tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72450852986011248512024-03-08T05:34:31.435-06:00Northern Law BlogThe law blog of Aurora attorney Mike Huseman, featuring practice updates authored by Northern Illinois University College of Law alumni, as well as guest contributions from non-NIU lawyers and law students.Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-86930450911197267332019-07-11T14:23:00.000-05:002019-07-11T14:35:27.435-05:00Deposition Distress <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Deposition misconduct usually results from the uncivil or obstructionist conduct of lawyers. But on occasion it is the deponent who mocks the deposition process. In <i>In re</i>: <a href="https://courts.delaware.gov/Opinions/Download.aspx?id=291370"><span style="color: #0563c1;">Shorenstein Hays-Nederlander Theatres</span></a><u><span style="color: #0563c1;"> (SHN)</span></u> (June 20, 2019), the Delaware Supreme Court reviewed an extreme example of deponent misbehavior. Charitably, the court described the deponent’s responses as “flagrantly evasive,” “flippant,” and “abusive.” More accurately, the deponent’s deliberate, nonsensical responses were reminiscent of double-talking comedian <a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=professor+irwin+corey&view=detail&mid=44ACF3C652AE5B56635E44ACF3C652AE5B56635E&FORM=VIRE"><span style="color: #0563c1;">Professor Irwin Corey</span></a> who appeared on T.V. from the 1960s through the 1980s. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">For example, the lawyer conducting the deposition tried his best to find out how many times the deponent met with counsel to prepare for the deposition.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. You told me you met with your counsel to prepare for the deposition. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>Sure. </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. How many times?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>Well, see, I think of time as a continuum. So I think I met with them from the beginning to the end. And the beginning was the start, and then there was the rehearsal, and then there was the preview, and now it’s what I think of as the performance. So, in my mind, I’m answering what you’re asking. If you could be more specific. Do you want hours? </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. Yes. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>Oh, I don’t wear a watch. So I know the sun coming up in the morning and the moon coming up at night. </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. Can you tell me the number of times that you met with your counsel to prepare for the deposition? I’m looking for a number. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>Well, I gave you that. </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. What was the number? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>The number was the beginning to the end. </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Other areas of inquiry also failed to produce relevant information.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. When was SHN founded? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>At the beginning. </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. In what year? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>The year it was founded.</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">******</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. So my question is, was your father a founder of SHN? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>My – I am the daughter of my father. </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Q. By definition, you are the daughter of your father. My question was, is your father a founder of SHN? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">A. <i>My father and my mother raised me in an environment to have a great love and appreciation of the arts and introduced me to many, many people.</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The trial court awarded attorneys’ fees and costs for the deponent’s willful bad faith litigation tactics. The award was not challenged on appeal. Nevertheless, the Delaware Supreme Court raised the misconduct issue <i>sua sponte</i> “to remind counsel that they have a responsibility to intercede and not sit idly by as their client engages in abusive deposition misconduct.” The court also tried to look at the bright side by suggesting that the deposition transcript be employed in “training new lawyers on deposition skills.”</span></div>
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Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-35048288830807454272018-12-03T15:14:00.000-06:002018-12-04T15:15:37.097-06:00Is time travel a defense to DUI?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Niles Gammons, a student at the University of Illinois, was arrested for DUI on November 4th at 1:08 A.M. You will recall that daylight savings time ended on November 4th at 2:00 A.M. and the clocks were set back one hour. </div>
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The student was processed through the police station and released relatively quickly. Exactly one hour after his first arrest, a different police officer was driving through the parking lot of the police station when a vehicle rapidly backed out of a spot and almost collided with the police car. </div>
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As you have probably already guessed, Mr. Gammons was driving that car. He was arrested for his second DUI in the same evening. Both tickets are dated November 4th at 1:08 A.M., they each describe a different location of arrest, and are each signed by a different police officer.</div>
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There has to be a defense there somewhere!!! <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/double-daylight-saving-drunk-driving-467982">HERE</a> is a link to the Smoking Gun's report.</div>
Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-22537878918794676712018-11-25T12:50:00.001-06:002018-11-25T13:17:37.465-06:00Prostitution, Patronizing and Soliciting: How the Illinois Criminal Code Increasingly Resembles the "Nordic" Model <br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Many legal practitioners think of prostitution-related
crimes as non-serious public order offences akin to other misdemeanors. And,
for many years, both the law and law enforcement treated these crimes as such. However,
there has been a significant change in Illinois criminal law when it comes to
prostitution. While this change has been taking place over the last decade in
Illinois, many practitioners, including some who do criminal work, are unaware
of these changes.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Many lawyers don’t
realize that it is becoming less common these days for prostitution-related
crimes to be treated like mere public order offences and more common for these
crimes to be treated like instances of human trafficking and exploitation. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This change has not only manifested itself in
the attitudes and approaches of law enforcement, but it has also been enshrined
in statute. From the perspective of a defense lawyer, this change has been both
very good and very bad. First, it is good because it recognizes the fact that
some women (and men) in prostitution are truly victims of abuse and coercion.
