2003 Articles

On January 15, 2003, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District, affirmed the order of the circuit court of Champaign County denying the defendant's motion to dismiss four of five counts of an indictment on grounds of double jeopardy.

The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs has amended 95 Ill Adm Code 107 to include former members of the National Guard or Reserve Forces of the United States among those eligible for admission into an Illinois Veterans Home.

An employee who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence, or has a family or household member who is a victim, may take 12 weeks per year of unpaid leave from work to address domestic or sexual violence issues, pursuant to the Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act.

The Illinois State Treasurer and the Office of Banks and Real Estate have promulgated joint regulations related to the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act (765 ILCS 1025).

The Illinois Office of the Comptroller added a provision under 2 Ill Adm Code 626, establishing an Ethics Commission (commission) under the Illinois Gift Ban Act (5 ILCS 425).

On April 17, 2003, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the defendant's conviction of murder in the first degree and of unlawful possession of a stolen or converted motor vehicle.

On June 19, 2003, the Illinois Supreme Court held that the evidence obtained in a traffic stop that was based upon an anonymous tipper who overheard a cellular phone conversation on a police scanner was not obtained in violation of the Illinois eavesdropping statute, federal wiretapping statutes, or constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

On April 15, 2003, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District, affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part the order of the circuit court of DuPage County dismissing the plaintiff's amended complaint with prejudice.

On March 31, 2003, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, affirmed the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County convicting the defendant of first-degree murder and sentencing him to 35 years in prison.

The Illinois Procurement Code was recently amended to prohibit any businesses whose officer, director, partner or managerial agent has been convicted of a felony under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2003.

On December 13, 2002, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, reversed the order of the Circuit Court of Cook County and held that a village of Midlothian ordinance violated the due process clauses of the United States and Illinois Constitutions.

On September 10, 2003, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District, reversed the order of the Circuit Court of Jackson County dismissing the plaintiff's interest on security deposit and breach of contract counts and remanded the cause for further proceedings.

The Illinois State Board of Education recently adopted an amendment to 23 Ill Adm Code 240, governing Alternative Learning Opportunities Programs (ALOPs).

On Mother's Day, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law the Illinois Equal Pay Act.

Gov. Blagojevich recently signed legislation that would provide relief to the families of Guard members and reservists who face increased financial burdens when a wage-earner is called up for duty.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently signed into law six bills aimed at eliminating problems that have raised questions about the integrity of Illinois' criminal justice system.