Supreme Court of Illinois Decisions 2016

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1996, a jury convicted Price of aggravated arson and the first-degree murder of a 4-year-old who died in the fire. The court denied his request for separate verdict forms for the theories of murder charged…

Justia Opinion Summary: An indictment alleged that defendant, in committing a battery, “knowingly made physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Correctional Officer Jody Davis, in that the defendant threw an unknown liquid…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff was hired as a Rockford firefighter in 1976. In 2004, plaintiff successfully sought an occupational disease disability pension under 40 ILCS 5/4-110.1, by establishing that he was a firefighter with five or…

Justia Opinion Summary: Johnson filed a referendum petition seeking to place on the November 2016, general election ballot the question of imposing term limits on the elected office of Broadview village president. The Broadview electoral board…

Justia Opinion Summary: McDonald killed his boyfriend, Gladney, during an altercation in 2004. Paramedics found Gladney lying on the ground in their Chicago backyard. His face was covered in blood; there was a very large laceration on his face.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Chase owned the mortgage on plaintiff’s Northbrook home and had the right, in the event of a default, to enter onto the property to make repairs. Plaintiff defaulted in 2007. Chase obtained a judgment of foreclosure.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2010, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services petitioned for wardship of M.I., a minor, 705 ILCS 405/2-3, alleging that M.I.’s mother had neglected her and that M.I.’s father had an extensive criminal…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant’s 2007 first-degree murder conviction was affirmed. Defendant filed a post-conviction petition in 2010 alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and insufficient evidence, which was dismissed as frivolous. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) sought wardship of 9-and-10-year-old children, 705 ILCS 405/2-3(1)(b). The minors then lived with their father, Larry, who had a criminal history. Larry entered into…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs brought a purported class action to recover damages resulting from an alleged scheme to inflate the interest rate delinquent property taxpayers in Madison County, Illinois, were compelled to pay to those who…

Justia Opinion Summary: Castleberry was convicted of two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault (720 ILCS 5/12-14(a)(8)) based on separate contacts with the victim. The state argued that Castleberry was subject to a mandatory 15-year…

Justia Opinion Summary: Beggs, a tenured teacher, was dismissed from her employment by Murphysboro Community Unit School District. Caring for her parents, Beggs had accrued several absences and was tardy several days. She had received a “letter…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Cook County Inspector General’s (IG) Office is to “detect, deter and prevent corruption, fraud, waste, mismanagement, unlawful political discrimination or misconduct in the operation of County government,” including…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff lived in a Klein Creek condominium in Carol Stream. After a 20-inch February 2011 snowstorm, the association's landscaping service cleared the complex’s sidewalks. Eleven days later, plaintiff left her unit and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Zahn is a residential consumer, decided to purchase electricity from North American Power & Gas (NAPG), an alternative retail electric supplier (ARES) under the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law , 220…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2014, defendant was charged with Class 2 felony aggravated DUI, 625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(2), (d)(2)(B), alleging two prior DUI convictions in 1994 (Georgia) and 2013 (Illinois). The circuit court found defendant guilty…

Justia Opinion Summary: A grand jury indicted Montano, for 29 counts of first-degree murder, arising out of the 2013 shooting death of Solano, and 4 counts of attempted murder and 1 count of aggravated battery, arising out of the shooting of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2006, Union Pacific Railroad (UP) invited contractors to bid on the purchase and removal of three abandoned railroad bridges that spanned Chicago streets. Happ’s, a scrap contractor, had worked railroads for 25 years…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant was charged with aggravated robbery, a Class 1 felony (720 ILCS 5/18-5). Before trial, the prosecution and defense agreed that the sentencing range would be 4-30 years. Defendant’s counsel stated that the state…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2010, the circuit court adjudicated Minnis a delinquent minor for committing the offense of criminal sexual abuse (720 ILCS 5/12-15(b) and sentenced him to 12 months’ probation. The adjudication for criminal sexual…

Justia Opinion Summary: Bishop, 69 years old, was found in his apartment bound and severely beaten. Defendant was arrested. The prosecution sought to depose Bishop under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 414, which allows an evidence deposition if…