The law has responded to this reality by eliminating some of the harsher
consequences that prostitutes once faced. For instance, there is no longer a
felony classification for prostitutes with multiple convictions. Additionally, victims
of trafficking can very quickly have their criminal records sealed, and the law
now explicitly states that coercion or trafficking are affirmative defenses to
the crime of prostitution. On the other hand, the change is very bad because it
seeks to elevate crimes like soliciting and patronizing a prostitute into the
realm of more serious offences such as pimping and human trafficking. Along
with this change in attitude, there has been a serious increase in the
penalties that the law applies to those who are convicted of patronizing and/or
soliciting prostitutes. And, while the statutes imposing these penalties are
written in a gender-neutral way, the obvious purpose of these laws is to target
men. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Much of this change has been driven by feminist-marxist
ideas about prostitution and the sex trade. In the minds of many such
activists, sex work is a form of patriarchal oppression and violence against
women as opposed to a private matter between consenting adults. This ideology
has led to major changes in prostitution laws in other countries and jurisdictions
as well. The so-called “Nordic” or “Swedish” model has been adopted to some
degree in the Nordic countries as well as Ireland, Canada, and France.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[i]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
Under the “Nordic” model, it is usually legal for sex workers to sell their
services, but illegal for buyers to purchase those services. The changes that
have occurred in Illinois law have to some degree mirrored this approach. While
Illinois doesn’t quite go as far as the “Nordic” model in that sex work is not
legal for sellers or buyers, it does seek to lessen the consequences faced by sellers
who are more often perceived as victims while simultaneously increasing the
consequences for buyers who are more often perceived as facilitators or
predators. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In the words of CAASE (Chicago Alliance
Against Sexual Exploitation), one of the big activist organizations behind
these changes, “Prostitution could not exist without the purchasers who create
the demand for paid sex. Violence against women in the sex trade is pervasive,
and yet our society has yet to stand up against the people who fuel the sex
trade. The End Demand Illinois campaign raises awareness about the role that
purchasers (often referred to as “johns”), pimps, and traffickers play in
perpetuating violence against women in the sex trade.” </span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This
quote is prominently displayed on the home page of the CAASE Illinois website.
The website goes on to say that “Our End Demand Illinois campaign has sharply
reduced the criminal system impact on prostituted people while successfully
increasing accountability for exploiters.” </span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, the agenda is very clear. The buyers, who are mostly
men, are now regarded almost automatically as exploiters. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And, those who are selling sex, mostly women,
are almost always viewed as suffering under some form of victimization. As
stated above, this mindset is both helpful and harmful. It prevents many women
from being treated with unnecessary harshness in the criminal justice system.
