiff firms. J-M claims to have a raft of whistleblowers who can back their allegations that much of the multi-billion dollar asbestos litigation industry is allegedly a fraudulent racket
Activist groups seek to force $105K penalty vs Townstone, even though feds say case motivated by censorship
A group of progressive activist groups say a federal judge should block federal regulators from refunding a $105K fine under a deal with mortgage lender Townstone. The feds said Townstone was illegally targeted as punishment for expressing 'wrong-think' on the radio
Judge blocks Trump Labor Dept anti-DEI funding rules
A Chicago federal judge blocked the Labor Department under President Donald Trump from enforcing Trump's executive orders requiring organizations receiving grants through the DOL to certify they are not supporting DEI, if they wish to continue collecting federal money. The judge said the orders "chill" free speech
St. Clair, Madison counties retain top spots for asbestos lawsuit destinations in U.S.: New report
Consulting firm KCIC reported Madison, St. Clair, Cook counties collectively accounted for nearly half of all asbestos lawsuit filings in 2024. St. Clair County continued its rapid ascent and could equal or eclipse Madison County for the country's No. 1 destination for asbestos claims in coming years
23 states: IL, Chicago 'sanctuary' laws incentivize illegal immigration, 'spills' burden onto other states, rest of U.S.
Attorneys general from 23 states have sided in federal court with the Trump Justice Dept.'s challenge vs Illinois' and Chicago's 'Sanctuary' policies and laws. They argue IL, by shielding illegal immigrants from feds, is violating the constitutional compact among the states and increasing the burden on everyone
City Council committee rejects $1.25M for family of Dexter Reed, who shot at cops
The Chicago City Council's Finance Committee voted 15-12 to reject paying a $1.25M settlement to the family of Dexter Reed, a black man who was killed by police officers after he opened fire on them from inside his car during a traffic stop. Critics said the deal signals to criminals and cops alike that the city doesn't support police
Northwestern to settle potentially dozens of legal claims over football hazing
Attorneys representing many former Northwestern University football players said they had reached a confidential "provisional settlement" with the school to end litigation accusing coaches and other Northwestern officials of turning a blind eye to years of hazing under former coach Patrick Fitzgerald.
Republicans can't challenge gerrymandered Democratic district maps, IL Sup Ct rules
Illinois' Democrat-dominated state Supreme Court sided with Democrats in ruling Republicans waited too long to challenge state legislative district maps, which GOP said Dems used to "rig" election results. A dissenting justice blasted the court's handling of the case, saying it indicated the court wasn't "neutral"
Illinois can't force doctors to tell patients about abortion 'benefits,' judge rules
A federal judge has struck down a portion of an Illinois state law that would have stripped certain legal protections for doctors, other medical pros who refuse to tell patients about the "benefits" of abortion. The state can force docs to refer women to abortion providers, however. The case is headed to appeal
Appeals court tosses $43M crash verdict, saying plaintiffs' lawyers may have used social media to jury tamper
An Illinois appeals panel said a group of trucking companies should get a new trial in a rear-end crash case that left a woman severely injured because the woman's lawyers from the Allen Law Group may have used social media posts to improperly sway jurors
Springfield Diocese: New IL abortion discrimination law tramples religious freedoms
A new lawsuit, led by the Springfield Diocese, accuses Illinois of essentially using a new law to strip religious organizations of their constitutional autonomy by forbidding them to speak against abortion or hire based on their beliefs concerning abortion or other "reproductive health" choices
Judge: Smith & Wesson can't shoot down lawsuits over 2022 Highland Park massacre
A Lake County judge has rejected attempts by firearms maker Smith & Wesson to dismiss 25 lawsuits seeking to use Illinois state law to secure a potential massive payout from the company for allegedly illegally marketing their weapons in ways to entice 'thrill-seeking young men' to carry out acts of mass violence
Illinois automated license plate reader camera scans aren't unconstitutional searches, judge says
A federal judge in Chicago tossed, for now, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Illinois' network of automated license plate readers, accusing the state of installing implementing an unconstitutional "dragnet surveillance" system. The judge said the Fourth Amendment doesn't prevent license plate reader scans.
Pritzker again pours money into the race for control of Wisconsin's state Supreme Court
Wisconsin state campaign finance records show Illinois billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker donated $1.5M to support the campaign of Democratic Judge Susan Crawford in the race for control of Wisconsin's state Supreme Court. Democrats have, at the same time, criticized Republicans for attempting to "buy" the seat
'Baseless targeting': Internal review shows feds sought to punish Townstone over radio comments
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has asked a federal judge to reverse a settlement with Townstone Financial and refund $105K the company had paid to end a regulatory action that sought to punish the company over comments made on a radio show which the agency claimed were discriminatory