Author Archives: Baku Patel
Defendant Charged with Being an Armed Habitual Criminal & Battery with a Firearm
An Illinois appellate case examined what happens when two convictions arise from the same physical act but were entered as part of a fully negotiated guilty plea. In People v. Perkins, 2023 IL App (5th) 220423-U, the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court considered whether Antonio R. Perkins could have one of his convictions vacated… Read More »
Illinois Defendant Charged for the Murder of His Parents
The Fifth District affirmed two natural-life murder sentences after finding that the defendant failed to establish prejudice from his attorney’s decision to allow the admission of his recorded police interrogations. In People v. Ritcheson, 2023 IL App (5th) 190093-U, the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court considered whether Keith R. Ritcheson received ineffective assistance of… Read More »
Semi-Truck Tanker Crash Claims the Lives of 5 Illinois Residents
The 2023 Effingham County crash killed five people and injured 13 others after an anhydrous-ammonia tanker overturned during an evasive maneuver. A devastating commercial truck crash near Teutopolis in Effingham County, Illinois resulted in five deaths, multiple injuries, and a large-scale evacuation after a tanker carrying anhydrous ammonia overturned and released the hazardous chemical…. Read More »
Drunk Semi-Truck Driver Responsible for Causing Several Injuries to Hockey Team
A 2022 Indiana crash injured 20 students after a semi-truck driven by Victor Santos struck a school bus carrying the St. Ignatius College Prep hockey team. A serious commercial truck accident in Warsaw, Indiana injured members of an Illinois high school hockey team after a semi-truck collided with the school bus carrying the players…. Read More »
Defendant Charged with Aggravated Battery of a Police Officer Denied Appeal
The Fifth District held that an allegedly unlawful arrest did not excuse resisting a police officer or battering an officer performing official duties. In People v. Brock, 2023 IL App (5th) 220396-U, the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court affirmed the dismissal of Michael Brock’s post-conviction petition. Brock had been convicted of aggravated battery of… Read More »
Defendant Denied Motion to Suppress Statements Made by Police After Armed Robbery
The Fifth District held that the defendant did not unequivocally invoke his right to counsel before making incriminating statements during a recorded police interview. In People v. McPike, 2023 IL App (5th) 220007, the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court affirmed an armed robbery conviction and a 23-year sentence after rejecting the defendant’s challenge to… Read More »
15-Year-Old Defendant Charged with First-Degree Murder
The Fifth District rejected a successive post-conviction challenge to a negotiated guilty plea and 35-year sentence imposed after a 15-year-old was prosecuted as an adult. In People v. Guise, 2023 IL App (5th) 220655-U, the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court affirmed the denial of Michael D. Guise’s request for leave to file a successive… Read More »
Illinois Now Allows Punitive Damages in Wrongful Death Cases
Illinois Wrongful Death Law and Punitive Damages Illinois law now allows punitive damages to be awarded in certain wrongful death lawsuits. Before the law changed, punitive damages generally were not available under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act. Under the amended law, qualifying wrongful death actions filed on or after August 11, 2023, may include… Read More »
Nursing Home Operator Accused of Intentional Understaffing
Illinois Nursing Home Understaffing and Resident Neglect A lawsuit filed in Illinois accused several nursing homes operated by Alden of intentionally understaffing their facilities and placing residents at risk. According to the lawsuit, inadequate staffing contributed to dangerous conditions, including falls, pressure ulcers, and delays in diagnosing serious medical conditions. The plaintiffs sought to… Read More »
Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Paramedics Charged with Murder
Illinois Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Patient Dies in EMS Care The family of Earl Moore Jr., a 35-year-old Springfield man, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against two LifeStar ambulance workers and their employer after Moore died while being transported to a hospital in December 2022. The lawsuit followed the filing of criminal charges against… Read More »