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Ex-IL House Speaker, Dem leader Madigan convicted of bribery, wire fraud
Michael J. Madigan, who used his position as state House Speaker and chairman of the state Democrats to amass sweeping influence across all levels in Illinois for decades, was convicted by a federal jury. Reform advocates and GOPers say it should serve as a "wake-up call" for more extensive reforms in the notoriously corruption-plagued state
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'The offender is the victim now:' City to debate deal to pay Dexter Reed's family $1.25M
The deal, which could be approved by Chicago City Council by Feb. 19, would pay $1.25 million to the family of a man all but his own family and their lawyers conceded fired first at Chicago cops. It has drawn intense criticism from aldermen who assert it sends a terrible message to police and the community
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'This ends today:' DOJ asks court to block IL, Chicago from using 'Sanctuary' laws to hinder deportation of criminals
Federal lawsuit from the Trump administration asserts the state of Illinois, city of Chicago and Cook County are unconstitutionally using state laws and local ordinances to shield illegal immigrants - and particularly, illegal immigrants who have been convicted of other, violent crimes - from being removed from the U.S.
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Lawsuits: City Hall, Bally's illegally blocking white males from investing in new Chicago casino
The lawsuits, filed by the American Alliance for Equal Rights and the Liberty Justice Center, say Chicago City Hall illegally forced Bally's to agree to racial and sex-based ownership and hiring quotas at the planned new Chicago casino, which resulted in white males being denied the opportunity to invest in the project
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Pro-immigrant activists demand court shut down Trump immigration raids in Chicago
The activist groups claim the immigration raids violate their First Amendment rights because Chicago was targeted to punish cities and other jurisdictions who have flouted federal immigration laws by enacting so-called "Sanctuary" policies and vowing to protect illegal immigrants
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IL high court to decide if state can force people to challenge laws only in Chicago, Springfield courts
Justices heard arguments over the constitutionality of HB3062, which forces all Illinoisans to only file constitutional challenges to state laws in courts in Cook County and Sangamon County. Democrats passed the law in 2023 after a blitz of lawsuits challenged a litany of controversial state laws and executive orders
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Lawsuit: IL law requiring nonprofits to disclose leaders' race, gender promotes discrimination
The American Association for Equal Rights has filed another suit against the state, now seeking to strike down a Pritzker-backed law forcing nonprofits to disclose their leaders' race, gender and other 'demographic classifications.'
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IL biometrics claims multiplied again in '24, helping to fuel big class action payouts nationwide
A new report from defense law firm Duane Morris said class action settlements again totaled more than $40B in 2024, with attorneys raking in many of those billions for themselves in fees. In Illinois, much of the action was driven by hundreds of new claims under the Illinois biometrics privacy law, despite reforms
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Drury, Proft reach deal to end 10-year-long defamation suit over campaign ads
Political commentator Dan Proft called the confidential settlement a "victory" against a defamation lawsuit launched a decade ago by former Democratic State Rep. Scott Drury to punish political critics and enabled by a permissive court system and rulings that have "gutted" key legal protections for political speech
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Appeals court: Cook divorce judges can't hold ex-husbands 'hostage' to force families to pay divorce bills
An Illinois appeals panel has become the first to push back against a continued practice by Cook County divorce court judges who have jailed ex-husbands to force them to pay 'obligations,' even if they may not have the money. The justices said Judge Scannicchio, who oversees the county's divorce courts, improperly jailed a man without first determining he could pay $248K
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'Assault weapons' ban to continue in IL, for now, while courts handle appeal
The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request from Illinois Atty Gen Kwame Raoul to keep a decision on hold from a southern Illinois federal judge, who declared Illinois' ban on so-called "assault weapons" an "unconstitutional affront" to the Second Amendment
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Family of Dexter Reed poised to get paid by city taxpayers, under possible lawsuit deal announced in court
A judge tentatively dismissed the legal action vs the city of Chicago by the family of Dexter Reed, a black man shot and killed by police in March after he reportedly opened fire on them from inside his vehicle during a stop. Terms of the settlement, which must be approved by City Council, have not been disclosed.
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Illinois sanctuary law will hinder, but won’t stop ICE agents in potential deportation actions
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker recently boasted that officials in heavily Democratic Illinois will attempt to shield illegal immigrants from potential deportation actions under the incoming Trump administration. An advocate for victims of illegal immigrant crime says state actions could place the state and local authorities on a legal collision course with the feds
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Lawsuit: IL law requiring insurers to pay for abortions tramples religious freedom rights
A group of pro-life groups and employers, including a private school and a manufacturer, filed suit against Gov. Pritzker and the state, saying the Reproductive Health Act violates their First Amendment rights and federal law by forcing them to pay for others' abortions against their religious beliefs
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Justice for Jussie? IL Supreme Court overturns Smollett conviction for lying to cops
The Illinois Supreme Court said Smollett's conviction for lying to police about his hoax attack claims was an unconstitutional violation of his rights to due process because he should have been able to rely on the charge-dropping deal from Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx
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Judges: Reforms to limit harm from IL biometrics law should apply to pending lawsuits, too
Recent rulings from a Chicago federal judge and a Cook County judge are seen as key wins for Illinois businesses, as they begin the work of answering a key question that could decide the fates of potentially hundreds of lawsuits with many millions of dollars at stake
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Glock: IL law underpinning Chicago's gun violence lawsuit violates Second Amendment, is unconstitutional
Firearms maker Glock says Chicago and Illinois are attempting to use a lawsuit under an allegedly unconstitutional Illinois consumer fraud law to win a court order all but banning the sale of Glock handguns, which Glock said violates the Second Amendment and the Commerce Clause
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Constitution doesn't block Indiana's ban on gender transition procedures for kids: Appeals court
A divided federal appeals panel said the Indiana ban on surgeries, puberty blockers and other care do not violate parent's rights to direct their children's medical care nor the speech rights of doctors, dissolving a lower court's injunction blocking enforcement of the law
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'Unconstitutional affront:' Federal judge strikes down Illinois 'assault weapons' ban
Saying the law falls far short under the Constitution, U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn entered an injunction which would block the state from enforcing Gov. Pritzker's ban on so-called 'assault weapons.' The ruling is stayed for 30 days, pending an expected appeal from the state
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Judge mostly tosses effort to force IL elections authorities to make voter rolls more accurate
A Chicago federal judge said conservative groups don't have standing to sue Illinois state and county election officials for allegedly failing to live up to their obligations under federal election law to remove people who aren't eligible to vote from Illinois voter rolls