Bench & Bar

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Bench & Bar Section

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2005 Articles

2004 Annual Report to the 94th Illinois General Assembly March 2005 The annual meeting of the Illinois Judicial Conference was held October 21, 2004, in Chicago. The Conference, which is authorized by Article 6, section 17 of the Illinois Constitution, is charged to consider the work of the courts and to suggest improvements in the administration of justice.
Answers for Latin lovers December 2005 Did you guess these Latin terms correctly?
The Circuit Court of Cook County Law Division’s Court-Annexed Mediation: A program with bite… By William D. Maddux September 2005 The Court-Annexed Mediation Program just celebrated its one-year anniversary, having been implemented in the Law Division in April 2004.
Closing a criminal hearing By Thomas A. Bruno December 2005 In People v. LaGrone, the Fourth District Appellate Court reviewed the trial’s court’s decision to close the hearings on motions in limine and to suppress evidence in a case wherein Amanda Hamm and her boyfriend, Maurice LaGrone are charged with the drowning murder of Amanda’s children.
Dealing with pro se litigants By Hon. Barbara Crowder November 2005 “Well, Judge, I guess I did not answer the discovery/bring my witnesses/prepare the case for today’s trial.
Debarred from right to reject arbitration award; lessons for arbitrators and litigants By Hon. Michael Jordan December 2005 This subrogation action involving damages sustained in a vehicle collision by plaintiff’s insured was referred to mandatory arbitration in Cook County.
E-filing in the 18th Circuit, DuPage County By Hon. Robert J. Kilander November 2005 Those of us trying to balance court services with dwindling revenue sources are constantly looking for new, more efficient ways to do the work of the court.
The effect of Arthur v. Catour: A trial judge’s perspective By Hon. Jennifer Duncan-Brice November 2005 There are competing interests in the law when it comes to medical bills.
The effect of Arthur v. Catour: the defense perspective By Robert T. Park November 2005 A frequently recurring issue in personal injury cases is what to do about the gap between the amount billed for medical treatment and the amount actually paid.
The effect of Arthur v. Catour: the plaintiff’s perspective By Robert A. Clifford November 2005 Under Illinois law, a plaintiff’s damages include the medical bills that accompanied his or her injury.
Has the Supreme Court changed trial practice? The effect of Arthur v. Catour November 2005 In July, the Illinois Supreme Court decided Arthur v. Catour, 216 Ill.2d 72, 933 N.E.2d 847 (2005).
How many plaintiffs make a party? By Daniel B. Shanes September 2005 In most lawsuits, the plaintiff and defendant are each entitled to one motion for substitution of judge as a matter of right. But how does that apply in a multiple-plaintiff civil case?
How void is void? By Daniel B. Shanes December 2005 The Appellate Court recently held that in multiple-plaintiff cases, each plaintiff enjoys one substitution-of-judge motion as a matter of right, but those plaintiffs that choose not to join in the substitution-of-judge motion later lack standing to object to that motion’s disposition.
Illinois Judicial Circuit Rules Directory By J.A. Sebastian September 2005 Technology has changed reliance on yellow legal pads as cell phones and personal digital assistant ("PDAs") assume a greater use among lawyers for noting dockets and phone numbers.
Imaginative sanctions put pressure on attorneys By Judith G. Lysaught May 2005 In three recent cases from three different jurisdictions, attorneys have been either reprimanded or sanctioned largely because of the actions of other attorneys.
Judges need hugs too: Insights into judicial stress By Hon. Patricia C. Coffey May 2005 Judges have it easy. We arrive late, take two-hour lunch breaks, leave early and, when it suits our fancy, take time to don our black robes and reign, arbitrarily and capriciously, in courtrooms where our word is law, at least until it is reviewed by a higher court.
Judicial independence as a campaign platform By Shirley S. Abrahamson September 2005 Good judging is good politics….the public will support judges whom they perceive as independent even if they do not agree with particular decisions.
Latin lovers By Barbara Crowder December 2005 Are you familiar with these Latin legal terms?
Letter to the editor December 2005 A letter from a reader regarding the impacts of the Arthur v. Catour decision.
Mediation skills for advocates By Hon. Michael Jordan November 2005 The ISBA Bench-Bar, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Administrative Law Section Councils are co-sponsoring the “Mediation Skills for Advocates” CLE program in Springfield on Friday, November 18, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 PM.
Not a happy Halloween for the City of Peoria By Thomas A. Bruno December 2005 R & A Productions Inc. v. City of Peoria, Illinois, Case No. 03-1057 filed October 31, 2005 On Halloween this year Judge John A. Gorman, United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois, sitting in Peoria, ruled in favor of Mulligan’s, a Peoria bar, on a summary judgment motion regarding whether Mulligan’s could hold “wet T-shirt” competitions despite Ordinance 3-14, which prohibited such entertainment in non-licensed venues.
“Post-conviction” relief for ineffective assistance in sexually dangerous cases By Thomas A. Bruno May 2005 In People v. Lawton, the Illinois Supreme Court has decided a case that directly affects the rights of persons found to be sexually dangerous under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act, and which indirectly affects the rights of persons found to be sexually violent under the similar Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act.
Pro bono: For the public good By Hon. E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. September 2005 As lawyers, we need to respond to the tremendous need for legal assistance in the Chicago area.
Recent judicial appointments and retirements December 2005 1. The Illinois Supreme Court, pursuant to its constitutional authority, has appointed the following to be Circuit Judge:
Recent judicial appointments and retirements November 2005 Recent changes in Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent judicial appointments and retirements September 2005 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent judicial appointments and retirements May 2005 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Recent judicial appointments and retirements March 2005 Recent changes to Illinois' Judiciary.
Requests to admit By Jerold S. Solovy & Robert L. Byman March 2005 Your opponent serves requests to admit to set you up for disaster.
State of the Court Address—March 16, 2005 Prepared remarks of Chief Judge Charles P. Kocoras for delivery to the Federal Bar Association at Corboy Hall of the Chicago Bar Association May 2005 This article, reprinted with permission from the American Inns of Court and the Honorable Patricia C. Coffey, was originally published in the March/April 2005 issue of The Bencher, a bi-monthly publication of the American Inns of Court.