Illinois

High Court Rejects Cert for Ex-Lawyer Convicted of Child Porn for Teen Photos

A former Illinois lawyer who held on to nude photos of his 16-year-old sister-in-law won’t get a Supreme Court hearing in his child pornography case. Gary Peel had kept the photos from an affair he had with the sister-in-law in 1974. They came to light when he tried to pressure…

Jan 18, 2011 3:50 PM CST

Ex-Lawyer Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Conviction Stemming from Affair Photos

A once-successful lawyer is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to accept his cert petition and reverse a child porn conviction stemming from an affair he had with his wife’s16-year-old sister more than 35 years ago. The U.S. Supreme Court may decide whether to accept the cert petition by Gary Peel…

Jan 14, 2011 5:12 PM CST

Illinois Senate OKs Ban on Death Penalty; Gov Now Decides Whether to Sign

The state senate of Illinois today approved a proposed ban on capital punishment by a 32-25 vote, sending the bill, which was previously passed by the state house of representatives, to Gov. Pat Quinn. If the Democratic governor signs, it becomes law, reports the Clout Street page of the Chicago…

Jan 11, 2011 9:16 PM CST

Ex-Con Allegedly Worked as Bogus Lawyer for 5 Years, May Have Watched TV Legal Dramas to Hone Skills

A convicted burglar allegedly passed himself off as an Illinois lawyer and represented paying clients for at least five years before finally being caught when a court clerk in suburban Chicago recognized him and blew the whistle. Held in contempt last month and jailed after being accused of representing clients…

Jan 10, 2011 10:51 PM CST

Death of Female Partner Puts Cozen Firm in Center of Same-Sex Marriage Comity Case

The death of a female partner of Cozen O’Connor has put the law firm in the center of a dispute over a cutting-edge same-sex marriage issue—whether a marriage that is legal in one jurisdiction should be recognized as valid in another in which the parties would not have a right…

Jan 10, 2011 6:50 PM CST

Lawyer Accused of Smuggling Drugs into Prison Is Reportedly Shot Outside Casino

A 68-year-old Illinois lawyer accused of trying to smuggle drugs into a federal prison was reportedly shot early Thursday in the parking lot at Harrah’s casino in Metropolis. Sources close to the case told WSILTV.com that the shooting victim was lawyer and former judge Robert Drew of downstate Marion, Ill.…

Jan 7, 2011 1:54 PM CST

After Losing By 1 Vote in Ill. House, Repeal of Death Penalty Passes Chamber in Do-Over Vote

A bill to repeal the death penalty in Illinois lost by one vote, 59-58 in the state house of representatives today. But in an unusual do-over vote later the same day, the measure gained the 60 votes it needed to move on to the state senate, reports the Clout Street…

Jan 7, 2011 12:40 AM CST

Filmed at Money Machine, Inserting Quarters, Man Is Simultaneously Issued a Parking Ticket

Scott Larsen was already unhappy about the city of Chicago’s hefty parking fees, he told an NBC Chicago news crew as he was feeding money into a central machine that issues a receipt that the motorist must then walk back and put on the dashboard inside his or her vehicle.…

Jan 6, 2011 11:14 PM CST

Ethics Complaint Accuses Lawyer of Joining Carpenters Union to Get the Benefits

An amended ethics complaint accuses an Illinois lawyer of joining a carpenters union to obtain health and pension benefits even though he didn’t work as a tradesman. John P. Cooney worked as a lawyer for a carpentry and siding contractor. He joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and…

Jan 6, 2011 4:00 PM CST

Avowed Neo-Nazi Convicted of Soliciting Attack on Juror, Although Web Posting Didn’t Exactly Say So

An avowed neo-Nazi who posted the photo, name, home address and phone number of a juror who helped convict self-proclaimed white supremacist Matthew Hale in 2004 of soliciting the murder of a federal judge in Chicago has now himself been convicted of a crime. William White, 33, was convicted by…

Jan 5, 2011 9:17 PM CST

Ex-Obama Aide Remained a Chicago Resident, Stays on Ballot for Mayor’s Race, Judge Rules

Asked to overturn an administrative ruling that determined the former White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama remained a resident of Chicago while he worked in the nation’s capital and hence is qualified to run for election as the city’s mayor, a state-court judge in Illinois has instead…

Jan 4, 2011 9:19 PM CST

Law Student Dies After Fall at Exclusive Chicago Club

A unique and extraordinary first-year law student with a promising future has died after somehow falling down the stairs at an exclusive Chicago club he was visiting with his father during the holiday break. Eric Fatla died yesterday from the severe injuries he sustained in the Christmas Eve fall at…

Dec 28, 2010 7:00 PM CST

Son of Ex-Illinois Gov Calls Ruling Denying Prison Release ‘Heartless and Cruel’

The son of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan calls a federal judge’s decision denying his father’s appeal “heartless and cruel.” The former governor had sought to overturn his conviction under the honest services law, citing the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Skilling v. United States, Reuters reports. The Skilling decision…

Dec 22, 2010 2:52 PM CST

Shock Jock Hal Turner Gets 33 Months for Threatening 7th Circuit Judges in Blog Post

Defiant to the end, an Internet radio shock jock sought probation today for saying in a blog post that three federal appeals court judges in Chicago “deserved to be killed” for their rulings in gun-ban litigation while simultaneously accusing the judge in his own Brooklyn federal court case of “legal…

Dec 21, 2010 8:38 PM CST

Citizen Prevails in Toilet Planter Clash: It’s Not Trash, Judge Rules, Nixing $25 Ticket

A suburban Chicago judge has sided with a Lakemoor homeowner given a $25 ticket for decorating her yard with two toilet planters and a bathroom sink. While they may not be to everyone’s taste, these items weren’t an appropriate basis for a citation under a public nuisance ordinance intended to…

Dec 17, 2010 12:44 AM CST