Illinois

Latest Scott Turow Legal Thriller Puts ‘Innocent’ Rusty Sabich in New Murder Trial

After a 23-year gap, attorney and best-selling author Scott Turow has brought the lead character of one of his best-known legal thrillers back into the spotlight again as the defendant in a new murder case. Rusty Sabich, now over 60 and an appellate judge, is still in his stilted marriage…

May 4, 2010 8:46 PM CDT

Dad Can Walk Bride Down Aisle, Federal Judge Rules, But Can’t Talk to Groom’s Father

A defendant on home confinement while awaiting trial in a video gambling case can walk his daughter down the aisle during her August wedding, a federal judge in Chicago has decided. But Casey Szaflarski can’t talk to the father of the groom, ruled U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman. The limitation…

May 4, 2010 7:30 PM CDT

Pop the Caps

Once again, the Illinois high court flips med-mal limits

May 1, 2010 7:40 AM CDT

Judge Nixes Former Ill. Gov’s Motion to Subpoena President Obama

Saying that a defense motion fell “very short” of establishing a need to subpoena the president of the United States to testify in the upcoming political corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a federal judge in Chicago has nixed a defense motion to require Obama’s testimony. Although the…

Apr 30, 2010 7:35 PM CDT

Oops. Ex-Illinois Gov’s Unredacted Filing Seeking Obama’s Testimony Is Posted Online

Attorneys for impeached former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich today filed a motion asking a federal judge in Chicago to subpoena President Barack Obama to testify at Blagojevich’s upcoming corruption trial. But a computer glitch has made numerous redactions in the motion public, reports the Chicago Tribune. To see the redacted…

Apr 22, 2010 10:30 PM CDT

How an Arthur Andersen Lawyer Rebuilt Her Career

Arthur Andersen in-house lawyer Nancy Temple hit bottom in 2002 when she was advised to hire a criminal defense lawyer. Although she was never charged, her document cleanup advice was cited when the accounting giant went on trial for obstruction of justice for destroying some of its Enron files. “It…

Apr 14, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Dad Can Take His 3-Year-Old Daughter to Church, Judge Rules

Threatened with possible contempt sanctions for taking his young daughter to church, Joseph Reyes as of today has the court’s permission to do so—and he can visit with her annually on Christmas and Easter. However, it is still possible that Reyes will be penalized for defying an earlier court order…

Apr 13, 2010 10:46 PM CDT

Must Criminal Contempt Occur in Court? 7th Cir. Mulls Judge’s Reaction to E-Mail Flood

As lawyers today debated before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals whether a federal district judge should have sentenced an informercial pitchman to 30 days for flooding his in-box with e-mail, the three-judge panel honed in on whether criminal contempt can occur outside the physical boundaries of a courtroom.…

Apr 8, 2010 9:35 PM CDT

Prosecutors Want Testimony of Ex-Ill. Gov’s General Counsel

Prosecutors in the federal corruption case against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have asked a federal judge to force his one-time general counsel to testify. Prosecutors claim the attorney client privilege doesn’t apply to conversations between public officials and their taxpayer-provided lawyers, the Chicago Tribune reports. Prosecutors also say Blagojevich…

Apr 8, 2010 12:44 PM CDT

Despite Court-Ordered $110/Hour Limit, Ex-Ill. Gov’s Legal Defense Bill is Likely to Top $3M

As former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich awaits trial this summer in a federal corruption case, a $2.8 million campaign fund is covering his legal bill. But it’s a virtual certainty that it will be depleted before trial, observers tell the Chicago Sun-Times, even though U.S. District Judge James Zagel, who…

Apr 5, 2010 8:12 PM CDT

Sonnenschein Partner in Pay Dispute Can Seek Rescission of Firm Contract, Appeals Court Says

A onetime equity partner of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal who agreed to a “special partner” nonequity employment agreement in 2000 is back in the litigation ballgame. Donald Horwitz can seek rescission of that contract and a retroactive restoration of his rights—and pay—as an equity partner after an alleged breach by…

Apr 1, 2010 9:28 PM CDT

Lawyer Ordered to Pay $635K for Bad-Faith Suits Against Ex-Partners

An Illinois lawyer labeled “out of control” by federal appeals judge Richard Posner has been ordered to pay more than $635,000 to his former law partners for filing bad-faith lawsuits against them. A federal judge sanctioned class action lawyer Rex Carr after an opinion by Posner upheld dismissal of one…

Apr 1, 2010 3:06 PM CDT

Who Let the Dogs In?

Non-visually impaired kids are bringing their aide dogs to class

Apr 1, 2010 7:30 AM CDT

Lovells to Shutter 20-Lawyer Chicago Office

Lovells expects to close its approximately 20-lawyer Chicago office by the end of October. The decision was made after the firm conducted a strategic and financial review in conjunction with its planned May 1 merger with Hogan & Hartson. The news follows announcements within the past month that 56 lawyers…

Mar 30, 2010 7:38 PM CDT

Plaintiff: Movie Theater Armrest Struck Me As I Answered My Cell Phone

A plaintiff in an Illinois lawsuit is seeking damages for a head injury she says she suffered when a movie theater armrest struck her as she was “discreetly” leaning down to answer her cell phone during a screening of The Incredible Hulk. Taj Showers says she suffered a concussion and…

Mar 25, 2010 9:19 PM CDT