U.S. Supreme Court
Recent News About U.S. Supreme Court
-
Supreme Court rejects latest attempt to revive $5.4 billion judgment in Price vs Philip Morris
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court has denied attorney Stephen Tillery's request to recall a mandate the Court issued a decade ago after it struck down a $10.1 billion judgment against Philip Morris. In the same announcement posted this afternoon, the Court also referred to Justice Lloyd Karmeier Tillery's move to recuse or disqualify Karmeier from hearing the matter. Karmeier then denied that request, as well. -
Motel operators ask U.S. Supreme Court to mow down amounts Chicago can fine for violations of city weed ordinance
Attorneys for a Skokie motel corporation are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to establish the formula for courts to use in determining whether state and local fines are over the top, as they challenge federal court dismissals of their lawsuit alleging fines charged by the city of Chicago under its weed ordinance are excessive under the U.S. Constitution. -
Gun rights group lawsuit targets new Cook County ammo tax, says violates U.S., state constitutions
An Illinois group which advocates for the rights of gun owners has taken aim at Cook County’s taxes on the sales of firearms and ammunition, asking the courts to find the county’s taxes to be unconstitutional infringements on the Second Amendment rights of citizens in the county. On Dec. 17, Guns Save Life Inc., a group which purports to include members in Cook County and throughout Illinois, filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court. -
VW diesel emissions class actions transferred, centralized by MDL Panel in San Francisco federal court
The blizzard of litigation filed against Volkswagen in the wake of revelations the automaker allegedly installed devices on diesel cars to fool emissions testing equipment has been redirected to federal court in San Francisco. Across the country, more than 500 lawsuits - primarily class action complaints - have been lodged in federal district courts against Volkswagen. In the Northern District of Illinois, for instance, 19 such lawsuits have been filed against VW. -
Appeals panel: Lawyers must only perform some 'core title' work to earn payments from title insurers, avoid kickback allegations
Two title insurance companies did not participate in an illegal kickback scheme by splitting fees with Chicago area real estate lawyers in return for those attorneys referring clients to them, a divided state appeals panel has ruled, finding lawyers are allowed to be paid fees by the title companies – even fees that may appear large, relative to the work they actually performed – if they perform any work related to clearing a title, at all. -
IL Supreme Court says tax deed buyers need only show due process satisfied, not prove delinquent homeowners were notified
Homeowners who fail to pay their property taxes can still legally lose their homes even if the buyer of the tax deed can’t confirm the former homeowners have been notified, so long as county officials and the buyers make a realistic effort to contact the delinquent taxpayer and satisfy due process requirements under the law, the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled. -
Suburban flooding suit vs Metro Water Reclamation among six cases taken up by IL Supreme Court
The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to take up the question of whether U.S. Supreme Court precedent or that of the state’s highest court should hold serve when deciding whether a decision by the Greater Chicago Water Reclamation District to release flood waters and damage private homes in the process constitutes an illegal taking of property. It was one of six cases the state high court agreed to take on appeal. -
Malpractice action dismissed vs Dickinson Wright over alleged bad advice on proposed Oklahoma Indian casino
A Chicago federal judge has said no dice to a legal malpractice action brought against Michigan-based Dickinson Wright by the Illinois developers of an Oklahoma casino, dismissing the lawsuit because the developers ultimately beat an attorney general’s complaint the developers alleged was brought because of bad legal advice. The malpractice suit was filed in 2013 by MCZ Development and Sheffield Development Partners, and Golden Canyon Partners. -
Lawsuit challenges constitutionality of state law designating SEIU as representative of Illinois home caregivers, child care providers
Six Illinois child care providers and home caretakers displeased with being forced by state law to have the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represent them have filed a federal lawsuit in Chicago asking the state to strike down the law and remove the SEIU as their union representative. -
IL Supreme Court says lower courts have no power to overturn its decision to toss $10 billion judgment vs Philip Morris
A divided Illinois Supreme Court has upheld its decision 10 years ago to toss out a $10 billion class action judgment against tobacco giant Philip Morris, saying more recent statements from the Federal Trade Commission concerning how the agency had regulated the marketing of so-called “light” cigarettes does not grant lower state courts the authority to reopen the case or reinstate the judgment. On Nov. 4, the state Supreme Court ruled 4-2 to overturn a ruling by a state appellate court. -
Fannie Mae: Chicago can't collect transfer taxes on foreclosed properties sold by federal agencies
Fannie Mae, the federally-controlled largest provider of funding for mortgage loans in the country, has sued the city of Chicago in federal court to ask a judge to halt the city’s efforts to collect real estate transfer taxes on the residential properties the agency sells. On Oct. 15, the Federal National Mortgage Association, commonly known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the federal agency which oversees Fannie, filed its complaint in federal court in Chicago against -
Temporary flooding caused by government action can be illegal taking of property, appellate panel rules
A state appellate panel has ruled the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion, and not that of the state’s highest court, should hold sway in a case in which a group of Chicago area homeowners have argued a decision by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to release flood waters, resulting in backed-up sewers, flooded creeks and extensive damages to surrounding homes, constitutes an illegal taking of their property under the Illinois Constitution. -
Former NIU cop's lawsuit dismissed vs university amid renewed criminal action over sex assault allegations
A federal judge in Rockford has dismissed the lawsuit of a former Northern Illinois University police officer whose termination continues to embroil the DeKalb school in legal battles. Andrew Rifkin lost his job as an NIU police officer after being charged with felony criminal sexual assault in connection with an October 2011 incident involving an NIU freshman. -
Appeals panel: Threat of ID theft not enough to sustain class action vs. Advocate over stolen computers
A state appeals panel has determined Advocate Health, one of Illinois’ largest health care services providers, cannot be sued by a group of patients who believe their chances of falling prey to identity thieves increased significantly after computers containing their personal information was stolen from Advocate’s offices. -
Jurisdiction must be settled before showdown between Rauner and unions can begin; Unfunded pension liability at $111 billion, governor says
RaunerSPRINGFIELD – Before the great contest between Gov. Bruce Rauner and state employee unions can begin, judges must settle a great contest over jurisdiction.A suit Rauner filed against the unions remains active in federal court at Chicago, and a suit the unions filed against Rauner remains active in St. Clair County circuit court.Both suits pertain to an executive order that would prohibit unions -
Nine years after tossing $10B verdict, Illinois Supreme Court agrees to review Price v. Philip Morris cigarette labeling case
The Illinois Supreme Court will once again weigh in the Madison County case over cigarette labeling that has been smoldering in the state’s courts for more than a decade. -
Judge sends MDL over H&R Block anticipated loans to arbitration
A federal court will allow one of the nation’s largest for-hire tax preparers to head to arbitration to try to resolve multidistrict litigation over claims H&R Block unfairly and illegally preyed upon customers in persuading them to take out refund anticipation loans when completing their federal income tax returns.In her July 23 ruling, U.S. District Judge Joan B. Gottschall went against the plaintiffs'