Unfortunately, this philosophy has also moved the law in a direction that
specifically seeks to shame and severely punish the men who purchase these
services. And yes, technically, both men and women face the same statutory
penalties for these crimes. However, realistically, men are the target of these
laws.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
Thus, the philosophy underlying these changes is both sexist and unnecessarily
punitive towards men. So, it is important for criminal lawyers to understand
the serious consequences faced by their male clients who are charged with these
crimes and to act accordingly. Likewise, it is important for lawyers who
represent the women in this trade to understand how they can take advantage of
the increasingly more sympathetic attitude the law applies to them. The
following article is a breakdown of how this philosophy has already played out
in Illinois criminal law and what further developments could result from this new
approach to prostitution.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">WHAT IS PROSTITUTION
UNDER ILLINOIS LAW</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What is prostitution under Illinois law? The crime of
prostitution is defined under 720 ILCS 5/11-14 as follows: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk530767740">720 ILCS 5/11-14</a>) (from Ch. 38, par. 11-14)</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sec. 11-14. Prostitution. </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(a)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Any person who knowingly performs, offers or
agrees to perform any act of sexual penetration as defined in Section 11-0.1 of
this Code for anything of value, or any touching or fondling of the sex organs
of one person by another person, for anything of value, for the purpose of
sexual arousal or gratification commits an act of prostitution. </span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[v]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, this section defines prostitution broadly as performing various
acts of sexual gratification (which are further defined in rather graphic and
exhaustive detail under Section 11-.01 of the Code)</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[vi]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
in exchange for “anything of value.” This “anything of value” is further defined
as “any money, property, token, object, or article or anything of value” by the
language in the following section dealing with the crime of solicitation. Thus,
this section is clearly designed to encompass a wide range of activities which
are exchanged for a wide range of goods. The only limitation on this broad
definition is offered under the solicitation section that narrows the
criminality of these exchanges to a “person not his or her spouse.” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sec. 11-14.1. Solicitation of a sexual act.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(a) Any person who offers a person not his
or her spouse any money, property, token, object, or article or anything of
value for that person or any other person not his or her spouse to perform any
act of sexual penetration as defined in Section 11-0.1 of this Code, or any
touching or fondling of the sex organs of one person by another person for the
purpose of sexual arousal or gratification, commits solicitation of a sexual
act.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[vii]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, based on these two sections, any offer or any exchange
of “anything of value” for almost any form of sexual gratification with someone
who is not a “spouse”, can arguably run afoul of this statute. One of the
biggest problems with this statute is how broadly it can be interpreted. The
definition of prostitution encompasses a whole range of potential activities
that most people would not think of as prostitution. Exchanging “anything of
value” for sex could include all kinds of situations that have absolutely no
connection to the sex trade. Thus, a boyfriend or girlfriend who sponsors a
fancy dinner, clothing purchase, or pays for an expensive vacation in exchange
for some form of sexual gratification from their partner could arguably be in
violation of this statute. Now, realistically, this is not how the law is normally
applied in Illinois. It is doubtful anyone has ever been prosecuted under such
a hypothetical. But the concern here is the potential for mischief that could occur
as the law continues to evolve. And, given the way the law has already evolved
in this area, and given the excesses of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#me
too</i> movement, one doesn’t have to be paranoid or have a wild imagination to
see how this law could be used for nefarious purposes. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">PATRONIZING IS A
FELONY</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In keeping with the goal of creating a more punitive regime
for men who pay for sex, the law of Illinois has changed such that, if you pay
for and have sex with a prostitute, you are guilty of committing a felony. This
has been the case since 2010, and this change was brought about as part of amendments
to the criminal code dealing with the trafficking of minors.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[viii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
This is a big change and has very serious implications for those who are
convicted of this crime. A felony conviction, in addition to longer potential
prison sentences, comes with serious implications for professional licenses,
gun ownership, etc. So, this is certainly not something to treat lightly when
representing a client facing such a charge. The statute reads as follows: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(720 ILCS 5/11-18) (from Ch. 38, par.
11-18)</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sec. 11-18. Patronizing a prostitute. </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(a) Any person who knowingly performs any
of the following acts with a person not his or her spouse commits patronizing a
prostitute:</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(1) Engages in an act of sexual
penetration as </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>defined in Section 11-0.1 of this Code with
a prostitute; or</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(2) Enters or remains in a place of
prostitution with </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>intent to engage in an act of sexual
penetration as defined in Section 11-0.1 of this Code; or</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(3) Engages in any touching or fondling
with a </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>prostitute of the sex organs of one person
by the other person, with the intent to achieve sexual arousal or
gratification. </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(b) Sentence.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Patronizing a prostitute is a Class 4
felony, unless committed within 1,000 feet of real property comprising a
school, in which case it is a Class 3 felony. A person convicted of a second or
subsequent violation of this Section, or of any combination of such number of
convictions under this Section and Sections 11-14 (prostitution), 11-14.1
(solicitation of a sexual act), 11-14.3 (promoting prostitution), 11-14.4
(promoting juvenile prostitution), 11-15 (soliciting for a prostitute), 11-15.1
(soliciting for a juvenile prostitute), 11-16 (pandering), 11-17 (keeping a
place of prostitution), 11-17.1 (keeping a place of juvenile prostitution),
11-18.1 (patronizing a juvenile prostitute), 11-19 (pimping), 11-19.1 (juvenile
pimping or aggravated juvenile pimping), or 11-19.2 (exploitation of a child)
of this Code, is guilty of a Class 3 felony. If the court imposes a fine under
this subsection (b), it shall be collected and distributed to the Specialized
Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking Fund in accordance with Section
5-9-1.21 of the Unified Code of Corrections.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[ix]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Take note that this section applies to anyone who engages in
any of the described sexual activities “with a prostitute.” But, who is a “prostitute”
under the statute? Presumably, a “prostitute” is potentially anyone who is not
your spouse. This is the only possible interpretation allowed by the statute. As
stated above, these activities, as applied to “a person not his or her spouse,”
are within the statute’s definition. So, hypothetically, a boyfriend who buys
something nice for his girlfriend or partner in exchange for sex, has
technically had sex with a “prostitute.” And thus, by definition, he has committed
the felony of patronizing. Granted, the girlfriend may not think of herself as
a “prostitute,” but under the statute, she technically meets that definition.
