Illinois

Afternoon Briefs: McDonald’s faces Illinois privacy suit; NYPD accused of violating graffiti artists’ rights

McDonald’s sued over voice recognition software McDonald’s is accused of violating Illinois’ biometric privacy law by using voice recognition software to recognize repeat customers at drive-thrus. The suit, filed in April, was removed to federal court in Chicago, according to a May 28 notice. Law.com spoke with several lawyers who…

Jun 3, 2021 4:16 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyer, 75, is oldest American to scale Mount Everest; fake claims made of SCOTUS justice’s arrest

Retired lawyer is oldest American to climb Mount Everest Retired Chicago lawyer Arthur Muir became the oldest American to scale Mount Everest last month. Muir, 75, tried to climb the mountain in 2019, but he had to turn back after hurting his ankle. Muir took up mountain climbing seven years…

Jun 1, 2021 4:34 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Law school cuts John Marshall name because of slavery link; 2 appellate nominees advance

Following scholarship about John Marshall’s support for slavery, law school removes his name The name of John Marshall, a former U.S. Supreme Court chief justice who wrote seven majority opinions rejecting freedom for slaves, will be removed from a Chicago law school. The John Marshall Law School was a private,…

May 21, 2021 3:33 PM CDT

Jones Day documents, hacked in vendor breach, reveal Chicago drone program details

Emails from the city of Chicago and its police department are among the documents stolen from Jones Day in a hack of its file transfer vendor, Accellion. The emails reveal that Chicago started a drone program using money from forfeiture proceeds.

May 13, 2021 9:43 AM CDT

As the legal profession ages, dementia becomes an increasing concern

The legal profession may struggle to identify lawyers experiencing cognitive decline, partly because those who are struggling are good at hiding their problem.

May 12, 2021 3:35 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Derek Chauvin cites possible jury misconduct; judge tosses claim by ex-summer associate

Former Minneapolis police officer seeks new trial Lawyers have filed a motion seeking a new trial for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. The motion said the judge should have sequestered jurors, should have moved the location of the trial,…

May 5, 2021 4:41 PM CDT

After ransomware attack on state attorney general’s office, hackers begin posting documents

Hackers have posted documents that are said to be stolen from the Illinois attorney general’s office, including documents labeled “judgments entered,” “shakedown cases” and “state prisoners.”

May 4, 2021 11:17 AM CDT

Student loan payoff program draws homebuyers to Illinois

Illinois is drawing homebuyers to the state with a $25 million SmartBuy program that helps pay off student loans and provides a loan of $5,000 for a down payment or closing costs.

Apr 7, 2021 3:21 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: No-mask lawyer’s lawsuit tossed; suit alleges 60-plus mistaken-identity arrests

Judge tosses case for lawyer’s refusal to wear mask Judge Lawrence Knipel of New York City has tossed a car-crash lawsuit because of a lawyer’s refusal to wear a face mask during jury selection. The lawyer representing the plaintiff, Howard Greenwald, wore a face shield but no mask. Greenwald, 68,…

Mar 29, 2021 4:39 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Christian baker faces trial in new bias case; city approves housing reparations

Christian baker faces new bias case A Christian baker is facing a new bias claim after persuading the U.S. Supreme Court that a Colorado agency showed impermissible hostility to his religious reasons for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. The baker, Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop, is…

Mar 23, 2021 4:19 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Strip club not eligible for PPP loans, court says; lawyer pleads not guilty in bank embezzlement plot

2nd Circuit says gentlemen’s club not eligible for PPP loans The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New York has ruled that a Buffalo-area gentlemen’s club in New York is not eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program under an exclusion for businesses offering “live performances of a prurient sexual…

Mar 5, 2021 3:22 PM CST

Capacity limits on businesses can be a ‘direct physical loss’ covered by insurance, judge rules in bellwether cases

A federal judge in Chicago has ruled that pandemic-related business closings and capacity limits can qualify as a “direct physical loss” to property that is covered by "business interruption" policies.

Mar 4, 2021 9:54 AM CST

More Zoom issues in court hearings: Doc joins from operating room, defendant is naked from at least the waist up

Zoom court hearings continue to produce some unusual videos of participants who ignore decorum or carry on with activities they wouldn’t try in a courtroom. In California, a traffic court defendant, Dr. Scott Green, appeared for a hearing dressed in scrubs in the operating room. A person was on the…

Mar 1, 2021 10:19 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyers charged in Molotov cocktail attack get plea offers; Harvard Law profs launch equality journal

Lawyers charged in Molotov cocktail attack mull plea offers Two lawyers charged in a Molotov cocktail attack on an unoccupied police car are reviewing plea offers, according to a court filing. The incident happened during a Brooklyn protest in New York City over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old…

Feb 24, 2021 3:26 PM CST

Illinois will end cash bail, require police body cameras in criminal justice overhaul signed by governor

Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed into law an overhaul of the criminal justice system, saying the reforms are a substantial step toward dismantling systemic racism.

Feb 23, 2021 2:52 PM CST