Jonathan Bilyk News
Judge shreds class action vs Safespeed, IL govt officials over red light camera bribes, because plaintiffs ran red lights
A federal judge says bribes that led to the installation of red light cameras in Chicago's southwest suburbs don't entitle motorists to $100 million in refunds, because the motorists actually committed the traffic offenses that prompted the $100 red light camera tickets.
HR tech vendor Paychex to pay $3.4M to settle BIPA timeclock class action; Lawyers could get 35%
Paychex is among a number of similar vendors to get sued, agree to settle, under Illinois' Biometric Information Protection Act. It's not known yet how much individual claimants might get under the deal, but lawyers could get $1.18 million.
IL Supreme Court: Power plant developer can't sue employees accused of trying to 'usurp opportunities' for themselves
In 4-3 decision, narrow majority says the company didn't completely lose the opportunity to build power plants in Texas, so the company can't sue for the lost "opportunities."
Class action claims Keebler cookies don't contain 'real fudge,' mint
The lawsuit targets Ferrara Candy Company's marketing of Keebler Fudge Mint and Fudge Stripes cookies.
Pritzker, Foxfire restaurant continue tussle over limits of guv's COVID powers to shut down restaurants
In new filings in a Springfield court, Gov. JB Pritzker argued the constitution is no impediment to his public health emergency powers. Foxfire restaurant argues the governor can't just trample their rights and wave away their claims, 16 months into a "temporary" public health emergency.
Attorneys general urge SCOTUS to rule that CTU violated teachers' speech rights by taking dues after teachers said stop
Attorneys general from Texas, Arizona, Missouri and 13 other states filed a brief in support of the class action lawsuit on behalf of 24,000 Chicago Public Schools teachers and other workers vs the Chicago Teachers Union.
Class action accuses Sprout Social of shorting sales reps OT
The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of a collective of people who worked as sales representatives and business development reps for Chicago-based Sprout Social from 2019-2020.
Judge: Pritzker's pledge to not restrict churches over COVID should end church's suit over prior restrictions
A Chicago federal judge has dismissed a Chicago church's lawsuit vs Gov. JB Pritzker over Pritzker's continued claim to emergency public health powers to close churches, saying Pritzker's promise not to do so again moots their complaint over orders Pritzker issued and rescinded in spring 2020.
Judge: Former top Foxx deputy can be questioned over reasons to abandon prosecution of two men accused in double murder, child abductions
A federal judge has denied Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's attempt to block lawyers for Chicago cops from questioning her former top deputy Eric Sussman over the decision not to seek new trials for two men who had earlier confessed to helping kill a Chicago couple to take their children.
Onward restaurant owner says Loyola University shut him down over COVID, now seeking to evict him with no recourse
Chicago restaurateur Michael Olszewski says Loyola recruited him to open a fine-dining restaurant in their new hotel building in Rogers Park, but is now seeking to evict him after blocking the restaurant from earning any money since the onset of COVID.
Ex-Palatine H.S. teacher fired for anti-riot, anti-BLM Facebook posts files First Amendment suit vs District 211, school board members
Plaintiff Jeanne Hedgepeth says Palatine Township High School District 211 and school board members should be made to pay for violating her First Amendment speech rights. She is separately suing a Black Lives Matter activist and current District 211 board member who she says falsely accused her of being a racist.
Class actions accuse Costco, Haagen-Dazs maker of selling chocolate ice cream bars with no real chocolate
Two class actions filed in Chicago federal court say the products contain too much vegetable oil, not enough cocoa butter to qualify as real chocolate.
Judge: Kronos can argue, for now, workers consented to fingerprint scans by continuously scanning their prints
A federal judge in Chicago will allow worker timeclock maker Kronos to attempt to defeat,or at least limit, a massive class action lawsuit under Illinois' biometrics law by arguing workers effectively consented to having their fingerprints scanned by continuing to scan their fingerprints on Kronos-supplied biometric time clocks.
Evanston restaurant: Pritzker's COVID closures a 'natural disaster,' should be covered by State Farm, other insurers
Attorneys for an Evanston restaurant owner have asked a state appeals court to overturn a Cook County judge's decision to dismiss their class action lawsuit against State Farm over denial of coverage for losses they suffered after Gov. JB Pritzker ordered all restaurants closed in the spring of 2020.
Shutterfly to pay $6.75M to settle biometrics class action over photo face scans; Lawyers to get $2.3M
How much individual Shutterfly users and other class members could get from the deal will depend on how many people file claims for a cut of a $4 million fund left over after lawyers and settlement administrators are paid.
New filings: $80M judgment, $15M legal fees should be axed, because settlement cost plaintiffs standing in 20-year-old case
The settlement effectively means the named, individual plaintiffs will gain nothing from the so-called derivative action on behalf of investment partnerships, so there is no longer any justification for a judgment that would net a group of lawyers, which could include a sitting Cook County judge, $15 million in fees, the defendants argue.
Cicero redirects sewage fight with BSNF to Cook County court, says isn't trying to shut down big BNSF rail yard anymore
The town of Cicero has filed suit against BNSF, saying the railroad's big railyard causes flooding throughout Cicero. BNSF had targeted Cicero for trying to jack up its sewer bills by 1,250% and then threatening to close the railyard unless BNSF paid up.
Pritzker asks appeals court to lift feds oversight of state hiring, imposed to block political hiring practices
Reform advocates have said Pritzker's request is premature, because the state hasn't shown it has stopped politically motivated hiring
Appeals court: Fired gay music minister can't claim 'hostile work environment' to sue Archdiocese for discrimination
A divided 10-judge en banc panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Appeals Court said the former music minister can't use hostile work environment claims to sidestep the Catholic Church's First Amendment protection in church ministerial employment decisions.
General Iron turns to Cook Co. court, says it followed rules, yet city refuses permit for new scrap metal recycling plant
Metal recycler General Iron lost in federal court, on a narrow ruling, and now has taken to state court its claims that the city has violated its own rules and the law in bowing to activists opposed to its new South Side recycling facility.