Illinois Supreme Court rejects back pay for former state lawmakers

By Dylan Sharkey

09/23/2022

In a unanimous decision, the Illinois Supreme Court denied a lawsuit by two former state senators seeking back pay. The senators bragged about voting against the raises, then decided they deserved them after leaving office.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court

Illinois Supreme Court chief justice retiring ahead of husband’s corruption trial

By Dylan Sharkey

09/16/2022

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke will retire Nov. 30, allowing her replacement to be appointed rather than elected. Her husband, Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, faces reelection in February and a corruption trial in late 2023.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court

Illinois Supreme Court denies Pritzker’s appeal of school mask mandate decisions, schools move to mask optional Feb. 28

By Amy Korte, Mailee Smith

02/25/2022

After the Illinois Supreme Court determined the state’s appeal of decisions regarding the governor’s school mask rules was moot, the governor declared schools can move to mask optional policies on Feb. 28.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, JB Pritzker, mask mandate, public schools

Pritzker appeals to Illinois Supreme Court after two courts derail his school mask mandate

By Brad Weisenstein

02/18/2022

A judge’s ruling threw Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandate into chaos. Now that an appellate court has ruled against Pritzker, too, he’s taking his fight to keep masks on students to the Illinois Supreme Court.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, JB Pritzker, mask mandate

Illinois Supreme Court ponders politicians using campaign cash for criminal defense

By Patrick Andriesen

01/21/2022

Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez argued a publicly elected official facing corruption charges should not be able to use campaign funds for a legal defense. If the person is not running for office, the legal bills are a “personal” expense, he contended.

TAGS: campaign finance, Illinois Supreme Court

Pritzker bans outside donors ahead of Illinois Supreme Court races

By Patrick Andriesen

12/10/2021

Gov. J.B. Pritzker banned ‘dark money’ in Illinois’ judicial elections after record spending unseated a longtime Madigan ally from the Illinois Supreme Court. Voters will decide more high court vacancies soon.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, JB Pritzker

Kilbride is first Illinois Supreme Court justice to lose retention vote

By Joe Tabor

11/04/2020

After receiving $550,000 from Madigan’s Democratic Party of Illinois campaign committee, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride lost his bid to continue on the court. He is the first justice voters failed to retain.

TAGS: election, Illinois Supreme Court, Mike Madigan, Thomas Kilbride

Kilbride takes $550K from Madigan despite vowing not to accept ‘one penny’ from speaker’s committees

By Joe Tabor

10/23/2020

The Democratic Party of Illinois campaign committee, chaired by House Speaker Mike Madigan, recently contributed to Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride’s retention campaign. Kilbride had sworn he would take no Madigan money.

TAGS: corruption, Illinois Supreme Court, Mike Madigan, Thomas Kilbride

Madigan spent millions to elect, retain Illinois Supreme Court Justice Kilbride

By Joe Tabor

10/09/2020

Committees controlled by the speaker of the Illinois House funded more than half of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride’s campaign contributions in 2010. Kilbride is up for retention again this year.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, Mike Madigan, Thomas Kilbride

Illinois Supreme Court denies Chicago police union request to destroy misconduct records

By Mailee Smith

06/19/2020

While Illinois law explicitly states union contracts trump all other state laws, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled a police contract allowing the destruction of disciplinarily records defies public policy and cannot be enforced.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department, Illinois Supreme Court, police misconduct, police union