Justia Opinion Summary: An altercation ended with defendant shooting Miller multiple times with a laser-sighted firearm. He was convicted of armed violence predicated on aggravated battery and aggravated battery with a firearm; the jury found…

Justia Opinion Summary: Reyes, then 16, was convicted of the first-degree murder of Ventura and the attempted murders of two others, having discharged a firearm in the direction of a vehicle occupied by the three. Prosecuted as an adult, he…

Justia Opinion Summary: Bayer, an ironworker with Area Erectors, which was hired by Garbe to build Panduit’s warehouse facilities, fell and is now quadriplegic. Bayer filed a claim against Area under the Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS…

Justia Opinion Summary: On May 18, 2009, plaintiff’s 90-year-old mother was admitted to Peoria’s Proctor Hospital for a rectal prolapse. During Kathryn’s hospitalization, she experienced numerous complications. On May 29, 2009, Kathryn died. In…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2012, defendant was charged with burglary for entering and taking jewelry from an unoccupied house. The circuit court appointed a public defender and a Spanish-speaking interpreter. At a pretrial hearing, the parties…

Justia Opinion Summary: The 2009 Video Gaming Act (230 ILCS 40/1)) legalized the use of video gaming terminals in licensed establishments, including bars, veterans’ organizations, and truck stops, and authorizes the Illinois Gaming Board to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs filed a complaint alleging medical negligence and loss of consortium against defendants (doctors and medical providers). Defendants moved for leave to file a 12-person jury demand and “to declare Public Act…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Illinois Constitution of 1970 may be amended by constitutional convention; the General Assembly; or ballot initiatives, Ill. Const. 1970, art. XIV, sects. 1, 2, 3. Ballot initiatives may only be used for amendments…

Justia Opinion Summary: Blumenthal jointly owned her Chicago home with Brewer, her domestic partner since 1981. In 2010 Blumenthal sought partition of the residence when the relationship ended. Brewer counterclaimed for common-law remedies,…

Justia Opinion Summary: On May 5, 2014, defendant received a traffic citation from a Troy police officer for speeding. The citation was filed with the Madison County circuit court clerk’s office on May 9. Defendant moved to dismiss the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, a class of property owners, sought compensation from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, alleging flooding on their properties caused by the District’s diversion of stormwater into…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2002, defendant, then age 17, was indicted on six counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon (AUUW) The counts alleged that he carried in a vehicle, outside the home, a .38-caliber handgun and a 9-millimeter…

Justia Opinion Summary: Rizzo was charged with violation of the Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/11-601.5(b), which states “A person who drives a vehicle ... at a speed that is 40 miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit…

Justia Opinion Summary: Public Act 97-1161 amended the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/1-1 ) to create an exemption from property taxes on leasehold interests and improvements on real estate owned by the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock…

Justia Opinion Summary: FutureGen was created to research and develop near-zero emissions coal technology and sought to use carbon capture and storage to develop the world’s first near-zero emissions coal power plant. The proposed retrofitted…

Justia Opinion Summary: Hernandez,was convicted of armed robbery, a Class X felony under 720 ILCS 5/18-2, and was sentenced to an extended term of 40 years’ imprisonment. Following an evidentiary hearing under the Post-Conviction Hearing Act,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2008, defendant was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced, as a habitual criminal, to natural life imprisonment. The appellate court affirmed. In 2011, defendant, through privately retained counsel, filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Johnson County circuit court appointed a psychiatric expert at the state’s request, who testified at trial under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act (SDPA), 725 ILCS 205/0.01, that Grant had not recovered and was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff, an obstetrician and gynecologist (OB-GYN) licensed to practice medicine in Illinois since 1975, was reappointed to the staff at Northwestern in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, plaintiff applied for reappointment; the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2005, Masterklad built a house in Glenview, including a brick patio that extended off the rear of the house. Because the ground underneath the patio sloped down, dirt and gravel were placed underneath it to support…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs are partners in the business of dairy farming. Defendant is an agricultural cooperative in the business of producing and supplying dairy products. In 1980, plaintiffs became members of defendant’s cooperative,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After the 2004 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the Unions and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) expired, the retiree health care benefits were the subject of an interest arbitration award. That award,…

