Jonathan Bilyk News
SAFE-T Act boosts uncertainty around trespassing enforcement, could raise lawsuit risk for cops, property owners
Police will generally still be able to forcibly remove trespassers from homes and businesses, under Illinois' sweeping criminal justice reform law, but unclear language makes it more likely the law will be enforced inconsistently
Class actions: NFL, Warner Bros, Buzzfeed illegally tracked subscribers' online viewing habits
The lawsuits, which accuse the companies of violating federal video privacy law, seek to include potentially millions of subscribers to NFL.com, the Huffington Post and CNN.com
Employee can't sue United for furloughing workers while taking $5B in federal Covid payroll aid
Judge says Treasury Department alone is responsible for enforcing CARES Act agreements, and "third parties," like workers, are not allowed to attempt to enforce the law through lawsuits
Judge to mull lifting hold on ex-ISP's director's suit vs Pritzker-connected ex-employee over sex assault claims
As criminal probes drag on vs ex-ISP employee Jenny Thornley, a federal judge is considering whether to let her former boss resume his lawsuit accusing her of smearing his name with false sexual assault claims, to thwart criminal probes against her
CPS to pay $9.25M to settle CTU lawsuits over alleged racial discrimination in school 'turnaround' program
Chicago Public Schools said the turnaround program resulted in better schools for all students. Chicago Teachers Union said it resulted in discriminatory layoffs of Black teachers
Anne Burke to retire from IL Supreme Court, to be replaced by appellate Justice Joy Cunningham
Burke, who is married to indicted powerful Democrat Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, has served on the state Supreme Court since 2006 and will retire Dec. 1. Cunningham, a Black female judge now serving on the Illinois First District Appellate Court in Chicago, was appointed to fill the vacancy until 2024.
'Not out of the woods': New CDC guidelines recognize natural Covid immunity, but vax mandates remain hard to defeat
Vaccine mandate opponents say they intend to use new CDC guidelines to continue efforts to persuade judges to force officials to prove public health mandates that infringe rights actually produce the stated desired results
Appeals court rejects new hearing over whether hospitals can sue IL state govt over slow, reduced Medicaid payments
Judges on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said the state's concerns over liability risks and potential significant new regulatory burdens are "exaggerated"
Amazon Web Services wrongly scanned faces of people applying for jobs through Wonolo, class action says
The class action lawsuit says AWS' alleged activities allegedly violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act and allowed AWS to profit by boosting performance of its image recognition program
Urban Prep Academies founder says CPS railroaded him out of his CEO post under sham Title IX investigation
Timothy King resigned in August 2021 after the Chicago Public Schools investigation allegedly upheld claims King had engaged in sexual misconduct with a student. King denies the claims and says CPS denied him his rights to defend himself
Lawsuits: Facebook, Instagram intentionally designed to be addictive to teens, cause health, societal problems
More than a dozen lawsuits were filed in Chicago and Rockford federal courts, accusing Meta Platforms, parent company of the popular social media apps, of creating "attractive nuisances" that lead to alleged health problems
Biden DOJ: IL vote by mail system, championed by Democrats, doesn't conflict with federal election law
Attorneys general from the Biden Justice Department have sided with Illinois Democrats in a legal fight in federal court over questions whether Illinois' law, which allows votes to be received two weeks after Election Day, violates federal Election Day law
Ex-Bulls star Kukoc sues Swiss bank, says 'aided, abetted' $11M theft by Kukoc's ex-financial advisor
Former Chicago Bulls star player Toni Kukoc said Swiss bank EFG International should pay for not stopping a personal banker from helping Kukoc's former financial advisor allegedly misappropriate $11 million from Kukoc's accounts
Portillo's, Red Lobster, Chipotle, others targeted by biometrics class action over phone ordering system
The class action lawsuit accuses the popular restaurant chains of using an automated voice operating system that improperly recorded and analyzed customers' voices when they placed orders by phone
Appeals panel: Natural immunity proof not enough to defeat Covid vax job mandates; Don't violate 'fundamental rights'
The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals says Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot have a 'low bar' to clear in defending their mandates that force government workers to choose between taking the vaccine and keeping their jobs because the orders don't infringe fundamental rights
Lawsuit: Progress Illinois smeared health care exec to boost Giannoulias campaign; Suit is 'simply harassment,' says Progress IL
Progress Illinois publisher says the suit by public health executive Suzett McKinney is "frivolous," and an extension of the campaign waged by Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia in the race for the Democratic nomination for Illinois Secretary of State
Class action: Kroger allegedly regularly overcharges customers, ringing up sale items at regular price
The new lawsuit says Kroger and its Chicago area Mariano's supermarkets routinely force customers to dispute the alleged overcharges
Lawyers seek $40M in fees from Google Photos face scans settlement
Google has agreed to pay $100 million to end a sprawling class action under Illinois' biometrics privacy law, bringing about $200-$400 each to an estimated 280,000 Illinois residents. The lawyers who led the lawsuit want 40% of the settlement
Class action accuses Lettuce Entertain You of slapping on 'deceptive' Covid-related surcharges to customer checks
The lawsuit says the 3-4% surcharges and processing fees are added to customer bills at the time of purchase, with no warning, in violation of state consumer fraud law
Class action: Chicago denied refunds to people who prepaid for water services
The lawsuit says the city has created a "legally untenable Catch-22" for people who are otherwise owed refunds