Now, again, this is not how the law is currently practiced or applied in
Illinois. But, who knows where this could go in the future? Regardless, the law
is not well written and could use some updates. Likewise, a felony designation
is a very harsh outcome for patronizing a prostitute. A class 4 felony is the
same designation that is applied to the crime of promoting prostitution
(essentially pimping). <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk530826798">720 ILCS 5/11-14.3</a>.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[x]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But unfortunately, this is all in
keeping with the goal of specifically targeting, shaming and punishing men who
pay for sex.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">RECORDS OF OFFENSES
CANNOT BE SEALED FOR PATRONIZING OR SOLICITING</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Currently, in the United States, there is an effort underway
to lessen the stigma for non-violent ex-convicts who serve their time and want
to reintegrate into society. One of the ways this is accomplished is by
expanding the ability of ex-cons or ex-arrestees to either expunge or seal
their arrest or conviction records. For the most part, those who receive a criminal
conviction other than court supervision aren’t eligible for expungements in
Illinois. But, for many crimes in Illinois, those who receive convictions can still
have their records sealed. This is very important because sealing a record is
usually an effective means of keeping such a record out of the view of
potential employers. Yet, for the crime of soliciting and/or patronizing a
prostitute, sealing a record is deliberately not an available option. Under the
Criminal Identification Act, convictions for these crimes are deliberately
excluded from those crimes that are eligible for sealing. This, again, is in
keeping with the goals of those who want to shame the men convicted under these
statutes. And in this case, the shame is meant to be permanent and to follow
these convicts for the duration of their lives. Remarkably, in this
environment, those who are convicted of soliciting or patronizing are not yet required
to register as sex offenders unless the solicitation or patronizing involves a
minor. (730 ILCS 150/2)</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xi]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">.
However, if the law continues to develop on its current course, registering may
be a requirement in the future. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
section excluding these crimes from the option to seal is below: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk530767844"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(20
ILCS 2630/) </i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Criminal
Identification Act.</i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Section 5.2 (a)(3)(C)</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3) Exclusions. Except
as otherwise provided in </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>subsections (b)(5), (b)(6), (b)(8), (e),
(e-5), and (e-6) of this Section, the court shall not order:</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(C) the sealing of the records of
arrests or<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">charges not initiated
by arrest which result in an order of supervision or a conviction for the
following offenses:</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(i) offenses included in
Article 11 of the<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Criminal Code of 1961
or the Criminal Code of 2012 or a similar provision of a local ordinance,
except Section 11-14 and a misdemeanor violation of Section 11-30 of the
Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or a similar provision of a
local ordinance;</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xii]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Take note that the exclusions apply to 720 ILCS 5/11 which
covers solicitation and patronizing. However, Section 11-14, which covers just
the crime of prostitution is deliberately excluded from the exclusions. So,
once again, the law follows a pattern of punishing and shaming the men who buy
sex while limiting the consequences for those who sell sex. Soliciting and
patronizing are not eligible for sealing. But, the crime of prostitution is
eligible for sealing. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES
FOR PROSTITUTION AND THE END OF THE FELONY CLASSIFICATION</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One of the better results of these changes to the law has
been the elimination of the felony classification for prostitution. Prior to
2013, Prostitutes with multiple convictions could be charged with and convicted
of a felony. This was ended with the amendments brought out by SB 1782, a bill
which was signed into law in 2013.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xiii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
Additionally, the law has gone even further in protecting prostitutes who are
victims of trafficking by allowing them affirmative defenses. The relevant
section of 720 ILCS 5/11-14<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>states as
follows: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(c-5) It is an affirmative
defense to a charge under this Section that the accused engaged in or performed
prostitution as a result of being a victim of involuntary servitude or
trafficking in persons as defined in Section 10-9 of this Code.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref14" style="mso-endnote-id: edn14;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xiv]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">720 ILCS 5/10-9 describes Involuntary servitude and
trafficking as follows:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(b) Involuntary
servitude. A person commits involuntary servitude when he or she knowingly
subjects, attempts to subject, or engages in a conspiracy to subject another
person to labor or services obtained or maintained through any of the following
means, or any combination of these means: </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(1) causes or threatens to cause
physical harm to any </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>person;</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(2) physically restrains or threatens
to physically </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>restrain another person;</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(3) abuses or threatens to abuse the
law or legal </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>process;</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(4) knowingly destroys, conceals,
removes, </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>confiscates, or possesses any actual or
purported passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or
purported government identification document, of another person;</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(5) uses intimidation, or exerts
financial control </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>over any person; or</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(6) uses any scheme, plan, or pattern
