U.S. Federal Court
Recent News About U.S. Federal Court
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Appeals court: Fired gay music minister can't claim 'hostile work environment' to sue Archdiocese for discrimination
A divided 10-judge en banc panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Appeals Court said the former music minister can't use hostile work environment claims to sidestep the Catholic Church's First Amendment protection in church ministerial employment decisions. -
General Iron turns to Cook Co. court, says it followed rules, yet city refuses permit for new scrap metal recycling plant
Metal recycler General Iron lost in federal court, on a narrow ruling, and now has taken to state court its claims that the city has violated its own rules and the law in bowing to activists opposed to its new South Side recycling facility. -
Lawsuit settlement: IL Secy of State agrees to stop dragging feet on voter registration law
The Illinois Secretary of State's Office has agreed to make voter registration easier for non-English speakers, as a result of a lawsuit brought by Chicago-based political reform groups. -
Foxx seeks to block more questions for ex-top deputy over dropped prosecution of men for murders, child abductions
Lawyers for Chicago Police officers are seeking to question former Cook County FIrst Assistant State's Attorney Eric Sussman to learn how the State's Attorney's office reached the decision to walk away from the prosecution of two men who had earlier confessed to the murders of a Chicago couple in a plot to take their children. -
Cicero: Massive sewage fee increase, threats to shutter railyard vs BNSF justified because BNSF causes flooding
Attorneys for Cicero have asked a federal judge to reject BNSF Railway's attempt to block Cicero from enforcing a 1,250% increase of sewage rates on BNSF's railyard. BNSF says the town's sewer bill and enforcement action violate federal law. -
Rosenstengel denies motion to compel Apple to provide personal information in facial recognition suit
U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel raised concerns about how personal information would be protected given the increase in hacks when she rejected a request to compel Apple Inc. to provide information of Illinois residents with Apple devices and accounts in a suit alleging the Photos App collects and stores biometric identifiers through facial recognition technology. -
Judge: School officials had no constitutional obligation to stop DeKalb middle school student from being bullied
The lawsuit against the DeKalb School District 428 was one of several arguing school districts violate students' rights by not doing more to prevent bullying by other students. -
Judge trims suit claiming McDonald's purged Black executives, franchisees from company
A Chicago federal judge has pared a discrimination suit brought against McDonald's by two executives, which alleges corporate brass thinned Blacks from the company's ranks. -
Judge: Chicago's bow to activists, imperling General Iron permit, not 'final decision,' so not yet illegal taking
While Chicago may have violated its own permitting rules and state law at the behest of left-wing activists, the city hasn't yet "taken" General Iron's property, so the company can't yet sue the city in federal court, a federal judge said. -
Verde Energy reaches $7M deal to end electricity customers' class action over alleged bait & switch rates
Class action accused third-party electricity supplier Verde Energy of charging up to 45% more than ComEd -
Class action: Binny's Beverage Depot didn't pay workers enough OT amid COVID
A lawsuit says Binny's didn't properly calculate overtime pay when it was giving workers an extra $2 an hour for working amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. -
Rauner campaign organization to pay $1M to settle political robocall class action; Lawyer could get over $300K
While the lawyer who filed the class action vs Citizens for Rauner could claim up to one-third, it is unknown how much class members could receive, as it depends on how many submit valid claims. -
SCOTUS decision could spur more religious freedom-based challenges to LGBTQ anti-discrimination rules, perhaps in IL
A U.S. Supreme Court decision declared Philadelphia violated a Catholic foster care agency's rights by demanding it certify same-sex couples for foster care placement, but that decision will likely only lead to more cases, the court's conservatives warned. -
Appeals panel: 'Stateless' law firm partners means ex-Trump advisor Carter Page can't sue over Steele dossier in federal court
Former Trump 2016 campaign advisor Carter Page can't use federal courts in Chicago, or anywhere, to sue the law firm of Perkins Coie for pushing Russian collusion story. -
Ex-Saint Anthony HR director says hospital fired her for opposing 'pay-for-play' scheme with Madigan, Sandoval
The former Chief Human Resources Officer says the West Side hospital also retaliated and discriminated against her for opposing a work environment allegedly hostile to women. -
Settlement doesn't mean a settling party's share of blame in injury lawsuit considered 'uncollectable': IL Supreme Court
The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled defendants in personal injury lawsuits can't use a settlement by another party to shift some of the remaining liability onto still another party. Dissenting justices called the ruling unfair. -
'Overwhelming circumstantial evidence' Serpico behind Melrose Park's harassment campaign vs family: New filing
A family suing Melrose Park over high price lien and other harassment says longtime Mayor Frank Serpico has controlled the village for decades and the harassment came at his behest. -
MDL created in Northern District of California for opioid marketing claims against McKinsey
A U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has created a new MDL in the Northern District of California to centralize opioid marketing litigation against McKinsey & Company and appointed District Judge Charles Breyer to preside. -
Geico can't kick class action over lack of COVID refunds to appeals court
A federal judge says she won't let Geico ask a federal appeals court to review her refusal to dismiss a class action accusing the insurer of "deceptive" statements over how much customers could save through the "Geico Giveback" COVID relief program. -
TopGolf to pay $2.6M to end class action over workers' fingerprints; Lawyers could get $865K
More than 2,600 current and former workers at TopGolf entertainment centers in Schaumburg and Naperville could get about $600 each under the deal