Illinois

Former congressman is indicted for alleged false expense claims; ‘Downton Abbey’ decorating cited

Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois was indicted on Thursday on charges of defrauding the federal government and his campaign committees out of about $100,000 by submitting false invoices for office redecorating and personal expenses. Schock was accused of covering up the fraud with false statements and paperwork, and…

Nov 10, 2016 3:03 PM CST

Law clerk accused of ruling on cases wins judicial election, though she is barred from the bench

A law clerk/staff attorney accused of donning a judge’s robes and ruling in cases has won a judicial election in Cook County, Illinois, despite a state supreme court order temporarily barring her from the bench. Rhonda Crawford had at least 74,000 votes with about 85 percent of the precincts reporting,…

Nov 9, 2016 1:54 PM CST

Law clerk accused of ruling on cases can’t be a judge if she wins election, Illinois high court says

A law clerk/staff attorney accused of impersonating a Cook County judge can’t be a judge if she wins the election, the Illinois Supreme Court has decided. The court on Monday suspended Rhonda Crawford’s law license and barred her from the judgeship if she wins her uncontested election, report the Chicago…

Nov 1, 2016 10:30 AM CDT

Indicted judicial candidate says she wouldn’t take bench until ethics case is resolved

The former staff attorney/law clerk facing an indictment for allegedly impersonating an Illinois judge says she won’t take the bench, if she wins election, until an ethics case against her is resolved. Rhonda Crawford said in a court filing that she would not oppose an order that would bar her…

Oct 28, 2016 2:04 PM CDT

Indictment won’t stop judge candidate accused of donning robes and ruling on cases, lawyer says

Updated: The staff attorney/law clerk accused of donning robes and ruling in traffic court cases is facing a criminal indictment, but she is determined to remain in the race for a judgeship in Cook County, Illinois, according to her lawyer. Rhonda Crawford has been indicted on two criminal counts, according…

Oct 20, 2016 2:15 PM CDT

Judge’s sarcasm was ‘unwarranted and wholly inappropriate,’ appeals court says

An Illinois appeals court has ordered a new trial before a new judge for a criminal defendant, citing the prosecutor’s opening statement and the trial judge’s “unwarranted and wholly inappropriate sarcasm” during a sentencing hearing. The court ruled (PDF) on Oct. 11 on behalf of Antonio Jones, who was convicted…

Oct 18, 2016 10:33 AM CDT

State seeks to block judicial candidate after she is accused of donning robes, ruling on cases

Lawyer ethics regulators in Illinois are seeking the immediate suspension of a judicial candidate accused of donning a judge’s robes and ruling on motions in traffic cases. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission filed the request with the state supreme court after the candidate, Rhonda Crawford, refused to take…

Oct 17, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

Exonerated inmate’s $20M settlement is marital property in divorce, appeals court says

An exonerated inmate who married his wife while he was in prison can’t exclude his $20 million wrongful-conviction settlement from marital property, an Illinois appeals court has ruled. The Illinois Court of Appeals ruled in the case of Juan Rivera and Melissa Sanders-Rivera, the Chicago Tribune reports. Rivera had been…

Oct 6, 2016 2:43 PM CDT

Judge tosses verdict against cop in alleged road-rage incident, cites trial misconduct by lawyer

A federal judge in Chicago is citing attorney misconduct in tossing a $260,000 jury verdict on behalf of a woman who claimed she was injured by an off-duty Chicago police officer in a road-rage incident. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said plaintiffs lawyer Dana Kurtz had shown a “pervasive and…

Oct 4, 2016 9:10 AM CDT

Former appellate defender employee is entitled to $1M in retaliation suit, federal judge rules

A federal judge in Chicago has ordered payment of more than $1 million to a former employee with the Illinois Appellate Defender’s office who claimed she was forced to resign after complaining about a salary cut. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said former employee Alice Washington was entitled to $200,000…

Sep 27, 2016 12:01 PM CDT

As murders increase nationwide, US attorney links Chicago violence to release of dashcam video

Release of dashcam video of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald set in motion a chain of events that partly explains the increase in gun violence in Chicago, according to the top federal prosecutor in northern Illinois. In a speech to the City Club of Chicago, U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon…

Sep 27, 2016 9:54 AM CDT

Illinois law reducing civil juries to six people is unconstitutional, state’s top court rules

The Illinois Supreme Court has struck down an Illinois law that reduced civil juries from 12 to six people. The court ruled (PDF) on Sept. 22 that the law violated the Illinois Constitution, which guarantees “the right of trial by jury as heretofore enjoyed,” report the Associated Press, the Chicago…

Sep 26, 2016 10:39 AM CDT

Identical twin testifies he committed murder and brother was wrongly convicted

A prosecutor in Chicago on Thursday questioned the claim of an identical twin who testified he committed a murder and his brother was wrongly convicted of the crime in 2005. Karl Smith first made the claim in a letter he sent to his brother in the fall of 2013, the…

Sep 23, 2016 9:35 AM CDT

Judge allows class action claiming State Farm secretly orchestrated Illinois justice’s campaign

A federal judge in Illinois has certified a class action that claims State Farm lied about its financial support of a state supreme court candidate who won election and voted to reverse a $1.05 billion judgment against the insurer. U.S. District Judge David Herndon approved class-action status for the suit…

Sep 21, 2016 7:00 AM CDT

Avvo has First Amendment right to publish lawyer listings, Chicago federal court rules

Avvo, an online attorney directory, does not violate an Illinois law that bars the use of someone’s identity for commercial purposes without permission, a federal judge there ruled Monday. The listings shouldn’t be considered commercial speech, U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Gettleman wrote in his order (PDF) dismissing the…

Sep 14, 2016 12:18 PM CDT