intended to </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>cause the person to believe that, if the
person did not perform the labor or services, that person or another person
would suffer serious harm or physical restraint.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref15" style="mso-endnote-id: edn15;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xv]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And, Trafficking is defined as follows:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(d) Trafficking in
persons. A person commits trafficking in persons when he or she knowingly: (1)
recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means, or
attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any
means, another person, intending or knowing that the person will be subjected
to involuntary servitude; or (2) benefits, financially or by receiving anything
of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in an act of
involuntary servitude or involuntary sexual servitude of a minor.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref16" style="mso-endnote-id: edn16;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xvi]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A criminal defense lawyer who can offer evidence that an act
of prostitution was committed under the circumstances described above, has a
good chance of succeeding on an affirmative defense.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
ARE ELIGIBLE FOR EXPEDITED SEALING OF RECORDS </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A victim of trafficking may petition the court for immediate
sealing of his or her criminal record if the victim’s participation in the
underlying offense was a direct result of trafficking as defined by the
statutes provided above. This is different than the normal record sealing
procedure in that there is no waiting period before a trafficking victim can
have his or her record sealed. A victim petitioning the court under this
section must provide a statement clearly stating how the conduct that gave rise
to a conviction was the result of trafficking or coercion. If an objection is
filed to the petition, a hearing will be held, and the victim must show by a
preponderance of the evidence that he or she was indeed a victim of
trafficking. This “preponderance of the evidence” standard gives the victim a
good chance of prevailing on his or her petition. The relevant section reads as
follows: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">20 ILCS 2630/</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(h) Sealing;
trafficking victims.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(1) A trafficking victim as defined by
paragraph (10) </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>of subsection (a) of Section 10-9 of the
Criminal Code of 2012 shall be eligible to petition for immediate sealing of
his or her criminal record upon the completion of his or her last sentence if
his or her participation in the underlying offense was a direct result of human
trafficking under Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012 or a severe form of
trafficking under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(2) A petitioner under this subsection
(h), in </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>addition to the requirements provided under
paragraph (4) of subsection (d) of this Section, shall include in his or her
petition a clear and concise statement that: (A) he or she was a victim of
human trafficking at the time of the offense; and (B) that his or her
participation in the offense was a direct result of human trafficking under
Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012 or a severe form of trafficking under
the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act. </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(3) If an objection is filed alleging
that the </span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>petitioner is not entitled to immediate
sealing under this subsection (h), the court shall conduct a hearing under
paragraph (7) of subsection (d) of this Section and the court shall determine
whether the petitioner is entitled to immediate sealing under this subsection
(h). A petitioner is eligible for immediate relief under this subsection (h) if
he or she shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that: (A) he or she was a
victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense; and (B) that his or her
participation in the offense was a direct result of human trafficking under
Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012 or a severe form of trafficking under
the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act</i>. </span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref17" style="mso-endnote-id: edn17;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xvii]</span></span></span></span></span></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Take note that those who are convicted of the crime of
prostitution and unable to prove they were a victim of trafficking, are still eligible
for the longer sealing procedure under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2 (a)(3)(C) of the
Criminal Identification Act as stated and discussed above.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“GRAY AREAS” OF THE
LAW</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As broad as the definition of prostitution is in Illinois,
there are some “gray areas” for which the case law, commentaries, and treatises
offer little analysis. For instance, there is the issue of situations involving
high end escorts or courtesans who only offer “time and companionship” in
exchange for money. Additionally, there are so-called “sugar daddy” websites whereby
wealthy older men pay large sums of money for dating relationships with younger
women. The logic offered by these services is that they are not exchanging sex
for money, but rather, time or dating arrangements for money. And, any sexual
activity that occurs in the course of these arrangement is merely a matter
between consenting adults who participate in this activity gratuitously. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There is indeed very little case law dealing with this
topic. However, given the increasingly hostile environment for men who pay for
sex, this a gray area that comes with some real risk of being in violation of the
law. There is one Illinois case from the 90’s that offers some insight on this
topic. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People v. Debartolo</i>, interestingly,
involves the case of a male masseur who was charged under the statute after he
agreed to perform a sexual act on an undercover female officer.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref18" style="mso-endnote-id: edn18;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xviii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
The facts of the case were such that the undercover officer posed as a customer
and asked how much a massage would cost. The masseur advised that the massage
would cost $50. The officer proceeded to ask if the masseur would include a sex
act, and the masseur agreed. After conviction, the masseur appealed by arguing
that he was not violating the prostitution statute because he did not offer the
sex act for money. Rather, the price of the massage was $50 either way. In
