Jonathan Bilyk News
McHenry Co. State's Attorney sues state over gun ban, says would force unconstitutional prosecutions
McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally says Illinois' so-called "assault weapons" ban violates the Second Amendment, seeks order blocking enforcement of the law statewide
Heavy hitters tee up lawsuits in federal court to strike down IL gun ban law
Two new lawsuits were filed in federal court in Southern Illinois, where the National Rifle Association and a coalition of Illinois gun owner rights groups each asserted in separate actions that the new law backed by Gov. JB Pritzker is 'blatantly unconstitutional' and tramples Illinoisans' Second Amendment rights
Effingham judge puts IL gun ban law on hold for 800+ plaintiffs who signed on to legal challenge
The ruling from the southern Illinois court is the first blow to Illinois' law banning so-called "assault weapons" and so-called "large capacity magazines." The law, regarded by gun owner advocates and others as unconstitutional, is expected to face other challenges in federal and state court in coming weeks
Aurora Pride says city unconstitutionally hassled, boosted costs for Pride Parade over organizers' anti-cop positions
A new federal lawsuit asks a judge to declare Aurora's Special Events Ordinance unconstitutional for giving city officials too much leeway to retaliate against groups whose speech the officials find objectionable
Settlement: Reformers to pay state $525K for opposing Pritzker's effort to end fed oversight of state hiring
The deal between reform advocates Michael Shakman and Paul Lurie and the state of Illinois was announced by a federal judge
Downstate lawsuits challenge IL 'assault weapons' ban, say it violates IL, U.S. constitutions, defies SCOTUS
Lawsuit filed in Effingham County entirely on the basis of the Illinois state constitution seeks an emergency court order blocking enforcement of Illinois Democrats' gun sale and ownership restrictions. Hearing set for Jan. 18 on TRO
Google Photos settlement payments delayed; Judge to rule on objections to added ID requirements
Without action from the court, claims from class members could be "denied solely because they do not check their spam folder on Thanksgiving," wrote an objector in a new motion that has put the settlement on hold
IL Dems change law to allow vote-by-mail ballots to be counted in a way judge had said 'would be obvious way to commit fraud'
The changes come after a Republican state House candidate had sued the Democratic DuPage County Clerk, accusing her of illegally verifying signatures on mail-in ballots against signatures on the vote-by-mail ballot applications, and not the official voter registration records, as had been required by law
Sterigenics OKs $408M settlement to end 870 lawsuits over Willowbrook plant EtO emissions
The company said it maintains its emissions did not cause cancer, as claimed by the lawsuits. But Sterigenics wants to cut its expenses and not risk any more big losses in court, like a $363 million verdict entered last fall, which the company appealed
IL A/G seeks big payout in lawsuit over insulin prices; Joined by trial lawyers earlier targeted for disqualification
Three pharmacy companies targeted in the lawsuit had asked a judge to disqualify six out-of-state trial lawyers, over concerns they were wrongly using the IL attorney general to obtain information to help them in other lawsuits vs the same companies
IL Supreme Court to hear arguments on SAFE-T Act bail elimination in March
The state high court will decide later this spring if state lawmakers illegally ignored the Illinois state constitution when they passed the SAFE-T Act
IL Supreme Court puts bail elimination on hold while appeal continues of ruling declaring law unconstitutional
The order maintains the current criminal cash bail system beyond Jan. 1 to avoid potential chaos that could have been created by a Kankakee judge's ruling and Democrats' refusal to put the law on hold while they appeal that ruling to the state Supreme Court
Downstate judges block cash bail abolition in their counties; DuPage, Kane state's attorneys ask IL Supreme Court to step in
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul called downstate court orders "11th hour theatrics" and an "abuse of the judicial process." The court orders relied on a Kankakee judge's decision saying Illinois Democrats violated the state constitution
Kankakee judge: SAFE-T Act elimination of cash bail unconstitutionally tramples peoples' rights, courts' authority
The judge ruled the Illinois state law represents an illegal attempt by Illinois Democrats to rewrite the state constitution; Attorney General Kwame Raoul will appeal to Illinois Supreme Court
Lawsuit: Schaumburg reneged on development deal, owes Motorola $1.5M
The lawsuit says Schaumburg "monitored parking lots" at Motorola's Schaumburg campis in 2020-2021 to now assert it doesn't owe Motorola money under a 2016 tax increntive deal, because Motorola didn't have more than 1,100 people working in the offices during those years
Judge OKs $10M deal ending class action vs NorthShore from workers fired for religious objections to Covid vax mandate
NorthShore will pay about 500 workers either $3,000 or $24,000 each, depending on if they were fired or agreed to take the Covid vaccine under threat. NorthShore will also rewrite its policies to accommodate religious objectors, and agreed to consider rehiring the fired workers
Judge to decide if SAFE-T Act tramples IL constitution, people's rights, or if prosecutors' lawsuit mere 'policy dispute'
A Kankakee County judge said he will rule on the constitutional challenge to the sweeping criminal justice reforms under the so-called SAFE-T Act by Dec. 28
FBI captures Saul Chavez, Mexican man accused of killing Chicago man in DUI; Flight triggered suit vs Cook Co over criminal illegal immigrants
Chavez, who was in the U.S. illegally, fled to Mexico in 2011, immediately after he was released from jail on bond, after Cook County directed the sheriff to not honor detainer requests from federal immigration authorities.
Fox subpoenas documents from Chicago, Cook County over possible past issues with Smartmatic voting systems
Neither the county nor the city are being sued. The subpoenas were filed as part of Smartmatic's $2.7B suit vs Fox over news reports amplifying Trump vote fraud claims
Doctors can't be sued over improper resuscitation of man's father: Appeals panel
Illinois appeals court says a man who tried to sue University of Illinois Hospital for violating his father's DNR can't just swap in doctors for the hospital to keep his lawsuit in Cook County court