Monthly Archives: May 2024
Defendant Charged with Home Invasion Denied Pretrial Release Under SAFE-T Act
The Fifth District affirmed the detention of a defendant charged with home invasion and residential burglary after finding that the State presented clear and convincing evidence that no less restrictive conditions could adequately protect the alleged victim. Illinois’ pretrial release system changed significantly when the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, commonly known as… Read More »
Tragic Accident on I-57 Near Tuscola
A devastating collision between a semi-truck and an SUV near Tuscola, Illinois, left four people dead and another person seriously injured. A tragic crash on Interstate 57 near Tuscola, Illinois, has left a community mourning the loss of four lives. The collision involved a semi-truck and an SUV and resulted in the deaths of… Read More »
Defendant Charged with Criminal Sexual Assault Attempts to Withdraw Guilty Plea
An Illinois defendant sought to withdraw his guilty plea to criminal sexual assault, arguing that his attorneys failed to properly investigate the State’s evidence and advise him about potential defenses before he accepted an eight-year sentence. In People v. Smith, 2024 IL App (5th) 220130-U, an Illinois defendant challenged his guilty plea after being… Read More »
Nursing Home Sued After Man Is Killed by Fellow Resident
A wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Salem Village staff knew another resident presented a safety risk but failed to adequately protect a resident during a fatal assault. Salem Village Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Joliet was sued by the family of former resident Michael Pappas after he died following an alleged assault by another… Read More »
Plaintiff Secures $5.5M in Wrongful Death Suit Against Nursing Home
An Illinois nursing home resident who depended on continuous supplemental oxygen died during a power outage, leading to a jury verdict involving her conscious pain and suffering and the losses suffered by her family. The family of an 80-year-old Illinois nursing home resident filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit after their loved… Read More »
City of Champaign Sued After Death of Tow Truck Driver
A reported $2 million settlement followed the death of a 20-year-old tow truck driver who was struck while clearing debris from a crash. A 20-year-old tow truck driver, Ross Booker of St. Joseph, was killed in March 2022 after being struck by another driver while cleaning up debris from a separate accident near the… Read More »
Appellate Court Rules Plaintiff Not Bound by Arbitration Agreement in Nursing Home Wrongful Death
A 2024 Illinois appellate decision distinguished between Survival Act claims and Wrongful Death Act claims when a nursing home seeks to enforce an arbitration agreement. An Illinois appellate court recently reversed part of a lower court’s decision compelling arbitration in a nursing home wrongful death case. The case involved a woman who signed nursing… Read More »
Defendant, Found Guilty on Two Counts of Predatory Sexual Assault, Loses Appeal
The Fifth District upheld convictions for predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and criminal sexual assault after rejecting the defendant’s appellate challenges. In People v. Hinman, 2024 IL App (5th) 220627-U, an Illinois jury convicted Jared Wade Hinman Sr. of two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and one count… Read More »
Defendant, Found Not-Guilty by Reason of Insanity, Appeals Denial of Transfer to a Less-Secure Psychiatric Facility
People v. Haynes addressed a defendant’s statutory rights to participate in a conditional-release hearing and obtain an impartial psychiatric examination. In People v. Haynes, 2024 IL App (5th) 210361-U, the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court considered whether a defendant who had been found not guilty by reason of insanity was denied important statutory rights… Read More »