Illinois will become the first state to eliminate cash bail. The Illinois Supreme Court on July 18 upheld the Pretrial Fairness Act, ruling it doesn’t violate the Illinois Constitution.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.