Latest News
Federal Court
Judge, who formerly served on IL State Police board, recused from case vs woman accused of using Pritzker-ties to oust ex-ISP Board director
According to a court order, new U.S. District Judge Nancy Maldonado recused herself from the court fight over claims that former ISP Merit Board executive Jenny Thornley called on Gov. JB Pritzker to remove her ex-boss because he was investigating fraud allegations against her. Maldonado had served on the Merit Board, appointed by Pritzker in 2019
Federal Court
Father, son lose bid to turn suit over CPS Buddhist meditation program into religious freedom class action
Family sued over aspect of 'Quiet Time' program that featured Buddhist transcendental meditation and ran from 2015-2019 in certain Chicago Public Schools. Students were encouraged to participate, and the family said it violated their religious rights
Federal Court
Appeals court rejects new hearing over whether hospitals can sue IL state govt over slow, reduced Medicaid payments
Judges on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said the state's concerns over liability risks and potential significant new regulatory burdens are "exaggerated"
Federal Court
Class of McDonald’s consumers suing over PFAS object to transfer request to NDIL
A class of consumers suing McDonald’s Corporation over the alleged presence of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wrappers argue that the case belongs in the Southern District of Illinois as it is the only case with an Illinois resident, who happens to live in Madison County.
Federal Court
General Medicine seeks summary judgment in suit alleging fraudulent Medicare billing scheme
General Medicine seeks summary judgment in a lawsuit alleging it engaged in a fraudulent billing scheme, based on arguments that previous investigations found that its billing practices were compliant with regulations.
Federal Court
SCOTUS decision may doom feds' efforts to sue Townstone Financial over execs' talk radio speech: New filing
Chicago mortgage broker Townstone Financial says federal banking regulators overreached in using anti-discrimination regulations to sue them for comments made on the radio by Townstone executives
Federal Court
Seventh Circuit Judge Michael Kanne dies; Served on federal appeals court for 35 years
Kanne, regarded as a conservative originalist, was appointed to the court in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan
Federal Court
How 'concrete' an injury is 'emotional distress?' Federal appeals court grapples with question
A group of four federal appeals court judges says the Seventh Circuit was wrong to toss out a woman's class action claims that a creditor should pay for inflicting "emotional distress" when it sought to collect a "zombie debt"
Federal Court
SCOTUS: Airline ramp workers exempt from arbitration mandates, more class actions vs transportation employers inbound?
The U.S. Supreme Court says Southwest Airlines ramp workers are involved in interstate commerce, and should be given exemption under federal law from mandatory arbitration clauses in their employment contracts
Federal Court
Appeals panel rules schools not automatically liable under federal civil rights law when school workers sexually abuse students
The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, en banc, that a Madison, Wisconsin, school district can't be sued for the sexual abuse of a middle school girl because the school's principal wasn't specifically aware of the abuse, but took action to address concerns of a school security guard's "grooming" actions
Federal Court
Appeals panel says states can make lawyers join the bar based on 'undermined' law, but SCOTUS might say 'no'
A Chicago federal appeals court has ruled it is constitutional for Wisconsin to make lawyers belong to the state bar association, despite a lawyer's contention his dues back political causes he does not support
Federal Court
Appeals panel: Owners of vehicles impounded for unpaid Chicago tickets can protect cars under bankruptcy proceedings
City can tow and keep cars only after obtaining 'final determinations of liability,' a judicial process, meaning the city can't just keep the cars of people who owe large amounts of unpaid parking and traffic tickets, and filed for bankruptcy protection
Federal Court
Judge reprimands feds, says Obama-era bad-faith actions in case vs Kraft 'troubling for future' settlement talks
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission violated a confidentiality provision in its settlement with Kraft and Mondelez to end a regulatory action over alleged wheat market manipulation, to score political PR points. The agency says its commissioners aren't bound by any such deals
Federal Court
Chicago cop's family given another try at pressing ADA discrimination claims vs city over cop's COVID death
The lawsuit alleges the Chicago Police Department didn't honor a transfer request in March 2020 from a Chicago narcotics division officer who had cystic fibrosis and diabetes. He died from COVID at the end of March 2020.
Federal Court
Judge won't end class action alleging abuse of hospitalized children in DCFS care at Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital
Amended complaint targets president/CEO of hospital network Signature
Federal Court
Appeals panel says city not liable for Chicago paramedic accused of private sexual assault
Allegations involve incident at private home, while city worker was on call, but off duty
Federal Court
Despite some dismissals, Macy's still facing privacy lawsuits for use of facial recognition database
Federal judge lets biometrics privacy claims survive retailer's motion to remove itself from a larger action targeting facial recognition tech provider Clearview AI and a collection of its clients
Federal Court
Judge puts hold on ex-IL State Police exec's suit over sex assault claims by worker allegedly covering up theft
The lawsuit from former director of the Illinois State Police Merit Board accuses ex-Merit Board CFO of exploiting ties to Pritzker to get him removed in bid to keep her job and forestall prosecution
Federal Court
SCOTUS gives Northwestern retirees another crack at lawsuit vs university over handling of retirement plans
Unanimous U.S. Supreme Court says Seventh Circuit got the law wrong, sends case back for a new look
Federal Court
Judge allows feds to reimpose $5M fines vs credit monitoring firm under different law, after SCOTUS said original fines illegal
A federal judge said the FTC can modify its fraud complaint vs Credit Bureau Center to press for fines under a different section of federal law, after the Supreme Court said the law under which it had pressed the original complaint didn't allow them to levy fines - a move the company called unfair.