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The Illinois Supreme Court and the Civic Federation today announced the results of a report on the elimination of cash bail and the effect it will have on counties throughout Illinois.
On July 20, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held in United States v. Ruth that Illinois defines cocaine more broadly than the federal government. Because the Illinois definition of cocaine covers more than the corresponding federal definition, prior Illinois cocaine convictions can no longer be used to enhance a federal drug defendant’s mandatory minimum sentence. In his September Illinois Bar Journal article, “Cocaine Isn’t What It Used to Be,” Thomas Drysdale explores how sentencing enhancements are built into federal drug laws, how and when those enhancements can be applied, why Illinois cocaine convictions are no longer predicate offenses after United States v. Ruth, and what the potential consequences of Ruth will be going forward.
The names of 22 new associate judges, selected in a vote of Cook County Circuit Court judges, were announced today by Marcia M. Meis, Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.
Ballots listing the names of 44 finalists, chosen from 225 candidates, were distributed to 249 circuit judges. Ballots were due September 7, 2021.
The Illinois Supreme Court will ride the circuit, virtually, this month in conjunction with schools in the 2nd Judicial District. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases starting at 10:15 a.m., on Thursday, September 23, 2021. Students and teachers have been invited to watch the proceedings online at https://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/9824391.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois is currently accepting applications from attorneys who have a strong civil litigation background for the position of Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in our Civil Division in the Fairview Heights Office.
Yes, it can be challenging for smaller law firms and solo attorneys lacking a tech staff to keep on top of the latest in everything from videoconferencing, to social media, to running a practice virtually. But lawyers don’t need a lot of technological expertise to expand their digital toolkits. The cover article in September’s Illinois Bar Journal discusses how practitioners and smaller law firms can better serve clients by staying abreast of the latest technology. Technology is one of the themes of the ISBA’s annual Solo & Small Firm Conference (SSFC) on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and the IBJ interviewed several of the conference’s presenters for this article.
Justice Mary Jane Theis of the Supreme Court of Illinois has begun an application process for an additional At-Large Cook County Circuit Court judicial vacancy.
The Illinois Supreme Court announced today an amendment to Order M.R. 30370 which extends the temporary stay on certain residential eviction trials and dispositive motions to September 18. The previous order was set to end on September 1.
Amended Order M.R. 30370 is available on the Court website.
The Illinois Supreme Court has named Judge Cara LeFevour Smith as the Director and Wendy Venvertloh as Deputy Director to lead the new operational structure for statewide pretrial services in adult criminal proceedings. The Court announced the new operational structure under the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) in a press release on Aug. 20.
The Illinois Supreme Court has hired Scott Block to serve as the state’s first Statewide Behavioral Health Administrator. Block will serve as the Illinois Judicial Branch’s dedicated mental health voice and resource, committed to furthering local, state, and national behavioral health and justice initiatives that affect the courts. In this capacity, he will act as the project director of the Illinois Supreme Court Mental Health Task Force and provide professional guidance on the Illinois Courts’ response to behavioral health issues that intersect with the justice system.