LATEST SUMMARIES

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW, LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW
• Niles Township High Sch. Dist. 219 v. Illinois Educ. Labor Relations Bd.

COMMERCIAL LAW, CONSTRUCTION, PROPERTY LAW & REAL ESTATE
• Stafford-Smith, Inc. v. Intercontinental River East, LLC

CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE
• People v. Ciechanowski
• People v. Thomas

FAMILY LAW, JUVENILE LAW
• In the Interest of U.O. v. Donna J.

LATEST SUMMARIES

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW, LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW
Niles Township High Sch. Dist. 219 v. Illinois Educ. Labor Relations Bd., No. 1052324
In the matter of a petition seeking administrative review, finding that the petitioner-District committed an unfair labor practice under section 14(a)(1) of the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act is reversed where the District was not required to arbitrate the grievances and that the Union's unfair labor charge was insufficient to sustain a complaint under section 15 of the Act. Read more...

COMMERCIAL LAW, CONSTRUCTION, PROPERTY LAW & REAL ESTATE
Stafford-Smith, Inc. v. Intercontinental River East, LLC, No. 1071197
In a complaint to foreclose a mechanic's lien against property now owned by defendant, granting of defendant's motion to dismiss count I of the complaint is affirmed over claim that the trial court erred in dismissing the complaint against because defendant is an "owner" and not a "purchaser" of the premises in question within the meaning of section 7 of the Mechanics Lien Act, therefore, plaintiff could record its lien more than four months after the date it completed work on the premises. Read more...

CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE
People v. Ciechanowski, No. 1060868
Conviction for aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol is affirmed over claims that: 1) defendant could not have been convicted of aggravated DUI as a matter of law because the suspension for the prior DUI arrest was rescinded, which rendered that suspension void ab initio; and 2) the State failed to prove defendant guilty of aggravated DUI beyond a reasonable doubt. Read more...

CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE
People v. Thomas, No. 1052778
Conviction for two counts of first degree murder and one count of home invasion is affirmed over claims that: 1) defendant's trial counsel was ineffective for eliciting the defendant's testimony concerning the details of previous home invasions committed by the defendant; 2) the trial judge abused her discretion when she barred expert testimony concerning the unreliability of eyewitness identification; 3) because the trial judge was a long-time friend of defense counsel, she erred in denying the defendant's request that she recuse herself from hearing the defendant's motion for a new trial, which was based on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel; and 4) the trial judge erred by, sua sponte, allegedly taking judicial notice of the time it would take to cook a particular meal thereby impeaching the alibi testimony of the defendant's mother. Read more...

FAMILY LAW, JUVENILE LAW
In the Interest of U.O. v. Donna J. , No. 1071302, 1071430cons.
Denial of respondent-appellant's request for the transfer to her of custody of her minor son is affirmed as to the court's findings concerning her unfitness, but reversed as to that portion of the order transferring the minor to the custody of DCFS where a minor who has previously been adjudicated delinquent and who is over 12 years of age may not be transferred to DCFS custody. The matter is remanded for further proceedings. Read more...