Cook County Record

Monday, February 24, 2020

Latest News

Cook County says raising taxes would hurt economy; Bank of America owes for county tax losses from 'discriminatory' lending

By Jonathan Bilyk | Dec 7, 2019

Cook County says it lost potential tax money during the foreclosure crisis, so it doesn't matter if its actual tax collections didn't drop. It wants Bank of America to pay, because it blames some of the foreclosures on alleged discriminatory lending practices.

Supreme Court: Rights of nursing home residents outweigh rights of nursing homes in discharge proceedings

Dec 6, 2019

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that following the intent of the state’s Nursing Home Care Act – to protect the rights of nursing home residents – is more important than following the letter of the sometimes contradictory law.

Cook County wants Bank of America's lawyers disqualified from representing witnesses in discriminatory lending case

By Scott Holland | Dec 6, 2019

Cook County cites irreparable conflict in 'drastic remedy' request

Sterigenics: Personal injury lawsuits should be doomed by EPA, other government regulation of EtO emissions

By Jonathan Bilyk | Dec 5, 2019

Sterigenics has asked a Cook County judge to dismiss a host of personal injury lawsuits against it, asserting the law does not allow it to be sued for its emissions of ethylene oxide, because the emissions were regulated by the government

Appeals brief: Judge wrongly cut short taxpayer suit vs IL over constitutionality of $14B bond issues

By Jonathan Bilyk | Dec 4, 2019

An Illinois state appeals court has been asked to decide if a judge in Springfield improperly ducked the question of whether state lawmakers illegally borrowed billions of dollars to pay down bills, when such actions may be forbidden by the Illinois state constitution.

Cannabis dispensary hopefuls say state's licensing program is unconstitutional

By Scott Holland | Dec 4, 2019

Women allege they weren't allowed to change application address like other businesses

Pipeline Health: Melrose Park hospital workers properly told facility was closing, WARN suit should be tossed

By Dan Churney | Dec 3, 2019

The parent company of Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park is arguing hospital workers had plenty of advance notice the facility was closing, contrary to a suit by the workers that alleges employees were "blindsided" when the owners abruptly shut down, allegedly violating federal labor law.

Ex-Madigan staffer settles sex harassment, retaliation lawsuit vs IL Dems, Madigan political orgs

By Jonathan Bilyk | Nov 30, 2019

Alaina Hampton, a woman who has claimed Illinois Democrats, led by House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, blackballed her in retaliation for complaining a Madigan operative sexually harassed her, has settled her case with Madigan, the state Democratic Party and other Madigan-controlled political organizations.

Pritzker campaign committee says ex-campaign workers refusing to cooperate, discrimination suit should be tossed

By Dan Churney | Nov 27, 2019

Lawyers for Pritzker's campaign say the plaintiffs haven't cooperated in scheduling and taking depositions and other discovery, and so most of them should be tossed from the action.

Feud rages among Edelson, McGuire firms for control of BIPA class actions vs timeclock vendors

By Jonathan Bilyk | Nov 26, 2019

Feud rages among Edelson, McGuire firms for control of BIPA class actions vs timeclock vendors

Chicago could get new chance to take city lawsuit vs opioid makers to trial

By Jonathan Bilyk | Nov 21, 2019

As courts grapple with the bundle of litigation that has sprung up against the makers and distributors of opioid painkillers, the city of Chicago could yet secure its day in court, as an Ohio federal judge has ruled the city’s lawsuit against opioid makers should be sent back to federal court in Chicago for trial to help work toward a "global settlement."

Smollett demands Chicago cops, Nigerian brothers, others, pay him for allegedly making up, spreading 'hoax' attack story

By Jonathan Bilyk | Nov 20, 2019

Actor Jussie Smollett has doubled down on his claim he was attacked by racist white supporters of President Donald Trump, and has now demanded the city of Chicago and others be made to pay him for allegedly concocting and promoting the story Smollett had staged the January attack to advance his career.

Northwest IL gun club sues to overturn IL open carry handgun ban

By The Cook County Record | Nov 19, 2019

A northwest Illinois gun club and one of its members have sued the Illinois state government, asking the courts to declare Illinois’ prohibition on open carry of firearms unconstitutional.

Business group: Chicago work scheduling rules unconstitutional, should be blocked

By Scott Holland | Nov 14, 2019

Building owners group said ordinance unconstitutionally targets only seven industries.

How much can IL expect from taxes, fees on legal marijuana? Tough to tell, attorney says

By John Breslin | Nov 14, 2019

Illinois needs to be careful estimating revenues from the recreational marijuana business as a number of elements will affect the tax and licensing take, according to an attorney who focuses on the nascent market.

Judge: Supreme Court decision barring forced union fees doesn't rid unions of responsibility to represent all workers

By Jonathan Bilyk | Nov 13, 2019

Unions can’t use a recent anti-union Supreme Court decision to rid themselves of their responsibility under the law to represent all workers in a collective bargaining unit, whether or not those workers pay union dues, a federal judge has ruled.

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From Legal Newsline

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

By Karen Kidd | 3 months 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.