other words, since the sex act was offered gratuitously, there was no violation
of the statute. The court acknowledged that there was little case law that was
on point for the matter, and thus, cases from other states were considered in
the decision. Ultimately, the court decided to uphold the conviction because it
did not believe that the sexual services were offered gratuitously. According
to the court, “to prevent circumvention of the statute, the offer or agreement
need not be express or in the language of the statute, but may be implied from
the words and actions of the defendant taken in context.”</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref19" style="mso-endnote-id: edn19;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xix]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
So, applying the reasoning of this case, the issue is not so much if gratuitous
exchanges of sexual favors are allowed, the question is whether a court will
believe the exchange was truly gratuitous in context. Based on this, it is not
inconceivable for courts to interpret an exchange of money for “time and
companionship only” as realistically being more of an exchange of sex for money.
In light of that reasoning, these “gray area” arrangements could possibly
result in a conviction under this statute.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">WHAT TO DO</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 10.66px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Given the law as it is, what can practitioners do? Some of
the strategy here is rather obvious. First, when dealing with clients who are
facing charges for prostitution or solicitation, a good lawyer should seek out
various programs that involve deferred prosecution or supervision. While the
law is treating defendants who pay for sexual services more harshly than defendants
who sell such services, the law does afford both categories of offenders
various programs that allow them to avoid prosecution in exchange for
completing various conditions. Deferred prosecution is a scenario whereby a
prosecutor will allow a defendant to complete various conditions (education,
community service, etc.) in exchange for dropping the case upon successful
completion. This is usually available for first time offenders in some Illinois
counties. Supervision, on the other hand, is a scenario where a defendant
pleads guilty but then must meet a series of conditions so that the court
record will ultimately exclude an actual conviction. If a defendant
successfully completes the conditions, the final disposition of the case is
recorded as a non-conviction supervision, and the defendant can apply for
expungement of the records within a few years. Even with the greater stigma now
faced by those who are caught trying to pay for sex, many courts still prefer
that these defendants receive education rather than other punishments. A good
example of such a program is the Kane County Deferred Prosecution Program. This
program places a heavy emphasis on educating defendants about the risks and
consequences of prostitution/solicitation.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref20" style="mso-endnote-id: edn20;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xx]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
Second, when dealing with clients in prostitution, a practitioner should
investigate whether there has been any kind of trafficking or coercion. If so,
the affirmative defenses discussed above should be applied. Practitioners
should make sure that clients who are truly victims are treated as such and
afforded all the protections offered by the law. Third, for clients facing
patronizing charges, a lawyer should try to negotiate a plea for a lesser
charge. In many cases, bringing a case for patronizing is difficult because the
prosecutor needs proof that the defendant had sexual relations with a
prostitute. And, it is not always easy to get the prostitute to testify to this
for obvious reasons. Thus, a plea deal for a lesser, non-felony conviction is often
a good strategy in these cases. Even though the felony patronizing law is
harsh, very few defendants have been convicted of felony patronizing in
Illinois.</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_ednref21" style="mso-endnote-id: edn21;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xxi]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
So, there are options available to defense practitioners. Finally, right or
wrong, the law “is what is,” and the safest way to avoid legal problems is to
avoid committing these crimes and to be extremely cautious about the “gray
areas” discussed above. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[i]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> Haask,
Debra M., “Who are we talking about when we talk about prostitution and sex
work”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Conversation, </i>The
Conversation USA, Inc., 2010-2018, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://theconversation.com/who-are-we-talking-about-when-we-talk-about-prostitution-and-sex-work-88123"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://theconversation.com/who-are-we-talking-about-when-we-talk-about-prostitution-and-sex-work-88123</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[ii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk530826402">End Demand Illinois, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual
Exploitation, </a><a href="http://caase.org/end-demand-illinois"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://caase.org/end-demand-illinois</span></span></a></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[iii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> End
Demand Illinois, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://caase.org/end-demand-illinois"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://caase.org/end-demand-illinois</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[iv]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> Charlotte
Alter and Diane Tsai, “Catching Johns, Inside the National Push to Arrest Men
Who Buy Sex”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TIME, </i>You.com USA, LLC
d/b/a TIME, <a href="http://time.com/sex-buyers-why-cops-across-the-u-s-target-men-who-buy-prostitutes/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://time.com/sex-buyers-why-cops-across-the-u-s-target-men-who-buy-prostitutes/</span></a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[v]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> 720
ILCS 5/11-14, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn6" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[vi]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
720 ILCS 5/11-0.1, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K11-0.1"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K11-0.1</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn7" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[vii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"> 720
