Jonathan Bilyk News
Chicago City Hall sues Glock, says gunmaker to blame for exacerbating city's 'epidemic' of gun violence
The administration of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has partnered with anti-gun activists to sue firearms manufacturer Glock under Illinois' new consumer fraud law specifically allowing gunmakers to get sued. Glock becomes latest company to be blamed in lawsuits for Chicago's societal woes
IL courts hit with avalanche of pre-trial jail appeals under SAFE-T Act; Rules rewritten to ease 'staggering' burden
The Illinois Supreme Court has rewritten rules governing how criminal defendants can appeal judges' decisions to keep them locked up while they await trial, after such appeals rose from 171 in the past 10 years to more than 1,900 in the past five months under Illinois Democrats' SAFE-T Act
Judge blocks big piece of IL Dems' temp worker regulation law
A Chicago federal judge ruled that major changes to Illinois' law regulating temp workers and day laborers can't take effect because they are preempted by federal law
Realtors to pay $418M to end home seller commission class action; Big changes coming to home sale process
Lawyers who brought the lawsuits could be in for a big payday, as well, potentially claiming $140 million from the deal, plus $69 million from earlier settlements with large real estate brokerages facing similar claims of alleged collusion to boost real estate agent commissions
Lawsuits claim Henyard mistreated, fired workers in Dolton, Thornton Township for refusing illegal schemes
Three ex-Dolton village and Thornton Township workers claim Dolton Mayor and Thorntown Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard demanded they perform illegal acts, then allegedly harassed them, and ultimately fired them for refusing.
Bring Chicago Home votes will be counted after IL Supreme Court nixes challengers' bid for appeal
The decision lets stand an appellate court's ruling that Illinois residents cannot ask courts to review before the election any referendum questions placed on the ballot by the Chicago City Council or other elected "legislative" bodies, "regardless of how blatantly unconstitutional"
Bears sued for discriminating vs white males in 'Diversity' job post limited to 'people of color,' women
The lawsuit was filed in Chicago federal court, and accused the Chicago Bears of violating state and federal anti-discrimination laws by listing non-white race and 'female' as required job qualifications for a "Diversity Legal Fellow" job opening with the organization
Opponents to Chicago property sales tax hike referendum ask IL Supreme Court to step in
Business groups argued an appellate court's decision reinstating the referendum on the ballot would effectively allow the Chicago City Council and other lawmaking bodies across the state to place any referendum questions on any ballot they wish, regardless if the questions are constitutional
Foxx's No. 2 Risa Lanier seeks judgeship; Lands on list of judicial candidates rated 'Not Qualified' by state bar association
According to an evaluation published by the Illinois State Bar Association, Risa Lanier, First Assistant to Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, was rated "Not Qualified" in part because of other lawyers' concerns over her "honesty" and "poor decision making"
IL Supreme Court: Hockey club that rents ice arena can be sued under IL human rights law for 'banishing' teen diagnosed with depression
The Illinois Supreme Court says the teen's mental health diagnoses mean she could be protected by the IL Human Rights Act's anti-discrimination provisions protecting access to "places of public accommodation." Objectors contended such reasoning could open broad range of private organizations to lawsuits, violating First Amendment
Parents drop lawsuit accusing Skokie Fairview District 72 of racism; District called accusations 'repugnant,' 'baseless'
A group of parents appear to have ended their lawsuit against Skokie Fairview Elementary School District 72, in which they had accused school officials of 'white supremacism,' in part for refusing to accede to demands for 'anti-racism' training for students and staff in response to alleged racist student behavior
Judges: Courts must 'remain on sidelines' on school 'gender support' policies until parents' rights are violated
A federal appeals panel has dismissed a lawsuit brought against Wisconsin school district by parents who say the district's new "gender support guidance" for school staff will inevitably lead to school staff violating their constitutional rights as parents to direct the upbringing of their children
Chicago area investors part of nationwide $180M class action vs movie financier Jason Cloth over filmmaking 'Ponzi scheme'
The complaint asserts Cloth, who has helped finance numerous big money productions, including "Babylon," "Mission: Impossible," "Joker," and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," is actually an alleged scammer who used multiple entities to try to stay ahead of investors, and leave them holding the bag.
Bring Chicago Home tax hike referendum gets new life; Appeals court says legal challenge 'premature'
A state appeals panel overturned the ruling of a Cook County judge who had invalidated Mayor Brandon Johnson's real estate sales tax hike ballot measure because it illegally asked voters two questions in one referendum. The appeals court said validity challenges need to wait until after the election
Race for Cook County State's Attorney dead heat, new poll says
A poll from survey firm M3 Strategies says retired judge Eileen O'Neill Burke, who has pledged to undo many of the perceived soft on crime policies of current Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, is tied at 21% with attorney Clayton Harris III, who is endorsed by allies of Foxx and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Supreme Court boots ballot challenges to Trump, says states can't block presidential candidates under 14th Amend
The unanimous ruling strikes down rulings from Democratic judges in Colorado and Cook County, which had declared individual states have the power under the Fourteenth Amendment to block "insurrectionists" from seeking federal office
Judge OKs Cook County 'assault weapons' ban, agrees that bans only apply to guns not protected by 2nd Amend
A Chicago federal judge became the latest to uphold a ban on so-called "assault weapons," saying she was bound by a 2023 appellate ruling which declared weapons labeled by lawmakers as "dangerous," "military-grade" weapons aren't protected by the Second Amendment and can be banned
BNSF to pay $75M to settle truckers' fingerprint scan class action; Lawyers could get $27M
The settlement would end the court fight in the first class action under the Illinois Biometrics Information Privacy Act to go to trial. A federal judge last summer tossed out a $228 million jury award secured by plaintiffs.
Cook County judge says Colorado got it right, says Trump should be kicked off IL ballot
Cook County Judge Tracie Porter, a Democrat, said she agreed that Trump engaged in "insurrection" and should be removed from the Illinois ballot. She placed her decision on hold, however, leaving it appeals courts, and perhaps the U.S. Supreme Court, to have the final say
IL's federal chief judge declines to answer senators' questions about S. IL judges' alleged discriminatory orders
Senators Cruz and Kennedy had sought answers from Seventh Circuit Chief Judge Diane Sykes about the courts' response to a complaint over orders issued by three southern Illinois federal judges which establish a preference to hear oral arguments from "newer, female and minority" lawyers