Illinois judicial news

• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/16/2012, May 16, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/9/2012, May 09, 2012
• Judge Shonkwiler to retire, May 08, 2012
• Chicago judge rules against Main Street Fairness Act, Apr 27, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 4/25/2012, Apr 25, 2012
• Illinois State Bar Association gives thumbs up to cameras in court, Apr 12, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 3/28/2012, Mar 28, 2012
• JP Election Brief: The Rainbow Connection, Mar 22, 2012
• JP Election Brief: Three in the midwest and two in the south, Mar 08, 2012
• Chicago criminal court building to be named after 99-year-old judge, Feb 23, 2012
• Parkhurst appointed 16th Judicial Circuit in Illinois, Feb 10, 2012
• Supreme Weekly: January 26, 2012, Jan 26, 2012
• Illinois appellate court overturns conviction, releases Juan Rivera after 19 years, Jan 11, 2012

• Judge Barbara Crowder returning challenged campaign donations, Dec 17, 2011
• Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years in prison, Dec 08, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 11/16/2011, Nov 16, 2011
• Cook county judge hopefuls attend 'the slating' to lobby for Democratic party endorsements, Nov 08, 2011
• Some Illinois court records to be available electronically, Oct 28, 2011
• Two new Illinois associate judges chosen to serve on circuit courts, Oct 10, 2011
• Illinois eavesdropping law faces challenges, Oct 02, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Recusals and a surprise encounter, Sep 22, 2011
• Circuit court judge Michael R. Roseberry announces retirement, Sep 10, 2011
• Two Illinois Second Judicial Circuit Court Judges announce retirement, Sep 10, 2011
• Judge Paul Lawrence seeks full term as Circuit Judge, Aug 24, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 8/10/2011, Aug 10, 2011
• Sara Darrow confirmed to Central District of Illinois, Aug 05, 2011
• Daniel Peters appointed to Cook County Circuit Court, Jul 26, 2011
• State attorney appointed to Illinois Tenth Circuit, Jul 06, 2011
• Karen Eiten appointed to Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Jun 16, 2011
• Four candidates have declared for next year's Illinois Supreme Court election, Jun 07, 2011
• Traffic court judge Clemons gets low ranks from local attorneys, May 28, 2011
• Timothy Lucas appointed to Tenth Circuit Court in Illinois, May 10, 2011
• House Speaker's list highlights politics in merit selection, Apr 19, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 4/6/2011, Apr 06, 2011
• Richard Lannon appointed to Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court, Apr 04, 2011
• Robert Cook returns to Illinois Appellate Court, Mar 25, 2011
• Senate votes confirm three federal judges to posts in Illinois and California, Mar 09, 2011
• Illinois institutes mandatory evaluations for judges, Mar 02, 2011
• Robert Wilt joins Illinois 17th Judicial Circuit, Feb 16, 2011
• Salone appointed to Illinois Appellate Court, Feb 11, 2011

• New chief judge for Illinois Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court, Dec 09, 2010
• Thomas Kilbride to replace Fitzgerald as Chief Justice, Sep 18, 2010
• Chief Justice Fitzgerald retiring from Illinois high court, Sep 14, 2010
• Richard Brown appointed to 20th Circuit, Jul 21, 2010
• Maher appointed to Seventeenth Circuit Court, Jun 24, 2010
• Myerscough nominated to federal court in Illinois, Jun 19, 2010
• Circuit Court judges caught leaving courthouses early in Illinois, May 27, 2010
• Associate judge appointed to Illinois circuit court, May 20, 2010
• Judge appointed to Illinois Appellate Court, May 15, 2010
• Illinois Circuit Court judge retains chief judge position, Apr 19, 2010
• Illinois Supreme Court appoints judge to fourth judicial circuit, Apr 05, 2010
• Illinois Supreme Court rules against hospital, Mar 19, 2010
• Illinois Supreme Court affirms new sobriety test, Mar 01, 2010
• New federal judiciary nominations, Feb 25, 2010
• Study says women under-represented in nine state court systems, Feb 24, 2010
• Illinois appeals court overturns dropped gun charges, Feb 15, 2010
• Illinois court approves lidar detectors, Feb 12, 2010
• Ruling reversed in case invloving triple murder, Feb 10, 2010
• Illinois Supreme Court rules malpractice caps unconstitutional, Feb 04, 2010
• Former Illinois Governor re-indicted in federal court, Feb 04, 2010
• Illinois court declares malpractice caps unconstitutional, Feb 04, 2010
• Illinois court places candidate back on ballot, Jan 31, 2010
• Federal judge from Illinois to assume senior status, Jan 30, 2010
• Illinois court rules in favor of fired worker, Jan 23, 2010

• Retirement Act ruled unconstitutional, Jul 08, 2009

Lawyer-rating site loses Supreme Court battle

(7/16/2008) The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that an internet site that allows users to rate their lawyers was not entitled to access a list of state attorneys. The high court owns the list, while the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission maintains the list and originally denied the site's lawyers access to it.

Ban on moment of silence in school expanded

Chicago Tribune, 5/29/08. A temporary ban on an Illinois law requiring a moment of silence at the start of the school day was expanded Thursday to apply to all school districts across the state. The decision by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman will remain in place while a legal challenge alleging the law is unconstitutional moves forward. Gettleman previously halted the law from being observed in Township High School District 214 in Chicago's northwest suburbs after atheist activist Rob Sherman challenged the law on behalf of his daughter, Dawn, a student at Buffalo Grove High School.

Judge benched after DUI charge

5/21/08, Chicago Sun Times. A Cook County judge accused of drunken driving has been reassigned to "administrative duties," the county's chief judge announced Tuesday. Sheila McGinnis, 47, slammed her SUV into a minivan carrying five people earlier this month in Tinley Park, police say. No one was injured in the crash. Moments before the crash, McGinnis' 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer was seen weaving and striking the curb. Police said McGinnis was also flashing her headlights and honking her horn. McGinnis refused sobriety tests. Judge Timothy C. Evans said McGinnis would be reassigned "until further notice."

• The New Politics of Judicial Elections in the Great Lakes States, 2000–2008