Jonathan Bilyk News
Chicago: Arwady free to use 'environmental justice' review to deny South Side metal yard permit
City Hall has appealed a decision by a Chicago administrative law judge, who had determined Chicago Public Health Commissioner used an environmental analysis not allowed under city ordinances to illegally deny a permit to the company formerly known as General Iron to operate a new recycling center
Appeals court: Lawsuit can resume challenging constitutionality of feds' across-the-board ban on gun ownership by felons
A divided appeals panel says a Supreme Court ruling means lower courts can't simply agree with governments that they have the authority under the Second Amendment to categorically deny gun ownership rights to those convicted of felonies, or other "dangerous" people
Dad appeals ruling he has no fundamental right to forbid Villa Park school from helping child change genders
A new Biden-appointed federal judge declared a Florida man's constitutional rights as a parent may end at the school house door, so he can't sue the school district for allegedly conspiring with his ex-wife to speed along his child's gender transition
State Farm accused of holding out on interest allegedly owed to Illinois claimants from awards and judgements
The lawsuit is the latest example of lawsuits accusing the insurance giant of allegedly attempting to not pay interest on awards to claimants.
Google Photos settlement payments sliced again, now down to $95 per person; Lawyers still getting $35M
A renewed screening and claim review process resulted in the addition of nearly 167,000 new claimants to the settlement class, dropping the per person payment, which had initially been estimated at $200-$400, from $154 to $95 per person
Ruling: City Hall, Arwady improperly used 'environmental justice' analysis to deny Southside metal recycling center's permit
A Chicago administrative law judge reversed the decision of Chicago Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, who had denied a permit to the company formerly known as General Iron for a South Side metal recycling center. The denial had been based on a 'health impact assessment' that the judge said isn't allowed by law
Judge says California law requiring racial minority, LGBT representation on corporate boards is unconstitutional
The ruling could have implications for similar legislation or laws in other Democrat-dominated states, like Illinois, where lawmakers have considered following California's lead on increasing corporate board diversity by force of law
Lawsuits incoming? Supreme Court rules 'home equity theft' tax sales unconstitutional, could spur action vs IL counties
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled counties and investors can't just pocket potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of properties over relatively much smaller unpaid property taxes. States, like Illinois, and counties, like Cook County, are being warned that changes must be made or lawsuits will follow
IL lawmakers OK law to force Illinoisans who wish to challenge state laws, official actions to only file suit in Chicago or Springfield
The law would restrict lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state laws and actions by Gov. JB Pritzker and other state officers to courts in Cook County and Sangamon County. It could yet, in turn, also be challenged as unconstitutional, critics say
Judge: People who suffered no harm from alleged contaminated Similac, other baby formula can't sue Abbott Labs
A Chicago federal judge has tossed a swath of class action lawsuits against Abbott Labs over alleged contamination in Similac and other baby formulas
IL gives up defending likely unconstitutional, politically motivated limits on judicial campaign contributions
A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction, forbidding state officials from enforcing laws enacted in 2021 forbidding out-of-state judicial campaign donations and limiting individual donations to $500,000. Critics said the laws were enacted to give Democrats a money edge in state Supreme Court races
IL lawmakers poised to expand ability of personal injury plaintiffs to demand bigger paydays in wrongful death suits
Legislation backed by Illinois' powerful trial lawyers has moved rapidly to approval in Springfield. The new law would allow plaintiffs to demand punishing punitive damages from most private companies in personal injury lawsuits alleging wrongful death, while exempting governments and other favored entities from the same risk
SCOTUS won't step into IL 'assault weapons' ban fight, for now
Illinois' ban on so-called 'assault weapons' will remain in place, likely through much of the summer, as the Supreme Court turned aside a long-shot bid for an emergency injunction blocking enforcement of the law while a federal appeals court and the Illinois Supreme Court consider constitutional challenges to the gun ban
IL Supreme Court grapples with how to address state constitutional claims in challenge to 'assault weapons' ban
Justices on the Illinois high court questioned what legal standards to use to determine the fate of the lawsuit by downstate gun owners claiming the Illinois 'assault weapons' ban violates their rights to equal protection, by denying most of Illinois a right to own and use 'assault weapons,' while exempting others
Seventh Circuit: IL 'assault weapons' ban to remain in place for at least two months
A federal appeals panel says it won't lift its stay of a Southern Illinois federal judge's injunction preventing Illinois state officials from enforcing the 'assault weapons' ban, at least until a hearing at the end of June, though likely much longer. The U.S. Supreme Court could still block the gun ban
'California Knows Best:' SCOTUS says California can use Prop 12 to regulate pork producers across the country
Dissenting justices warned California should now expect other states to respond in kind, following California's "blueprint" to use state laws and market power to bypass Congress and bend the rest of the country to the will of voters in just one or a handful of states
Guns don't need to be often used in self-defense to qualify as 'arms' protected by 2nd Amend, say challengers to IL 'assault weapons' ban
In briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court and 7th Circuit Appeals court in Chicago, groups challenging Illinois' 'assault weapons' ban say the state is flat wrong in asserting 'militaristic' weapons aren't protected by the Second Amendment, simply because handguns or shotguns may be more effective for self-defense
Prominent election lawyer, Madigan ally Kasper wades into Proviso school board election fight
Attorney Michael Kasper, who has for the decades represented Michael Madigan and other prominent Illinois Democrats, is now representing longtime controversial Proviso school board member Theresa Kelly in her effort to use a recount to find enough votes to keep the seat she has held for 23 years
IL A/G, gun owners spar over whether SCOTUS should step into IL 'assault weapons' ban fight
Gun owners' organizations say lower court rulings - and particularly an order from a federal appeals court judge in Chicago - allowing Illinois to continue enforcing its "assault weapons" ban demonstrate that the time is right for SCOTUS to send a message to defiant governors, lawmakers and judges
McHenry Co. State's Atty fights to keep alive his lawsuit challenging IL 'assault weapons' ban
McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally sued the state because he believes the 'assault weapons' ban has left his office in untenable position of enforcing unconstitutional law. But Attorney Gen. Kwame Raoul admitted in court that Kenneally, other state's attorneys have no obligation to enforce the gun ban