ILCS 5/11-14.1, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;">www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000</span></a></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn8" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[viii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/96/096-1464.htm"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/96/096-1464.htm</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn9" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[ix]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> 720
ILCS 5/11-18, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn10" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[x]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> 720
ILCS 5/11-14.3, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K11-14.3"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=072000050K11-14.3</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn11" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xi]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> 730
ILCS 150/2, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2009&ChapterID=55"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2009&ChapterID=55</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn12" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
20 ILCS 2630, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=350&ChapterID=5"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=350&ChapterID=5</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="edn13" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xiii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
Illinois General Assembly, SB 1872, Legislative Information System <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1872&GAID=12&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=85&GA=98"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1872&GAID=12&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=85&GA=98</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn14" style="mso-endnote-id: edn14;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xiv]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> 720
ILCS 5/11-14, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+11+Subdiv%2E+15&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=17400000&SeqEnd=19100000</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn15" style="mso-endnote-id: edn15;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xv]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk530827583">720 ILCS 5/10-9, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information
System, </a><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/072000050K10-9.htm"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/072000050K10-9.htm</span></span></a></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn16" style="mso-endnote-id: edn16;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xvi]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> 720
ILCS 5/10-9, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/072000050K10-9.htm"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/072000050K10-9.htm</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn17" style="mso-endnote-id: edn17;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xvii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
20 ILCS 2630, Illinois General Assembly, Legislative Information System, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=350&ChapterID=5"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=350&ChapterID=5</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn18" style="mso-endnote-id: edn18;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xviii]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People v. DeBartolo</i>, 610 N.E.2d 131 (Ill.
App. Ct. 1993)</span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn19" style="mso-endnote-id: edn19;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xix]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People v. DeBartolo</i>, 610 N.E.2d 131
(Ill. App. Ct. 1993)</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn20" style="mso-endnote-id: edn20;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xx]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> Deferred
Prosecution, Kane County State’s Attorney Office, Kane County Illinois,
Government Website, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://saopublic.co.kane.il.us/Pages/SecondChance.aspx"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://saopublic.co.kane.il.us/Pages/SecondChance.aspx</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Documents/11.18.18%20prostitution%20article.docx" name="_edn21" style="mso-endnote-id: edn21;" title=""><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">[xxi]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> Carmon,
Irin, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why are We Imprisoning Prostitutes,
</i>Salon, Salon Media Group, Inc., 2018, <span style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.salon.com/2013/06/04/why_are_we_imprisoning_prostitutes/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://www.salon.com/2013/06/04/why_are_we_imprisoning_prostitutes/</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Brian M. Krause, Esq. http://www.blogger.com/profile/00030809578348492686noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-85711706350409569312017-12-22T17:23:00.001-06:002017-12-22T17:23:57.142-06:00Last Minute Gift Idea: Judge McKoski's Book<div style="text-align: justify;">
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As loyal followers of the Northern Law Blog already know, retired judge Raymond J. McKoski has been writing posts on this blog for more than two years. Judge McKoski also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the John Marshall Law School.</div>
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I just learned that Judge McKoski has authored a book on judicial ethics. The book is titled "Judges in Street Clothes: Acting Ethically Off-the-Bench." The book is available on Amazon and at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Judges-Street-Clothes-Off-Bench/dp/1611479223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513984229&sr=8-1&keywords=judges+in+street+clothes">HERE</a> is a link to the Amazon listing. This book would make a great last minute gift for the legal eagles out there!</div>
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Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-52247955730956838892017-12-19T19:41:00.000-06:002017-12-20T11:39:04.818-06:00Bad for Business: Lawyer Must Tell Clients, “I am a Crook.”<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A Wisconsin judge sentenced a lawyer to probation and five
days in jail for the offense of criminal contempt. Because the contempt charge
was based on the lawyer’s misrepresentations to a client about a plea
agreement, the judge required as a condition of probation that the lawyer
provide a copy of the contempt charge and a letter to each of his clients. The
letter stated:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am a
crook. I am a cheat. I am a thief. I am a liar. I was convicted of a crime on
November 9, 2015. My conviction resulted from my intentional choice to sell my
own clients down the river and then trying to cover it up. You may not hire me
or have me or have me legally represent you in any fashion until you read the Criminal
Complaint and Judgment of Conviction in my Outagamie County Wisconsin Case no.
