Jonathan Bilyk News
Judge deletes, for now, biometrics class action vs Samsung over Gallery photo face scans
While Samsung's Gallery smartphone photo app scans the faces of people pictured in uploaded images, it doesn't mean Samsung possesses the information, nor does it mean Samsung necessarily identifies anyone, the judge said, potentially endangering plaintiffs' bid for a big payday from Samsung
Unions can defend vs attempts to force IL to clean up voter rolls, judge says
A federal judge in Chicago has given two powerful labor unions the right to fight in court against a lawsuit brought conservative activist groups seeking to force the state of Illinois more stringently comply with federal law requiring the state and local election authorities to purge voter rolls of dead and otherwise ineligible voters
Fed judge again quickly tosses suit accusing IL judges of working together to squelch criticism
A federal judge moved quickly to end the legal action brought by an attorney and judicial reform advocate accusing the Illinois Judges Association of wrongly collaborating to shut down criticism and shield member judges, particularly including the head of Cook County's divorce courts, of consequences for alleged unethical actions
'True colors?' IL Dems say GOPers can't run in Nov because didn't face primary voters, but back Harris for Prez
Gov. Pritzker and Speaker Welch are defending an Illinois law that would block Republican candidates from 2024 ballot because they didn't run in the primary. At the same time, they also back VP Harris for President, even though she was selected by party bosses and has never run in a presidential primary
Chicago drops first version of lawsuit vs Glock, refiles new complaint in Cook County, also accusing gun shops
The lawsuit is the first of its kind under a new Illinois state law designed to make gunmakers pay for allegedly making Chicago's gang-related gun violence problems worse. Specifically, the new lawsuit accuses Glock of allegedly making it too easy to modify Glock semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic "machine guns"
CTA seeks to toss $3M verdict awarded to woman convicted of murdering, dismembering landlord
The Chicago Transit Authority has appealed a jury's verdict in favor of Sandra Kolalou for injuries she claimed she sustained in a bus accident, but who later was convicted of murdering and dismembering her landlady. The CTA says the trial judge wrongly went to "great lengths" to ensure jurors never learned of Kolalou's charges and jailing
TikToker says Hubbard Inn has 'misled' public about viral incident with bouncer on restaurant's stairs
TikToker Julia Reel, who is being sued for defamation by the Hubbard Inn over a video she posted claiming she was attacked by a bouncer at the club and restaurant in March, has filed a countersuit, alleging the Hubbard Inn publicly shared video of only the end of the incident, allegedly falsely accusing Reel of lying
Judge tosses civil rights suit vs Quincy bar owners over attack on Quincy U. women's basketball player
A Springfield federal judge said plaintiff Jazzpher Evans, who was brutally assaulted by the white male former owner of The Barn of Quincy in 2021, did not follow rules laid out in federal and state civil rights laws before filing suit against the owners of the establishment
River Forest man headed back to 'debtors prison' to force him to pay $350K in divorce bills
A Cook County judge ordered River Forest developer Marty Paris back to Cook County Jail after ruling he must pay maintenance and other "court-ordered obligations," including his ex-wife's legal bills. Reporters were not allowed to observe the hearing via Zoom, even though the judge's order appeared to indicate the hearing was on Zoom
Special prosecutors ask IL Supreme Court to toss Smollett's 'last-ditch' try to overturn conviction
Attorney Dan Webb and his co-special prosecutors said actor Jussie Smollett's bid to overturn his conviction for lying to police about a 2019 hoax attack wrongly relies on Cook County State's Attorney's Kim Foxx decision not to prosecute to sidestep 'overwhelming' evidence against him
Feds can use lending law to try to punish Townstone for alleged discriminatory radio show comments
A federal appeals panel said a lower court wrongly tossed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's action vs Townstone Financial because the judge had imposed a 'crabbed' interpretation of a federal lending discrimination law that limited the agency's ability to protect black prospective loan applicants
Controversial ex-Alabama judge claims Chicago reneged on job offer that led her to resign judgeship
Former Alabama state judge Tracie Todd, who was twice suspended in Alabama for alleged ethics violations, has sued the city of Chicago for allegedly wrongly withdrawing a job offer that she claims led her to resign her judgeship and move to Chicago to be with her husband
BOR Commissioner Steele's ex spokesman says was illegally fired for not helping Steele politically
Frank Calabrese claims Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele and her deputy illegally retaliated against him when he allegedly refused to help her use the Chicago Bears tax appeal to advance herself politically and refused to help her gain control of the BOR
Lawsuit: Northwestern Law School discriminates vs white male faculty in favor of 'mediocre' minority candidates
The lawsuit asserts Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law has for years rejected even highly distinguished white male candidates out of hand, simply because the school's leadership prefers black, female, gay and transgender faculty candidates, even if significantly less accomplished
Supreme Court won't step in - yet - to overturn Illinois 'assault weapons' ban
The U.S. Supreme Court denied petitions from Illinois gun owners to review a Chicago federal appeals court's decision allowing Illinois' controversial gun ban law to take effect. Justice Clarence Thomas, however, called that decision 'nonsensical,' and warned the Illinois law will ultimately face a difficult reception at the high court
Del Galdo accuses Odelson of defamation, interference amid Dolton political dysfunction
Politically connected Del Galdo Law Group has accused prominent municipal law attorney Burt Odelson of making allegedly false statements about their representation of the administration of Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, leading Dolton's village board to cut off payments to Del Galdo. Odelson represents the Dolton village board
Federal judge tosses suit vs IL Judges Assn accusing judges of creating 'league' to control courts, squelch critics
The Illinois Judges Association said the 'rambling diatribe against the judicial system' can't be heard in federal court. Judicial reform advocate plaintiff Edward "Coach" Weinhaus said the IJA's arguments in their motion to dismiss essentially prove his point. A federal judge agreed, three days after the motion to dismiss was filed
IL Dem Speaker: Courts can't hear GOP challenge to law that would kick Republicans off ballot
Lawyers for Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch asked the Illinois Supreme Court to allow Democrats' new law to take effect to strip parties of the power to select candidates after the primary election. They argued state lawmakers can change ballot access rules whenever they like, even amid an election cycle
Hockey coach sues St. Viator HS, says school broke 'handshake deal' for head varsity job
Ex-Stevenson HS junior varsity head hockey coach Ralph Menotti says Saint Viator and its hockey club committed fraud by allegedly verbally offering him the head varsity coach position, only for higher-ups in the club and school to take it back after he had already quit his current job
Cook Co 'assault weapons' ban not constitutional, even under prior appeals court ruling upholding IL gun ban: Filing
Second Amendment rights advocates urged the Seventh Circuit Appeals Court to strike down Cook County's "assault weapons" ban ordinance and overrule their colleagues, saying the ordinance and the decision violate the Constitution and clash with two Supreme Court rulings