Steve Korris News
Audit finds $5.24 billion in Illinois unemployment fraud during Covid pandemic
SPRINGFIELD – Identity thieves walked off with $2.8 billion in unemployment insurance and lockdown relief in 18 months, according to state auditor Frank Mautino.
Plaintiff attorneys claim state expert's testimony supports vagueness argument in gun ban challenge
EAST ST. LOUIS – Brothers Thomas Maag and Peter Maag of Wood River claim an expert for the state made their point that the vagueness of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s gun law violates the Constitution.
IL Supreme Court grants police access to cell phone passcodes; Dissent says it violates self incrimination protections
SPRINGFIELD – Passcodes on mobile phones won’t prevent law enforcement from access to the devices’ contents, the Illinois Supreme Court decided on June 15.
Employers urge IL Supreme Court to reconsider fingerprint scan decision they say will cripple IL businesses, economy
Associations representing employers for millions in Illinois say the court has set up a recipe for economic disaster by allowing 'entrepreneurial' trial lawyers to use Illinois' biometrics privacy law to extract annihilative sums of money from businesses for violations of the law that actually harmed no one
Hundreds of Zantac suits filed in Illinois courts after Florida judge rejects 'situational science'
SPRINGFIELD - Suits connecting Zantac indigestion medicine to cancer failed in nationwide litigation at federal court in Florida, so 583 refugee plaintiffs started over by filing suits in three Illinois counties.
McGlynn hears arguments in federal court over injunctive relief from gun ban
EAST ST. LOUIS – During an April 12 hearing in federal court over a request for injunctive relief from Gov. J.B. Pritzker's gun ban, assistant attorney general Christopher Wells told U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn that Illinois citizens can just defend themselves with handguns instead of semiautomatic rifles.
Second Amendment Law Center opposes gun ban in amicus brief, challenges 14th Amendment argument
EAST ST. LOUIS – Supporters of Gov. Pritzker’s gun law committed serious error by claiming the Fourteenth Amendment changed the Second Amendment’s meaning, according to the Second Amendment Law Center.
Everytown for Gun Safety files amicus brief supporting gun ban; Attorneys donated to Democrat justices set to hear legislation challenge
EAST ST. LOUIS – National group Everytown for Gun Safety moved on March 9 to file a brief as friend of U. S. district court in favor of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s law regulating semi automatic weapons and "high capacity" magazines.
Illinois Sheriff's Association seeks to file opposition to gun ban in federal court suits
EAST ST. LOUIS – Gun owners and dealers suing in U. S. district court for an injunction against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s gun law found a friend in the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association.
Benton attorney challenging weapons ban suggests exemptions favor public employee unions
SPRINGFIELD – Exemptions from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s gun law favor public employee unions according to Bryan Drew of Benton, who represents gun owners suing to overturn the law.
White County judge raises concerns about gun ban legislative procedure during hearing on TRO request, calls it 'egregious'
CARMI – Circuit judges can’t enforce constitutional requirements for passing legislation, Governor Pritzker’s lawyer told White County Circuit Judge Scott Webb at a Jan. 25 hearing for a temporary restraining order on a gun law Pritzker signed on Jan. 10.
'Unprecedented spending' by Illinois Democrats erodes confidence in Supreme Court independence, officials say
SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker, having spent $353 million of his personal fortune on elections in five years, dug into a different pocket for Democrat Supreme Court candidates Elizabeth Rochford and Mary O’Brien.
Georgia-based Fair Fight and others get around Illinois out-of-state judicial contribution ban by giving to indie 'All for Justice'
SPRINGFIELD – Citizens of other states can’t send a penny to judicial candidates in Illinois but Georgia Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams can send $500,000 to a group backing judicial candidates in Illinois.
DeVore files suit in Madison County against IL colleges, universities for the right to refuse masks, vaccines and tests
EDWARDSVILLE – Five students and five employees sued Illinois universities and colleges in Madison County Circuit Court on July 13, for a right to refuse masks, vaccines and tests.
Seventh Circuit upholds judgment for J&J in pelvic mesh case over contradictions in doc’s deposition, affidavits
CHICAGO – U.S. District Judge Staci Yandle properly struck an affidavit of Effingham urologist Pernankel Nayak and granted judgment to Johnson & Johnson in a pelvic mesh suit, Seventh Circuit appellate judges ruled on June 15.
Lake County citizen McConchie seeks to intervene in Madison County's challenge to judicial redistricting
SPRINGFIELD – Lake County citizen Dan McConchie aims to challenge division of his county into judicial subcircuits as a partner with Madison County at Sangamon County circuit court.
Maune Raichle leveled $402K sanction in Bestwall bankruptcy for pursuing 'egregious' Illinois lawsuit
CHARLOTTE - U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laura Beyer laid a $402,817.70 penalty on St. Louis asbestos firm Maune Raichle on Aug. 31, to reimburse a Georgia Pacific entity for defending an Illinois lawsuit the firm filed in violation of an order she entered.
Democrat remap solidifies court where high number of defendants strive to escape; St. Clair Co will be just like Cook Co - its own circuit
SPRINGFIELD – Democrat State Rep. Jay Hoffman (Belleville) proposes to lop Monroe, Washington, Randolph and Perry counties off the 20th Judicial Circuit and make St. Clair County a circuit unto itself.
Big spending at Happy’s service station violated state law, court rules; Did Mautino do so knowingly, election board must decide
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino violated campaign law as a legislator, Illinois Supreme Court Justices ruled on May 20.
ICJL report warns Illinois Supreme Court redistricting plans are designed to preserve Dem majority
SPRINGFIELD – Legislators have begun drawing maps to change boundaries of Supreme Court districts, according to the Illinois Civil Justice League.