Quantcast

COOK COUNTY RECORD

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Latest News


Hot Topics

McGlynn denies motion to stay gun ban challenge, says it's time to 'decide what you’re fighting over'

By Steve Korris |
EAST ST. LOUIS - Plaintiffs challenging Illinois' so-called "assault weapon" ban moved to stay proceedings with agreement from the state’s lawyer, but U.S. District Judge McGlynn told them it was time to move forward.

Hot Topics

Bus company sues Chicago over ordinance enacted to stop Texas migrant drop-offs

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The lawsuit claims a city ordinance regulating where and how buses from out of state can drop off passengers is unconstitutionally attempting to regulate immigration and interstate commerce, while illegally discriminating against migrants, as well.

Hot Topics

IL courts help fuel massive class action, settlement activity in 2023: Duane Morris annual report

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Class action settlements collective totaling more than $51 billion in 2023 helped to generate 'most extensive ... transfer of wealth' in U.S. court history, new report says. Illinois biometrics class actions one of 'hottest' growth sectors in litigation, according to the report.

Hot Topics

SCOTUS rejects appeal of IL Supreme Court gun ban ruling, despite big Pritzker giving to justices

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The U.S. Supreme Court denied appeal from Decatur gun rights supporters, who argued their rights were violated when the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the state's new "assault weapons" ban law and the state's two newest Democratic justices refused to recuse, despite millions in campaign gifts from Gov. JB Pritzker and his allies

Hot Topics

Judge halves bond needed to release jailed man to begin paying divorce legal fees

By Chris Dickerson |
A Cook County family court judge has cut in half the amount of money needed for a River Forest businessman to be released from jail to satisfy a previous order to begin paying off $1.6 million in legal bills compiled during a contentious divorce.

Hot Topics

Oversight committee raised questions about 'assault weapons' ban ahead of Monday's registration deadline

By Steve Korris |
SPRINGFIELD - As the new year begins, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s ban on so-called "assault weapons" takes effect under emergency rules that still leave many questions unanswered.

Hot Topics

McGlynn denies preliminary injunction so gun ban dispute can move forward, saying 'Gov. exists to serve us, not lord over us'

By Steve Korris |
EAST ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn ended what he called preliminary wrangling over the state's controversial weapon law, or the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), so he can decide whether it violates a constitutional right to bear arms.

Hot Topics

McGlynn hears arguments on firearm registration injunction; State counsel: Ignorance of statute is no defense to criminal prosecution

By Steve Korris |
EAST ST. LOUIS - Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois can move to enjoin registration of weapons and parts after the deadline passes on Jan. 1, U. S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn said at a hearing on Dec. 12.

Hot Topics

SCOTUS declines to block IL 'assault weapons' ban; Law poised to take effect on Jan. 1

By Jonathan Bilyk |
In the past two days, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined two invitations to issue emergency injunctions blocking the state from enforcing the new gun ban law. The decision leaves thousands, if not millions, of Illinois residents facing the risk of criminal charges while constitutional challenges to the law continue to play out in court

Hot Topics

Illinois native Circuit Judge Millett authors ruling on Trump's gag order, partially upholding restrictions

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
After receiving attention last month for yelling at former President Donald J. Trump’s lawyer for refusing to answer a hypothetical question, Marine native and Circuit Judge Patricia A. Millett delivered an opinion for the U.S. Court of Appeals in the D.C. Circuit partially upholding his gag order.

Hot Topics

Raoul gives up targeting pro-life centers under law judge called 'stupid, unconstitutional'

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has agreed to never attempt to enforce a new state law targeting abortion 'misinformation.' The law was labeled a blatant attempt to silence religious and political speech of abortion opponents

Hot Topics

Illinois state officials move to dismiss amended gun ban challenge, relying on prior Seventh Circuit ruling

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
The state defendants accused of violating the rights of law-abiding gun owners in Illinois seek to dismiss the new due process claims raised in the amended complaint filed by gun advocates, which allege citizens did not receive proper notice of the vague “assault weapons” ban rules.

Hot Topics

IL 'assault weapons' ban challengers ask SCOTUS to step into constitutional court fight, block gun ban

By Jonathan Bilyk |
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett directed the state to respond to the petitioners' assertions that, not only is the law unconstitutional, but federal judges in Chicago have twisted SCOTUS rulings to say the state is clearly allowed to ban "dangerous" weapons that aren't protected by the Second Amendment

Hot Topics

McGlynn rejects state's request for more time to respond to motion for injunctive relief from firearm registration deadline

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
U.S District Judge Stephen McGlynn denied the state’s request for additional time to respond to a motion by gun advocates seeking injunctive relief from the approaching firearm registration deadline, but he granted their request to file a lengthy response “due to the complexity of the arguments in the motion for preliminary injunction.”

Hot Topics

Campaign committee created to smear GOP IL Supreme Court candidates hit with big campaign finance fine

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The Illinois State Board of Elections says the All for Justice campaign committee, led by lawyer Luke Casson, a prominent ally of State Sen. President Don Harmon, must pay $99,500 for failing to report spending on time during the 2022 election campaign, when it spent millions to elect IL Supreme Court justices Rochford and O'Brien

Hot Topics

2nd Amend rights groups ask full appeals court to reconsider order upholding IL gun ban

By Jonathan Bilyk |
With weeks left before Illinois' "assault weapons" registration deadline, Illinois gun owners and Second Amendment rights groups have asked the Seventh Circuit to undo a panel's ruling that Illinois is OK to ban 'military-grade' guns, because they're 'dangerous'

Hot Topics

Gun advocates seek preliminary injunction in Southern IL federal court from approaching firearm registration deadline

By Heather Isringhausen Gvillo |
Gun advocates suing the state over its controversial Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) filed a new request for injunctive relief, seeking to preliminarily enjoin enforcement of the firearm registration requirement due to insufficient notice, vagueness and Constitutional violations.

Hot Topics

IL gun ban foes ask SCOTUS to review IL Sup Ct ruling; Petition says two Dem justices who refused recusal defied high court

By Jonathan Bilyk |
State Rep. Dan Caulkins and other gun owners from Macon County say the U.S. Supreme Court needs to undo the Illinois high court's ruling on the "assault weapons" ban, because they could not receive a fair hearing when two justices, who already were endorsed by anti-gun groups, got millions of campaign cash from Gov. Pritzker

Hot Topics

No escape hatch: 'Mass arbitration' complicates biz's ability to escape large biometrics actions in Illinois

By Donna Rolando |
Mass arbitration is another way that some companies are getting slammed over alleged violations of the Illinois biometric privacy law. An attorney specializing in defending companies against collective legal action said businesses may need to choose if they wish to risk class actions or a collection of potentially thousands of "mini trials" in arbitration

Hot Topics

IL OK to ban 'assault weapons,' so long as state says those guns are 'dangerous' and too similar to 'military' weapons: Appeals court

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A 2-1 panel of the Seventh Circuit Appeals Court in Chicago refused to block Illinois' 'assault weapons' ban from being enforced. A dissenting judge said the ruling conflicts with SCOTUS rulings, and effectively subjects Americans' Second Amendment rights to a 'military veto'