Jonathan Bilyk News
Smollett: City's lawsuit should fail because alleged sensational hoax report didn't justify big investigation costs
An attorney for actor Jussie Smollett, who last winter dominated headlines and television broadcasts across the U.S. and around the world with his tale of being assaulted in the dead of night in Chicago, allegedly by white supporters of President Donald Trump, because he was black and gay, has asked a federal judge to toss the attempt by the city of Chicago to force Smollett to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars the city’s police spent investigating the claims the police found to be false.
Judge: Lawsuit can continue vs Cubs over Wrigley wheelchair seating arrangements
A federal judge has ruled Wrigley Field may not have enough wheelchair accessible seating, particularly along the baselines, as he will allow a lawsuit to continue arguing the Chicago Cubs seating arrangements violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Judge denies suit over IL debt, says court can't rule if lawmakers violated state constitution's 'specific purpose' rule
A judge in Springfield has refused to permit a lawsuit to continue which asserted the state’s constitution never intended to allow the state government from using debt, issued under the state’s bonding authority, to pay for operating expenses. The plaintiff in the case has vowed to appeal, saying the judge reached a wrong and hasty conclusion on the questions at the heart of the dispute.
@Properties OK to keep suing Baird & Warner over false advertising, but will need more proof later, judge says
The company that bills itself as the top real estate firm in Chicago will be allowed to continue its lawsuit against a rival, accused of false advertising in promoting its achievements in recent years - though the judge said @Properties will need to bring more proof to back its claims vs Baird & Warner.
'Nuisance' lawsuits filed vs Medline, Vantage over EtO; Complaints mirror suits vs Sterigenics
Two more companies - Medline and Vantage - have joined the list of those being sued in Cook County court for emitting ethylene oxide, a chemical compound used extensively in industry, but which a growing host of lawsuits blame for causing cancer among those living near the alleged emissions sites.
Harold Ramis' ex-lawyer accused of malpractice in latest twist to court drama following Ramis' death
A Northfield-based lawyer who worked for decades with Hollywood luminary Harold Ramis, and who has claimed Ramis' widow has cut him off from revenue that should be his, is in turn facing a legal action from Ramis' widow accusing him and his firm of charging Ramis and his film ventures excessive legal fees. An insurance company is asking a court to declare it has no obligation to defend the lawyer in the ongoing multi-faceted three-year-old courtroom drama that has followed Ramis’ death.
Madigan wins again: Lawsuit vs Speaker over 'dirty tricks' canned; Voters knew, voted for Madigan anyway, judge says
A man who claimed his campaign to unseat Illinois’ most powerful legislator was shortcircuited by sham candidates planted on the ballot to dilute the Hispanic vote can’t continue to press his lawsuit against Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan over those dirty tricks, because voters had ample knowledge of the shady tactics, yet still chose to elect Madigan anyway, a federal judge has ruled.
Illinois biometrics law unconstitutional, unfairly excludes government, 'financial institutions,' Jewel-Osco parent argues
Saying the law sets up an instance of “do as I say, not as I do,” the parent company of Jewel-Osco has asked a judge to strike down an Illinois state privacy law that it says places most private employers at risk of huge judgments, while exempting the government, its contractors and financial institutions from the same potentially draconian provisions.
Can Sterigenics easily swap sterilants? Lawyers say yes; FDA, medical device makers less certain
Lawyers leading a growing number of lawsuits vs Sterigenics say the medical device sterilizer can easily substitute another sterilization method for ethylene oxide. The FDA and medical device makers seem less certain.
Cook County judge revives lawsuit challenging whether Sheriff's Office review board could legally discipline jail officer
A once-suspended Cook County correctional officer has become the latest to win a new chance to sue the Cook County Sheriff for disciplining officers before an allegedly illegal review board.
Lawsuits vs Sterigenics surge in Cook County court following federal judge ruling
Days after a federal judge ruled Cook County courts could hear the lawsuits brought against medical device sterilization company Sterigenics, the number of lawsuits accusing the company of causing cancer has tripled in one day.
Judge: Sterigenics can still be sued in Cook County court, even if complied with federal clean air rules
Medical device sterilization company Sterigenics will need to defend itself in Cook County court against a host of lawsuits brought by trial lawyers on behalf of people living in communities surrounding Sterigenics’ Willowbrook facility, as the judge said the company's compliance with federal clean air rules don't protect it from the lawsuits accusing the company of releasing emissions the lawsuits say caused the plaintiffs' cancer.
Pipeline Health: Melrose Park broke law by asking Cook County judge to find Pipeline in contempt for Westlake bankruptcy
As a Cook County judge prepares to handle the question of whether to hold the owner of a Melrose Park hospital in contempt for filing bankruptcy, the hospital owner has in turn asked a federal bankruptcy judge to find the village of Melrose Park broke federal law by asking the Cook County judge to find them in contempt.
Big loss for Facebook on IL privacy law, big win for trial lawyers; Legal questions could be ticketed for Supreme Court
A recent decision from a California federal appeals court has handed a big win to a group of plaintiffs seeking to use an Illinois privacy law to squeeze Facebook for potentially billions of dollars, and could forebode a date before the U.S. Supreme Court, should trial lawyers seek to use the decision to boost other attempts to sidestep the high court’s earlier attempt to limit their ability to bring large class actions over claims in which no one suffered any actual harm.
Melrose Park asks judge to toss Westlake Hospital bankruptcy filing, says was done in 'bad faith'
Saying the owners of Westlake Hospital have proceeded in “bad faith,” the village of Melrose Park has asked a federal bankruptcy court to refuse to allow Westlake Hospital to proceed with its bankruptcy and the fate of the financially-troubled hospital should be decided in Cook County court.
Appeals panel: Facebook must face class action under IL privacy law over face-scanning photo tags
Facebook will need to face a class action under Illinois’ biometrics privacy law for its face-tagging technology, as a federal appeals court in California rejected both the social media giant’s attempt to argue the plaintiffs couldn’t prove they were actually harmed by the program, and Facebook’s contention a class action would dissolve into a pool of “mini-trials” over individual Illinois residents’ claims.
Westlake Hospital owners file bankruptcy, put hold on Melrose Park lawsuits
Faced with a possible court order forcing them to keep open a hospital they claim is hemorrhaging money, the owners of Melrose Park’s Westlake Hospital have asked a federal bankruptcy court to take oversight of the owners’ long-running efforts to wind down operations at the hospital, and take it out from under the Cook County courts, for now.
How much should schools pay for students' bigotry? Wilmington discrimination suit could define standard, set pattern
School officials in Wilmington have been hit with a lawsuit accusing them of ignoring a student's repeated pleas to stop racially-motivated bullying. The lawsuit has a difficult path ahead, but could have far-reaching implications, observers say
Industry groups: Statewide ban on ethylene oxide a 'sledgehammer,' would hurt IL economy, health care
Industry groups say they would oppose statewide ban on use of ethylene oxide, as proposed in new legislation from a suburban state senator, describing a ban as a "sledgehammer approach" that would harm the state economy and the U.S. health care system.
Chicago scheduling ordinance opens employers to new lawsuit risk, starting next year
A new wave of lawsuits and regulatory actions targeted at employers could begin rolling into the local courts, perhaps by the end of next year, after the city of Chicago became the latest government to establish an ordinance setting new rules for how employers can schedule their workers.