News

Case Summaries

Criminal Law & Procedure

[11/21] Jimenez-Gonzalez v. Mukasey
Petition for review of an order of removal based on petitioner's conviction on a state charge of criminal recklessness is granted where criminal recklessness is not a crime of violence for immigration purposes.

[11/21] Dale v. Poston
In a federal prisoner's suit alleging Eighth Amendment violations by prison employees who allegedly failed to protect him from an attack by another inmate, summary judgment for defendants is affirmed where there was no evidence that any of the defendants were aware of facts from which they could draw an inference of substantial harm.

[11/20] Morgan v. State of Delaware
Convictions for various drug-related offenses are affirmed over claims of error where: 1) a warrant to search defendant's home that was supported by information from a confidential informant was based on sufficient probable cause; and 2) no curative instruction was required following a sustained objection by defendant regarding the admission of two police property forfeiture forms.

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Family Law

[11/07] Choose Life Illinois, Inc. v. White
In a suit by an interest group seeking on First Amendment grounds to force the state of Illinois to issue "Choose Life" specialty license plates, judgment in favor of plaintiffs is reversed where: 1) specialty license plates implicate the speech rights of private speakers, not government speech; 2) specialty plates are a nonpublic forum; and 3) the state could enforce a content-based but viewpoint-neutral ban disallowing any abortion-related message, whether pro-life or pro-choice, to be displayed on its license plates.

[11/06] Aguilar v. Aguilar
Denial of petition to undo a wife's withdrawal of trust property brought by a remainder beneficiary of the trust is reversed and remanded where: 1) even though the property the wife sought to withdraw was her share of the community property, it was too late for her to withdraw it; 2) irrevocable trusts are binding, even on their trustors; and 3) as the life beneficiary, the wife could continue to enjoy the property as held by the trust.

[11/05] In re A.E.
Order directing both parents to participate in Department of children and Family Services (DCFS)-approved "programs of parent education [and] individual counseling addressing all issues including anger management" is affirmed where the father did not object to the order directing him to participate in counseling sessions.

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Workers' Comp

[11/12] Pratt v. Union Pac. R.R. Co.
In a suit against defendant-employer brought under the Federal Employers' Liability Act and the Locomotive Inspection Act for personal injuries suffered at work, a court order prohibiting defendant-railroad company from compelling plaintiff-employee to attend a medical examination or conducting a disciplinary hearing to terminate plaintiff's employment for refusing to provide it with medical evidence justifying his continued absence from work is affirmed where: 1) the trial court had jurisdiction to prohibit extra-judicial discovery because the civil rules of discovery provide independent authority to grant a protective order for misuse of the discovery process; and 2) the trial court did not abuse its discretion by awarding monetary sanctions where the sanctions served not to punish but rather to encourage voluntary compliance with the discovery procedures.

[11/06] B & D Contracting v. Pearley
In a challenge to the amount of an award of disability benefits pursuant to the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Act, employer's petition for review of the award is denied where employer's per diem payments to claimant were properly classified by the Benefits Review Board as wages, and were required to be included in benefit calculations as such.

[10/30] Power Fabricating, Inc. v. State Comp. Ins. Fund
In an action for declaratory relief and damages arising from defendant's failure to defend plaintiff in action brought by widow of a worker who was fatally injured in an industrial accident, summary judgment for defendant is affirmed where: 1) employer liability insurance (ELI) coverage can accrue only if (a) the worker was acting in the course and scope of employment of the insured and (b) workers' compensation law either does not apply to the situation or the employer may be sued in a capacity other than as an employer; and 2) because plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact on any of the conditions required in (b), ELI coverage could not be triggered.

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