Illinois Lawyer Blog

FROM THE ODD COUPLE DEPARTMENT...

From the Odd Couplings Department… Marriya Wright[pictured below in swimsuit] until very recently, was a Deputy Prosecutor in the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Then a picture of her, in a bikini, was discovered in the possession of Matthew Baumrucker, an inmate in the Spokane County Jail. That discovery was, not surprisingly, a litt… Read More
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Creepy guy picks absolutely wrong jogger to grope.

This creepy guy picked the wrong jogger to grope. This really has little if any relation to the law, but it certainly brightened my morning. Last week a woman was jogging on a popular jogging trail on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Without warning a man attacked, grabbed the woman’s rear end and pulling her pants down before running off. The woman in ques… Read More
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Categories: IN THE NEWS

What goes on behind those courtroom doors?

What do California judges do in Chambers? You might be surprised. What do California judges do in Chambers? You might be surprised. According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, there is lots of interesting activity in chambers – at least when it comes to a couple of California jurists. First we have Orange County Superior Court Judge Scott Ste… Read More
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Categories: IN THE NEWS

Condo Association's failure to repair/maintain not relevant in eviction case - according to Ill Supreme Court.

The Illinois Supreme Court recently made life harder for condo owners. In Spanish Court Two Condominium Association v. Carlson, Spanish Court[“the Association”] filed a forcible detainer[i.e. eviction] action against Lisa Carlson who owned a unit in the building. The Association alleged that Carlson hadn’t paid monthly assessments for 6 month… Read More
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Falling on a public sidewalk isn't a death knell for an Illinois Workers' Compensation Claim.

Historically in Illinois, employees hurt on the job while in an area used by the general public face a pretty good likelihood that their case will get tossed. A number of Illinois Supreme Court decisions, as well as some Appellate Court decisions, have set fort that if an employee faces the same risk as the general public[i.e. falling on a public sidewalk], we… Read More
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Illinois Courts continue to reduce landowner liability in snow and ice cases.

Prevailing on a case where a client has fallen due to snow or ice has never been a walk in the park. And Illinois Courts seem determined to make it even harder. Let’s discuss Ryan v. Glen Ellyn Raintree, et al, a recent decision out of the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District. The case grew out of injuries Mary Ryan suffered when she fell at a the G… Read More
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Those commissions not being paid? Illinois Sales Representative Act is your answer.

I was recently retained by a small company that markets various telecommunications products to other small businesses. My client had signed a contract to act as a sales representative for another company[let’s call that company Slow Pay Corp.]. Slow Pay Corp sold telecommunications software. For several years, things were great – my client was maki… Read More
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Do NOT make a Chicago Public School principal angry.

The First District Appellate Court recently issued a decision that puts a spotlight on some disturbing behavior by Chicago Public School educators. In Taylor v. The Board of Education of City of Chicago, Kenneth Taylor filed suit after his termination from his teaching position. The evidence at trial revealed that Taylor began his employment with the Board in… Read More
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"I KNOW NOTHING DEFENSE" NOT CREDIBLE IN DISCLOSURE ACT CASE.

The Fourth District Appellate Court was not impressed with the defendant’s thinking in Messerly v. Boehmke. Way back in 1998, plaintiffs purchased a home from the defendant. The home was located in Gillespie, Illinois. Prior to the sale, the defendant partially filled out the required Residential Real Property Disclosure Report which is required under th… Read More
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Injured at work? Please place your urine in this vial.

Saw an interesting decision recently out of the 7th Circuit. In Phillips v. Continental Tire The Americas, Jeff Phillips was a long-time employee at Continental Tire[CT]. He had worked there 23 years as a driver. CT offered a Health Services Department, that provided treatment to injured and sick employees. In April of 2010, Phillips began experiencing numbnes… Read More
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