Illinois

Ex-Assistant Dean at Illinois Law School Charged with Theft

An assistant dean at the University of Illinois law school who resigned on Aug. 31 has been charged with stealing from a Chicago agency in a former job. Ming Liu of Urbana, also known as Ming Liu Bengtsson, is accused of stealing $20,000 from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, according…

Sep 4, 2009 3:36 PM CDT

Law Says Ill. Inmates Must Get DNA Tests, But Some 50K Weren’t Done

A state law took effect in Illinois in 2002 requiring officials to collect DNA samples from convicts before they were released from prison or county probation. But officials didn’t do so for perhaps 50,000 released individuals, reports the Chicago Tribune. Among the reasons why are a shortage of both test…

Sep 1, 2009 5:55 PM CDT

Paralegal Headed to Law School Takes $125K Job Instead, Is Fired and Sues

Thomas DeVore had a job with a title company, and his career was on the upswing. He was about to begin pursuing a law degree at Washburn University School of Law and had a job lined up as a paralegal, too, to help cover his costs there. But the southern…

Aug 26, 2009 4:51 PM CDT

Ex-Client Charged With Killing Lawyer; Death At First Thought Natural

A former client and trusted friend of a retired Illinois criminal defense attorney has been charged with smothering the 82-year-old, along with another man, allegedly in order to steal his gun collection. Terry Bratcher, 43, allegedly murdered Carl Kuhn by pushing his head into a pillow, reports the Chicago Tribune.…

Aug 25, 2009 10:27 PM CDT

Splashing Dolphins Blamed in Slip-and-Fall Suit

A Chicago woman is blaming splashing by dolphins for the slippery floor that caused her fall and injuries at Brookfield Zoo in suburban Chicago last August. The suit by Allecyn Edwards says zookeepers “recklessly and willfully trained and encouraged the dolphins to throw water at the spectators in the stands,…

Aug 20, 2009 3:55 PM CDT

Jerry Oshinsky Joins Jenner & Block; Former Firm Shortens Name to Gilbert

An insurance coverage practitioner who has been a name partner in at least three law firms is joining Jenner & Block as a partner. Jerry Oshinsky is expected to help the Chicago-based litigation powerhouse, which already has an active coverage practice representing corporate policyholders, build its West Coast operations, according…

Aug 19, 2009 11:52 PM CDT

Mall Dynasty Heir Sues Neal Gerber for Investment Losses

A mall dynasty heir claims in a lawsuit that Chicago law firm Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg is to blame for more than $300 million in her trusts’ investment losses. The suit by Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan claims the law firm and two of its partners committed malpractice when managing her trusts,…

Aug 19, 2009 6:46 PM CDT

Wells Fargo Used Dubious Appraisals to Cut Home Equity Lines, Suit Says

A new lawsuit has been filed against Wells Fargo & Co. over its home equity line practices, adding to a growing list of litigation against the mortgage lender for which class action status is being sought. Homeowner Michael Hickman contends that Wells Fargo is using inaccurate computerized appraisals to obtain…

Aug 19, 2009 6:31 PM CDT

Armored Truck Nicknamed Armadillo is Unique Anti-Crime Tool in Peoria, Ill.

It isn’t the surveillance cameras so much as the shame factor that makes an armored truck affectionately termed the Armadillo one of the most effective crime-fighting tools in the Peoria, Ill., town arsenal, officials say. When drug dealing or another household nuisance becomes too much for neighbors to endure, police…

Aug 18, 2009 11:34 PM CDT

Attorney Ad on Court Clerk’s Website Aggravates Other Lawyers

A lawyer’s ad for traffic court representation displayed on the website for the court clerk in Chicago’s Cook County is drawing lots of attention—from fellow practitioners. One downstate lawyer called the idea of lawyer advertising on a government website “outrageous” in a message he posted on an Illinois State Bar…

Aug 14, 2009 2:59 PM CDT

Woman Sues Ex-Boyfriend for Posting Her Nude Photos

A Chicago woman has sued her ex-boyfriend, claiming nude photos he posted of her online caused emotional distress and invaded her privacy. Jessica Voth says in the suit that her former boyfriend, Miles Marsh, uploaded the photos to a website that posts photos of men’s former girlfriends, according to the…

Aug 13, 2009 12:56 PM CDT

19-Year-Old to Attend Northwestern Law School

Updated: A 19-year-old woman who will be attending Northwestern Law School this year is used to the ribbing about being like Doogie Howser. Nineteen-year-old Kate McLaughlin skipped six grades as a child and graduated from the University of California San Diego at the age of 17, the Orange County Register…

Aug 10, 2009 3:58 PM CDT

Loud Yawn Lands Court Spectator in Jail; 6-Month Sentence Later Reduced

Updated: A spectator in an Illinois courtroom who let out a loud yawn as his cousin was being sentenced for a felony drug charge soon found himself in jail. Clifton Williams was sentenced to six months in jail for criminal contempt, the Chicago Tribune reports. His cousin was luckier—he received…

Aug 10, 2009 2:42 PM CDT

Tax Lawyer Says He Led 19 Ducklings to Safe Harbor in Lake Michigan

When Frank Hahn encountered 19 ducklings and the mama bird at a downtown Chicago skyscraper on Sunday, the retired tax attorney figured their chance of getting safely through busy city traffic to Lake Michigan was about zero. So he decided to herd the duck family to its obvious destination, across…

Aug 5, 2009 6:17 PM CDT

U.S. Attorney Finalist Chases and Tackles Theft Suspect

An Illinois lawyer who is under consideration for the job of U.S. attorney got an up-close taste of crime-fighting on Wednesday when he chased and tackled a suspected thief. Belleville lawyer Steve Wigginton is one of two people recommended for U.S. attorney in Illinois’ southern district, according to the Belleville…

Jul 31, 2009 12:25 PM CDT