U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Recent News About U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
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Judge: Cook County didn't violate speech rights of fired ex-staffer who ran vs Elmwood Park's Silvestri
A Chicago federal judge is closing the door on an ex-Cook County government staffer’s attempt to sue powerful Cook County politicians, saying he can’t demonstrate the county violated his constitutional rights by firing him after he helped expose alleged political corruption in Elmwood Park, and then campaigned to take the county board seat held by Peter Silvestri, Elmwood Park’s mayor. -
Judge: Calumet City didn't violate civil rights of business owner denied business license
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Calumet City business owner who alleged the city's refusal to grant her a business license for a new banquet hall and youth center violated her civil rights. -
Court asked to OK $36M deal to end tortured Pella defective window class action; attorneys to get $9M
About three and a half years after a federal appeals panel led by former Judge Richard Posner smashed a $90 million settlement agreement the judges described as “scandalous,” a new set of lawyers have introduced a new, smaller deal once again intended to a nearly 12-year old class action lawsuit against window and door maker Pella over allegedly defective windows. -
Split appeals court says disabled Evanston H.S. runner can't expect lower IHSA standards
In a 2-1 decision, a Chicago federal appeals panel upheld a lower court's finding that a physically disabled Evanston High School athlete can’t use federal disability law to force the Illinois High School Association to lower standards for track and cross-country events. -
Judge guts Edelson's suit vs Bandas; 'meritless' class action objections for payoff 'bad faith,' not racketeering
While agreeing their conduct and tactics were “in bad faith” and “inconsistent” with legal ethics, a federal judge has refused to let a prominent Chicago class action trial law firm continue with a class action lawsuit accusing a rival firm of racketeering for acting as “professional objectors” bent on extorting payoffs, as the judge said letting the case go forward would leave parties involved in other lawsuits rightly worried about getting tagged with similar racketeering actions over legitimate negotiating tactics and maneuvers. -
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Cook County candidates off the March Democrat primary ballot following decisions by judge and electoral board
Most of a slate of Cook County would-be candidates for the Democratic primary who took their fight to continue their races to federal court are now off the March ballot following separate decisions by a federal judge and the Cook County Electoral Board in January. -
Cook Courts Clerk asks IL Supreme Court for relief from 'dilemma' over public access to lawsuits
As she prepares to make her case to a federal appeals panel, the clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court is also awaiting an intervention from Illinois’ highest state court on her request for relief from state court rules she argues preclude her from abiding by a federal judge’s order to make publicly filed lawsuits immediately available to the press and the public. -
Appellate court: Parents, not Starbucks, responsible for amputation of finger of child playing in restaurant
A federal appeals court has shut off a lawsuit brewed by parents against Starbucks, as judges said the coffeehouse chain is not responsible for injuries that led to the amputation of a finger from a child who was playing in the store, because the child’s parents should have prevented the injury. -
Judge erases much of Chicago porn video infringement suit vs Vidster, says substance lacking
A Chicago federal judge has come down hard on a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by an online pornographer against a video sharing website, saying parts of the pornographer's suit were “woefully deficient,” but nevertheless allowing the suit to limp along. -
Recent ruling in glutamine powder case could have far-reaching implications for class action cases, lawyer says
A recent ruling by a federal judge that non-Illinois residents cannot participate in a class-action suit has far-reaching implications, according to a local attorney. The ruling came in the case of Joshua DeBernardis v. NBTY and United States Nutrition, the makers of the supplement Body Fortress 100 percent Glutamine Powder. -
Lawsuit: Deutsche Bank lets foreclosures in minority areas fall to disrepair, suppressing home values
Nearly 20 fair housing activist organizations are suing Deutsche Bank, alleging it worked to suppress property values in minority neighborhoods across the country by allowing foreclosed homes to fall into disrepair, while maintaining its holdings much better in predominantely white neighborhoods. -
Appeals panel says Chicago investments firm can't sue FL rival in IL to protect its trademark 'Ariel'
While a Chicago federal judge had determined a Florida investment firm had trespassed the trademark of a more established Chicago company, a federal appeals court has said the Chicago firm can’t sue to protect its rights in Illinois, because the Sunshine State firm doesn’t do business in the Land of Lincoln. -
Judge declines to freeze Walgreens' suit vs Panasonic over $11.5M loss from malfunctioning cold storage
A federal judge has denied an attempt by Panasonic Healthcare Corporation to place on ice Walgreens' lawsuit alleging a malfunctioning freezer damaged $11.5 million worth of medications at a store in Oregon. -
Cook Circuit Clerk appeals ruling ordering her to provide immediate public access to e-filed lawsuits
With just days to spare before her office would need to comply with a federal judge’s order to begin providing the public and the press immediate access to electronically filed lawsuits, the clerk of Cook County’s courts has appealed the ruling. -
Appeals court upholds Chicago Heights ward map, says objectors can't present counter map
A federal appellate court ruled that the city of Chicago Heights set proper boundaries when it redrew aldermanic ward maps, agreeing with a lower court that the map’s opponents, who alleged the city’s map violated a court decree addressing racial discrimination, do not have authority to submit their own alternative map for the court’s consideration. -
Judge: Federal law does not entitle retired corrections officers to obtain concealed carry permits
Correctional officers in Illinois are not entitled to permits to carry concealed firearms under federal law, a Chicago federal judge has ruled, saying the federal law does not compel the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, or any other county or state correctional agency, to classify the corrections officers as law enforcement officers. -
Plaintiff: Baking company Aryzta owes dough for clunky fight over locale for lawsuit over worker fingerprints
The plaintiff in a putative class action suit accusing the bakery company which puts out the Otis Spunkmeyer and La Brea Bakery brands of violating an Illinois biometric privacy law by not telling workers how their fingerprints were handled, is now claiming the company is refusing to pay a portion of the plaintiff's legal costs, as ordered by a federal judge. -
UL wins permanent injunction barring gas canister company from selling products bearing its mark
After a Chicago federal judge refused a gas canister seller's attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by UL, alleging the canister company wrongly sold products implying UL had certified the products, the parties have agreed to end the lawsuit with a permanent injunction barring the cannister company from ever using UL's mark. -
Man suing Madigan asks court to order release of inspector general's 2014 report detailing Speaker's clout
A former candidate who is suing Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and some of his supporters for allegedly using political tricks to sabotage his campaign, is now locked in a fight in Chicago federal court to secure the release of a 2014 inspector general’s report his lawyer says is needed to shed light on how the longest serving state house speaker in U.S. history and his political organization work, to help substantiate the candidate’s claims. -
Union asserts Constitution allows it to 'shame' Ameristar patrons amid labor dispute with E. Chicago casino
A union representing about 200 casino employees filed a motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit brought against it by the East Chicago casino and some patrons, arguing that behavior the plaintiffs deemed harassing is constitutionally protected free speech.