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COOK COUNTY RECORD

Friday, April 19, 2024

Latest News


Privacy class action firms jockey for control of 23andMe data breach claims; Edelson calls for new approach

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Data privacy class action firm Edelson P.C. is seeking to control 40 class actions, potentially worth huge money, against 23andMe for allegedly allowing genetic info to be stolen in a data breach. In a new filing, Edelson is asking courts to reconsider how they decide which lawyers should lead

Glock seeks to take Chicago's anti-gun lawsuit to federal court

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Firearms maker Glock has filed a motion to remove Mayor Brandon Johnson's lawsuit, in partnership with anti-guns rights activists, from Cook County's courts to federal court. The lawsuit claims Glock's semiautomatic pistols are too easily modified into "machine guns"

Judge says Harvey's financial situation makes it impossible to complete road project, rescinds contract

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A Cook County judge ruled a road contractor already shorted $2M can't be forced to maintain "temporary" traffic signals in Harvey indefinitely. The judge rescinded the contract and ordered IDOT to take control of the traffic signals, despite falling short of normally required standards

Proposed statewide class action in Southern District court challenges constitutionality of tax deed foreclosures

By Steve Korris |
EAST ST. LOUIS - Illinois counties violate the U.S. Constitution when they hold and sell liens on properties with overdue taxes, former homeowners and a business in East St. Louis alleged at district court on April 10.

IL Supreme Court says a corporation can sue people who allegedly disparaged them in emails to management

By Scott Holland |
The state high court agreed that a corporation can be defamed in emails to executives and other employees. The court said the dispute between shipping logistics competitors FourKites and project44 is an example of instances in which such emails don't amount to a "corporation talking to itself"

Unopposed Cook County judge candidates appointed by IL Supreme Court to Cook bench early

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The new judges include a former Cook County Assistant State's Attorney who famously was blamed for Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's handling of the police killing of Adam Toledo, and later authored a resignation later that blasted Foxx for failures of leadership

Judge nixes class action vs Abbott over baby formula shortage, says not obliged to maintain formula supply, prices

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A federal judge in Chicago dismissed a class action vs Abbott Laboratories claiming the company wrongly profited from increased prices for baby formula sparked by a nationwide shortage that followed Abbott's shutdown of a Michigan plant over alleged bacterial contamination

Judge: Title IX plaintiffs can use IL law to retroactively demand 'emotional distress' damages

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The Illinois law, known as the Civil Rights Remedies Restoration Act, was enacted this year specifically to restore the ability of certain plaintiffs to use "emotional distress" claims to boost their potential payouts under civil rights lawsuits, in defiance of a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision to limit the ability to do so

IL lawmakers advance law to limit 'annihilative' payouts faced by business under biometrics law

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The Illinois State Senate approved SB2979, which would explicitly limit the amount of money trial lawyers and plaintiffs can demand businesses pay under the Biometric Information Privacy Act. The law has spawned thousands of lawsuits generating hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees

Student claims CPS ignored sex assaults by ex-dean at Little Village H.S., part of culture of grooming, abuse at CPS

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The lawsuit claims the male dean impregnated the student twice, and forced her to get two abortions despite being underaged. He allegedly claimed to be her parent to sidestep a parental notification law that Illinois lawmakers have since repealed. The suit claims other staff knew, but did nothing

New Trier wrongly refused requests for records to explain decision to cancel Holocaust Remembrance Day: Lawsuit

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Education reform group Parents Defending Education has sued New Trier Township High School District claiming administrators violated Freedom of Information law by refusing to provide PDE with staff communications that may discuss the Holocaust or conflict in Gaza.

Appeals panel closes lid on class actions vs Abbott from people never harmed by contaminated Similac baby formula

By Scott Holland |
Judges said the claims in the case from people whose children never ingested any allegedly contaminated Similac baby formula are no different than if someone were to sue a restaurant because someone else became ill from food poisoning

KCIC: Madison, St. Clair Counties were top asbestos jurisdiction in 2023; Cook County saw greatest increase

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
Madison and St. Clair Counties again saw the most asbestos case filings for 2023 nationwide, and Cook County saw the highest increase in filings according to a report by KCIC, a Washington D.C.-based technology and management consulting company.

Salvi firm, Wise, Morrissey end dispute over fees for cases Salvi grabbed amid Wise, Morrissey tiff

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A confidential settlement among the firms and attorneys was announced in court last week, resolving the action filed by Salvi to protect its fees from 21 cases that moved to the firm with a former Wise Morrissey lawyer.

Wow Bao says never scanned customer faces, letting biometrics class action continue would be 'injustice'

By Jonathan Bilyk |
In a case with potentially far-reaching implications, the Asian-themed fast food chain says it never possessed nor authorized customer face scans at self-service ordering kiosks, meaning it can't be face the risk of a potentially huge payout under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act in this case

Coalition seeks to let IL voters deliver message on parents' rights in November

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Thousands of volunteers aligned with conservative social policy groups across Illinois are seeking signatures to place an advisory referendum on the fall ballot asking voters if they believe Illinois law should require parents' consent before children receive non-emergency medical care or therapy

Gun advocates seek summary judgment in constitutional challenge to state's "Carry Ban" for gun owners under age 21

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
Gun advocates and their members under the age of 21 are asking the court to grant summary judgment in their constitutional challenge against Illinois’ “Carry Ban” for gun owners between the ages of 18 and 20.

Appeals court: Lawsuits vs Smith & Wesson over Highland Park massacre belong in Lake County court

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A federal appeals panel, led by a judge who has repeatedly upheld "assault weapons" bans, has ruled that gun makers can't use their regulatory relationship with the federal government to keep themselves from being sued in state court when criminals use their weapons to commit mass murder

Maag files expert witness list disclosure in challenge to 'assault weapons' ban

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
Wood River attorney Thomas Maag filed an expert witness disclosure on behalf of the Langley plaintiffs in their constitutional challenge to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s law banning so-called “assault weapons.”

Judge: Bulls great Kukoc can't use Chicago courts to sue Swiss banks over fraud

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A Chicago federal judge said Kukoc making his home in the Chicago area, and communicating with the banks here, is not enough to allow him to sue Swiss banks for allegedly allowing an employee to work with Kukoc's ex-financial advisor to 'raid' millions from Kukoc's accounts