Appeals panel split over voir dire questioning about prostitution; majority orders new trial

By David Thomas Law Bulletin staff writer

Posted February 16, 2017 2:40 PM

A divided state appeals panel on Tuesday ordered a new trial for a man convicted of raping three women, finding he was improperly prohibited to survey the list of potential jurors regarding their views on prostitution.Under Illinois law, prosecutors can invoke the so-called rape shield statute, which prevents the defense from introducing evidence about an accuser’s past sexual experience.Such laws came into existence in Illinois and other states as a means to address tactics by defendants meant to undermine an …

To Read the Full Story

Your source for legal news and information

Print & Digital Access

Stay in the know all year long with these benefits:

Delivery to your office in downtown Chicago or mailed outside our hand-delivery zone.
Unlimited access to chicagolawbulletin.com.
Access to our e-edition and mobile site.
Breaking news alerts, Morning Lineup and Afternoon Headlines.
Exclusive access to events, discounts and more.

Order now, or call 312-644-2394 or email Subscription@LawBulletinMedia.com for details.

Be in the know. These must-read insider briefings will keep you

informed of the latest legal developments in Chicago. Sign up today!

Class OK’d in suit alleging religious exercise in schools

A federal judge certified a class of former Chicago Public School students to jointly pursue their claim that the City of Chicago Board of Education’s Quiet Time program was a forced religious exercise.
By Grace Barbic
New federal rule would bar noncompete agreements

U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by a federal agency Tuesday, though the rule is sure to be challenged in court.
By Christopher Rugaber
Cook County jury awards $45M in baby powder suit

A Cook County jury awarded $45 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma after years of exposure to asbestos fibers in Johnson & Johnson’s talc-containing baby powder.
By Grace Barbic
New rule mandates minimum staff levels for nursing homes

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday said the first rule to set minimum staffing levels at federally funded nursing homes and require that a certain portion of the taxpayer dollars they receive go toward wages for care workers is a long-overdue “milestone” that recognizes their value to society.
By Adriana Gomez Licon and Darlene Superville
Supreme Court appears to side with Starbucks in dispute with NLRB

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared to side with Starbucks Tuesday in a case that could make it harder for the federal government to seek injunctions when it suspects a company of interfering in unionization campaigns.
By Dee-Ann Durbin
Jury finds BNSF Railway contributed to 2 asbestos deaths

A federal jury on Monday said BNSF Railway contributed to the deaths of two people who were exposed to asbestos decades ago when tainted mining material was shipped through a Montana town where thousands have been sickened.
By Amy Beth Hanson and Matthew Brown
Suspend attorney over baseless lawsuits, ARDC board says

An attorney who filed frivolous lawsuits against the village of Tinley Park and one its attorneys after being denied employment should be suspended for six months, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission hearing board.
By Emma Oxnevad
Illinois ban on sex offenders’ phone contact with their children tossed

The restrictions the Illinois Department of Corrections imposes on telephone calls between sex offenders on mandatory supervised release and their minor children violate the offenders’ due process rights, a federal appeals court ruled.
By Patricia Manson