ILLINOIS STATE NEWS BRIEF (11/08/2023)

(SPRINGFIELD) After a seven year court case, the State of Illinois will settle a lawsuit in which a police vehicle crashed into a 26 year old Decatur woman’s car and killed her as a result. The young daughters of Kelly Wilson will split nearly $2.6 million after their lawyers originally asked for $10 million. In 2016, Illinois State Trooper Jeffrey Denning was speeding to a possible crime scene in Macon County when he slammed into Wilson’s car. Five years later after retiring, Trooper Denning pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and was sentenced to two years probation. Denning did not have his sirens or lights activated before the crash. 

(SPRINGFIELD) Authorities in Williamson County say they seized around $250,000 worth of drugs following a 115-mile chase earlier this week. Deputies tried to pull over a vehicle for moving violations when it sped off, heading north on I-57. The suspect reached speeds of up to 100 miles-per-hour and traveled all the way to Effingham where other police officers were able to terminate the pursuit. The driver, a California man, was taken into custody after police found over 80 pounds of cannabis in the vehicle along with various other drugs. 

(SPRINGFIELD) A new report says that Illinois is home to one of the worst judicial systems in the country. The American Tort Reform Foundation (ATRF) identified Illinois, specifically Cook County, as the second worst, which is the worst ranking for Illinois in more than a decade. The report indicates Illinois rivals California & New York for the most food and beverage class actions in the U.S. mostly due to the state’s reputation for allowing no-injury lawsuits and plaintiff-friendly consumer protection laws. However, one of the biggest problems now is Illinois’ new controversial Biometric Information Privacy Act.