The HCBullet: The blog of the Attorneys at HCB

Illinois Appellate Court Affirms Judgment For Police Officers in Beaman’s Malicious Prosecution Case

August 8, 2017

Malicious prosecution lawsuits are particularly hard fought and personal for criminal suspects and police officers alike. Often a criminal suspect who has had his conviction reversed will sue the officers and prosecutors involved in his prosecution, alleging that they acted wrongfully or maliciously in pursuant of a conviction. In a recent decision in Beaman v….

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Seventh Circuit Finds Correctional Staff Deliberately Indifferent to Inmate’s Back Pain

July 26, 2017

In Lewis v. McLean, No. 16-1220, the Seventh Circuit Appellate Court found that a Wisconsin prisoner had presented sufficient evidence that the prison staff had caused unnecessarily prolonged pain to survive summary judgment. The lower court had granted summary judgment to the prison staff and the Seventh Circuit reversed. The prisoner, James Lewis, claimed that he experienced…

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PAC Issued New FOIA Guide for Law Enforcement

July 26, 2017

The Illinois Attorney General Public Access Counselor updated its FOIA Guide for Law Enforcement. The Guide provides further guidance from PAC on how to respond to FOIA requests. Although directed at law enforcement agencies, the Guide is useful for all public entities as it contains generally applicable recommendations as well as law enforcement specific guidelines….

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Court Rules that Detainee Was Not Denied Necessary Medical Care and Officer Was Not Liable For Failure to Protect

July 26, 2017

Judge Colin Stirling Bruce of the U.S. District Court of Central Illinois granted summary judgment in favor of City of Kankakee Deputy Chief Robin Passwater, Kankakee Police Officer Michael Shreffler, and Jerome Combs Detention Center Nurse Dawn O’Dell in Villagomez v. Passwater, et al., No. 15-cv-2178.  Pro se Plaintiff Jesse Villagomez claimed that Officer Shreffler…

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Will County Judge Dismisses Pedestrian Sidewalk Defect Claims

July 12, 2017

On June 29, 2017, Judge Raymond Rossi granted the City’s motion to dismiss in Felisha Johnson v. City of Joliet. Johnson had alleged that she had tripped outside of the Will County courthouse at the edge between cement sidewalk slabs and red paver bricks. After the lawsuit was filed, however, City officials were able to…

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