Cook County Record

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Latest News

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From Legal Newsline

Trade group: Misunderstanding of medical sterilization chemical could lead to shortages, harm patients

By Karen Kidd | 1 month ago

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – With possible shortages looming amid debate over environmental impacts of ethylene oxide, a gas used to sterilize billions of medical devices each year, an industry advocate is advocating a more reasoned view of how the gas is used.

Judge says BNSF can't use federal law to cut out on biometrics class action over trucker handprint scans

By Scott Holland | Nov 8, 2019

A federal judge has rejected a railroad’s attempt to escape a class action lawsuit filed by a truck driver over the railroad's rules requiring drivers to scan handprints to verify their identity when entering secure rail yards.

Judge: Melrose Park can keep trying to punish Pipeline for filing Westlake Hospital bankruptcy

By Jonathan Bilyk | Nov 8, 2019

A federal bankruptcy judge has cleared the way for the village of Melrose Park to resume its effort to punish the owners of Westlake Hospital for using bankruptcy to close the hospital.

Appeals court: Supreme Court declared union fees unconstitutional, but union collected in 'good faith,' so no refunds

By Jonathan Bilyk | Nov 6, 2019

Illinois public worker unions get to keep unconstitutional fees, because they collected the fees in “good faith,” relying on “good luck” in having state law and a later-overturned Supreme Court decision on their side for 40 years.

IL ethylene oxide ban advances, over warnings of 'ripple effect' fueling medical device shortages, 'true health care crisis'

By Jonathan Bilyk | Oct 30, 2019

Brushing aside warnings of shortages of properly sterilized health care tools, Illinois lawmakers are moving forward with new legislation to all but force the state’s medical device sterilization plants to close, over concerns emissions from the plants may be linked to an increased risk of cancer in those living nearby.

Judge: Bankruptcy law shields Pipeline from Melrose Park's lawsuit over using bankruptcy to close Westlake Hospital

By Jonathan Bilyk | Oct 24, 2019

A federal judge has ruled bankruptcy laws should block lawyers representing the village of Melrose Park from continuing to sue the owners of a now-shuttered suburban hospital for using federal bankruptcy protection to close the hospital, despite a state court order blocking the owners from locking the doors at the financially-troubled health care facility.

Not every crime victim can 'discuss crime on Good Morning America:' Judge OKs city suit vs Smollett

By Jonathan Bilyk | Oct 23, 2019

Judge says Smollett can't sidestep city's lawsuit over hoax "MAGA" assault report and says his dismissal motion was just an attempt to "muddy the waters" and distract from city's claims.

Chicago teachers demand 'common good' affordable housing provision in new deal, but how enforceable would it be?

By Karen Kidd | Oct 21, 2019

Non-traditional bargaining points, including "common good" affordable housing and other social justice demands are among the sticking points keeping City Hall and Chicago Teachers Union from a strike-ending deal. But the city and others question whether contract talks are the place to deal with such political questions.

Appeals panel: IL constitution doesn't force cities to keep paying retiree health insurance, even if benefit paid to current workers

By Jonathan Bilyk | Oct 17, 2019

Neither Illinois’ state constitution nor its insurance laws force cities to pay for retirees’ health insurance premiums, just because the city pays a portion of premiums for current employees.

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From Legal Newsline

TOPDOG Legal Marketing Announces New Brand, Law Firm Marketing Model

By Legal Newsline Submission | 2 months ago

TOPDOG Legal Marketing, an attorney-led team serving law firms nationwide, is excited to reveal its new brand and announce expanded options to better serve its clients

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From Legal Newsline

Seeing all those Roundup commercials? That's because lawyers have spent $60M on them this year

By John O'Brien | 2 months ago

The search for clients to file cancer lawsuits over the weed-killer Roundup has exploded – even as the EPA says the product does not cause what lawyers are alleging.

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From Legal Newsline

Millions are spent on ads targeting diabetes medications, but FTC worried lawyers are lying in them

By John O'Brien | 2 months ago

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – As a federal agency considers whether lawyers are illegally frightening potential clients who see their television commercials, research shows drugs like Invokana and Truvada are among the most popular subjects of lawyer spending.

Appellate arguments: Cook County wants transportation funding rules reduced to 'mere suggestion'

By Jonathan Bilyk | Sep 25, 2019

Cook County wants to 'rewrite' the Illinois state constitution's transportation funding rules, a new appellate brief says.

Should unions refund collected fees that were later declared unconstitutional? Appeals court to decide

By Dan Churney | Sep 23, 2019

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is unconstitutional to require non-union state workers in Illinois to pay "fair share" fees to a union, but a Chicago federal appeals panel is considering whether a union must refund millions of dollars in fees already collected.

Illinois EPA OKs Sterigenics construction permit; 'First step in lengthy process' toward reopening, IEPA says

By Cook County Record | Sep 21, 2019

The Illinois EPA has granted a construction permit to allow Sterigenics to install emissions capture technology at its Willowbrook plant.

'Political questions': Judges duck thorny IL constitutional issues, but how much free rein should IL pols have?

By Jonathan Bilyk | Sep 20, 2019

Judges in Illinois have allowed the state government and Cook County avoid challenges to their spending power under the state constitution. But should they have?

Survey says: Illinois has worst legal system in U.S.; Chicago courts 'least fair'

By Jonathan Bilyk | Sep 18, 2019

The environment in courts in Cook County and Madison County have earned IL the bottom spot, according to the survey from the Institute for Legal Reform

Company that wants to buy MetroSouth hospital hires Edelson lawyers, sues to stop owners from closing hospital

By Scott Holland | Sep 18, 2019

The would-be buyers of a Blue Island hospital have hired the Edelson firm to sue the hospital's owners, to stop them from closing the hospital after they decided not to sell.

Raoul rejects possible opioid settlement, files new IL opioid lawsuit in Cook County

By Scott Holland | Sep 13, 2019

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has rejected a settlement from opioid manufacturers and opted to file his own lawsuit on behalf of the state.

Appeal on tap over judge's decision to end challenge over whether state debt practices are unconstitutional

By Cook County Record | Sep 13, 2019

A state appeals court will be asked to weigh in on the question of whether state courts can have any input at all on the question of whether Illinois’ state constitution puts any constraints at all on state lawmakers who want to rack up debt to cover state expenses.