March 2019 Archives

The Illinois Appellate Court reversed the Circuit Court a second time, and transferred the case to a new trial judge, after two Chicago police officers refused to testify on whether the Defendant was tortured before his admission that he was present when two murders were committed in 1989.  The Defendant was convicted and sentenced to life in prison after he admitted he was present when the murders were committed.  During proceedings for post-conviction relief, the Defendant claimed his admissison was coerced when a police officer tortured him by burning him alive.  The State Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission found his torture claim to be credible, and two police officers who were present refused to testify about whether the Defendant was tortured.  The Trial Court twice refused to find that torture occurred, and failed to draw an adverse negative inference from the police officers refusal to testify.  The Appellate Court reversed both times, and transferred the case to a new trial Judge after the Second Appeal.  People v. James Gibson (Ill. App. 1st dist., March, 2019).

An ex-girlfriend (Lee) was ordered to pay $7,600,000 to her former boyfriend (who sued as John Doe) after she created false social media accounts in Doe's neame, then published highly offensive material directed to hundreds of Doe's relatives, clients, bosses and professional associates.  She also slipped into Doe's secure building behind and unsuspecting resident and vandalized his car.  Doe, in his mid-40's, met Lee, a 19-year old exotic dancer and professional "Sugar Baby" in Las Vegas.  The Court awarded $2,500,000 for defamation damages and $5,000,000 in punitive damages.  John Doe v. Jessica Jiahui Lee (U.S. Dist. Ct., N.D. Ill., case no 18-C-1193, March, 2019).

The Federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("the Act") requires prisons to provide their inmates with meat that does not substantially burden their ability to practice religion.  In the case of a muslim inmate, serving 225 years for murder, this means providing him with Kosher meat, which he has accepted as an alternative to keeping Halal.  The U.S. Seventh Circuit relied on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby in ruling that the act prohibits prisons from imposing a substantial burden on the practice of religion by refusing to provide Kosher meat to a practising muslim under these circumstances. Roman Lee Jones v. Robert E. Carter, jr., commissioner, Indiana Department of Corrections.  (U.S. 7th Cir., Feb 15, 2019).

When you rush out of the house to go to work, pick up the kids from practice or get to the store before it closes, you might not always click your seat belt. Especially if you are staying close to home or not getting on the highway, you might think it is not a big deal.