Illinois

Actuaries Face Lawsuits for Underestimating Pension Liabilities

Actuaries who advise governments about pension fund obligations are facing lawsuits when shortfalls arise. Suits have been filed over rosy economic assumptions made by actuaries advising the state of Alaska, San Diego, Milwaukee County and Evanston, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, the New York Times reports. The story outlines some…

May 21, 2008 1:03 PM CDT

U of C Law Grad Accused of Submitting Phony Grades to Sidley Austin

Updated: A lawyer who attended the University of Chicago Law School has been accused in an ethics complaint of lying about his grades when he applied for a summer position at Sidley Austin. Loren Elliotte Friedman is accused in a complaint filed May 6 by the Illinois Attorney Registration and…

May 20, 2008 8:30 PM CDT

Chicago Not Liable in 21 Nightclub Deaths; No ‘Willful and Wanton’ Conduct

Chicago cannot be held liable for the deaths of 21 patrons in a 2003 nightclub disaster that injured dozens more, because it cannot be shown that the city’s conduct was “willful and wanton,” a state appeals court ruled today. The plaintiffs had alleged that the city knew of dangerous building…

May 16, 2008 10:02 PM CDT

Man Gets 20 Years in 9th DUI Case

A suburban Chicago man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for what is reportedly his 9th drunken driving conviction. After Taurino Maldonado’s conviction in April by a DuPage County jury of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, Judge Kathryn Creswell could have sentenced the 42-year-old Bensenville man…

May 16, 2008 6:38 PM CDT

R. Kelly Trial Offers Lessons About Avoiding Jury Service

Despite days of voir dire, lawyers in the R. Kelly child pornography trial in Chicago are still nowhere close to having a jury selected. In fact, the Chicago Tribune says in gavel-to-gavel coverage by the newspaper, all the dismissed prospects have provided ample material to write a book, How to…

May 15, 2008 3:45 PM CDT

Foie Gras Is Once Again Legal in Chicago

The Chicago City Council has repealed a controversial ban on the sale of foie gras in the city, heeding the mayor’s plea to put the item back on the menu. Mayor Richard Daley had previously called the ban “the silliest law the city council has ever passed,” the Chicago Tribune…

May 15, 2008 2:16 PM CDT

After 6 Years, R. Kelly Trial Begins

After a six-year delay, jury selection began today in Chicago in the child pornography trial of R&B star R. Kelly. Kelly, 41, whose full name is Robert Kelly, is accused of having sex on videotape with a girl as young as 13, although the alleged victim, now 23, denies that…

May 9, 2008 6:45 PM CDT

Rezko Defense Rests Without Calling Any Witnesses

Jurors in the corruption trial of political fundraiser Antoin ”Tony” Rezko could get the case for deliberations as early as next week. Prosecutors in Chicago wrapped up their case today after nine weeks of testimony, and Rezko’s lawyer did not call any witnesses, the Chicago Tribune reports. U.S. District Judge…

May 5, 2008 5:15 PM CDT

Vietnam Vet Arrested After Pointing Finger at Town Meeting

In the midst of a contentious town meeting in a small Chicago suburb earlier this year, resident Greg Kachka committed a criminal act, officials contend: Wearing a custom T-shirt with a Marine Corps insignia that states “Don’t Move. If You Run, You’ll Only Die Tired!!” the 60-year-old Vietnam veteran pointed…

May 2, 2008 8:22 PM CDT

7 Partners Leave Locke Lord Bissell, Form New Chicago Insurance Firm

A seven-partner contingent has left Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, including the chair of the recently merged 700-attorney firm’s insurance group, to form its own law practice. Led by Joseph Hinkhouse, 44, the new Chicago firm, which will be known as Hinkhouse Williams Walsh, will focus on representing insurance companies…

Apr 29, 2008 3:15 PM CDT

Some Exonerated Inmates Remain in Legal Limbo

Inmates in some states who are exonerated by DNA evidence or court rulings are finding that their felony conviction remains on the books, hindering their search for jobs and their ability to travel. The Washington Post cites the case of Tabitha Pollock, whose murder conviction was based on a contention…

Apr 28, 2008 3:54 PM CDT

Jerry Springer Is Commencement Speaker at Northwestern Law

Jerry Springer, a 1968 grad of Northwestern law school, is this year’s commencement speaker. The choice is sparking controversy. Many students have signed petitions and circulated e-mails protesting the television host’s appearance, but he remains a speaker, the Chicago Tribune reports. However, their objections spurred the school’s graduation committee and…

Apr 28, 2008 3:20 PM CDT

Judge Refuses Request for More Openness in R. Kelly Trial

A Chicago judge has refused a media request to open pretrial proceedings in the prosecution of singer R. Kelly on a child-pornography charge. Judge Vincent Gaughan has ousted reporters from some pretrial hearings in the case against Kelly, who is accused of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl,…

Apr 25, 2008 12:01 PM CDT

Rezko Trial Bombshell Claim: GOP Top Guns Tried to Oust US Attorney

Republican heavyweights allegedly tried to use their influence with the White House to get U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald removed from office as he was pursuing a politically charged case against a Chicago real estate developer, according to a prosecutor in the ongoing Illinois federal case. “In a bombshell disclosure before…

Apr 23, 2008 7:15 PM CDT

When Protective Orders Don’t Work, Satellite Monitoring May Control Abusers

It’s a sad and all-too-frequent story when an abuser, often male, violates a court protective order. Today, for instance, the Chicago Tribune is reporting that a woman found murdered yesterday had an order of protection against her husband. While he is reportedly not a suspect in that crime, he is…

Apr 22, 2008 11:27 PM CDT