Justia Opinion Summary: At approximately 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, December 17, 2011, defendant was driving from Iowa to Illinois on U.S. Highway 136, a four-lane road. Just across the border, Illinois State Police had erected a safety roadblock,…

Justia Opinion Summary: AFSCME represents approximately 40,000 state employees working in executive agencies. In 2008, AFSCME and the state negotiated a collective bargaining agreement effective through June 2012, providing for a general wage…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant entered the Walmart during regular business hours. Walmart employee Norton recognized defendant and watched him. Defendant picked up two DVDs from a display near the cash registers, took them to the customer…

Justia Opinion Summary: Clark was charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated vehicular hijacking while armed with a firearm (720 ILCS 5/18-4(a)(4)) and armed robbery with a firearm (720 ILCS 5/18-2(a)(2)). The judge acknowledged that…

Justia Opinion Summary: Burns, lives in unit 10 on the third floor of a 12-unit three-story Urbana apartment building that is secured by locked entrances. The common areas are not accessible to the public. In November 2012, the police…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2005, plaintiff, a Carbondale police officer, struck the top of his head on the door of his squad car, causing him to “see stars” and experience a sharp pain in his arm, with no abrasions or blood loss. Plaintiff…

Justia Opinion Summary: Illinois has four public pension plans for Chicago city employees; all subject to the pension protection clause of the Illinois Constitution: “Membership in any pension or retirement system of the State, any unit of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1997, Pipes was found dead, with stab wounds to her neck and head; semen was discovered with vaginal swabs. There was no evidence of rape. Above the bathtub in which she was found, there was a palm print left in…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ligon, convicted of aggravated vehicular hijacking with a dangerous weapon, other than a firearm (AVH/DW), a Class X felony, under 720 ILCS 5/18-4(a)(3), (b), was adjudged to be an habitual criminal and sentenced to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiff was employed by American since 1988. On January 1, 2012, while working as a tower planner at O’Hare, plaintiff received a call from a friend at another airline, asking plaintiff to do something for a passenger…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant was driving a van registered to a woman named Chattic in the city of Sterling. Sterling police officer Bland pulled the van over because there was a warrant out for Chattic’s arrest. Bland was unable to see the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Tolbert, age 17, was charged with possessing an “uncased, loaded and immediately accessible” firearm, under 720 ILCS 5/24-1.6(a)(1), (a)(3)(A) and with possessing a handgun while under 21 years of age under 720 ILCS…

Justia Opinion Summary: A search warrant was served at a home belonging to Chambers’ mother. He was found inside, along with a large quantity of cocaine, cash, weapons, and ammunition. The Cook County circuit court denied his repeated requests…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Colemans lived in unincorporated Will County’s Sugar Creek area, for which separate entities handled police emergencies and fire and ambulance services. On June 7, 2008, Coretta called 911. She was connected to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sanders was convicted of the 1992 first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping of Cooks. Sanders was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 60 and 15 years. Bingham, May, and Barfield were convicted in separate trials.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Klaines filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Dressen and against Southern Illinois Hospital Services (SIHS), for the negligent credentialing of Dressen. During discovery SIHS provided 1,700 pages of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Williams pleaded guilty to unlawful delivery of a controlled substance in exchange for a sentencing cap of 25 years’ imprisonment. Defendant later moved to withdraw his plea, claiming he had been improperly admonished…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2008 Gill was shot to death while sitting outside his Chicago home with Clark. The evidence of defendant’s guilt consisted solely of two eyewitness identifications. The first identification, made by the victim, was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Thompson, was convicted of violating the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, (720 ILCS 646/25(a)(2), (d)(2), following a jury trial in which the circuit court admitted lay opinion identification…

Justia Opinion Summary: In separate trials, defendant was convicted of unlawful possession of vehicle titles and unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle. In each case, defendant moved for a new trial more than 30 days after the jury verdict,…