15-CM878. This disclosure is required as one of the conditions of my probation.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a subsequent disciplinary proceeding brought by the
Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation, the hearing referee recommended a one-year
suspension. The Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted the referee’s recommendation and suspended the lawyer’s license for one-year, effective January
26, 2018. The dissenting justices believed that the one-year suspension was
“too light” for the lawyer’s “egregious” misconduct, including his repeated
lies to his client, the police, and the court; falsifying an email; and
“apparently forg[ing] a judge’s signature on a fabricated court order.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s opinion detailing the
contempt proceeding and the disciplinary action is available </span><a href="https://wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&seqNo=205734"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com139tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-48978732349943756522017-08-25T19:12:00.000-05:002017-08-28T08:53:50.919-05:00Complaining About Judges<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Effective January 1, 2018, <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=100-0034">House
Bill 3054</a> becomes law. As enacted, the law requires the clerk of every county
to post in common areas of the courthouse, a notice “</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">that a
person may file a complaint against the judge that includes contact information
for the Judicial Inquiry Board<i>.</i>” To my knowledge, Illinois is the only
state with such a requirement. The Tennessee legislature rejected a similar proposal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It seems that a natural corollary to HB 3054 would be legislation requiring
legislators to post notices in common areas of the State Capital Building and
in their offices advising constituents how to file a complaint against them.
Down the road, lawyers might be appropriate subjects of parallel legislation.</span></div>
Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-62364031411868860732017-03-06T17:32:00.000-06:002017-03-07T09:41:26.546-06:00A Toast to House Bill 0494<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://ilga.gov/legislation/100/HB/10000HB0494.htm" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">House
Bill 0494</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> would amend the Liquor Control Act to permit restaurants to serve
alcohol to 18, 19, and 20 year olds as long as the underage drinker was “under
the direct supervision and approval of his or her parents or parent or those
persons standing in loco parentis.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The primary sponsor of the bill is <a href="http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/03/04/proposed-illinois-law-allows-those-under-21-to-drink-with-a-parent/">quoted</a>
as saying that if parents “<span style="background: white;">want to
let [their children] have a small glass of wine or a taste of wine, and I don’t
think it’s a concept that a lot of parents would have too much concern with.”
Of course, nothing in the proposed legislation limits the alcohol served to
wine or a small glass of wine. An 18 year old could order a scotch on the rocks
(make that a double), and then another, and maybe one more for the road. Unfortunately,
not all parents, or those standing in the place of parents, have the good sense
presumed by House Bill 0494. And let’s hope that “persons standing in loco
parentis” does not include the 21 year old brother of the 18 year old bellying
up to the restaurant table.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Maybe there is some overriding
need to encourage the use of alcohol by those under 21, but I don’t see it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-19122133316099695092017-01-18T09:12:00.001-06:002017-01-18T09:21:19.902-06:00KCBA Seminar Materials<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am speaking at the KCBA Commercial Law Seminar this afternoon on citations to discover assets. I just received late notice that my materials were not copied for the attendees. <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/23bo2gyu2epujf3/Citation%20outline%20-%20January%2018%2C%202017.pdf?dl=0">HERE is a PDF of my handout</a>. It is also embedded below. Thanks.</div>
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/336898993/Citation-Outline-January-18-2017#from_embed" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Citation Outline - January 18, 2017 on Scribd">Citation Outline - January 18, 2017</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/246554878/Mike-Huseman#from_embed" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Mike Huseman's profile on Scribd">Mike Huseman</a> on Scribd</div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_13904" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/336898993/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-h6Ivz6WQXAk2fsUlcapD&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-40185439775069920472017-01-05T19:30:00.000-06:002017-01-18T09:05:11.637-06:00Seventh Circuit Hangs Up on Robocalls<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On January 3, 2017, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck a blow for telephone tranquility. In </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2017/D01-03/C:16-2059:J:Easterbrook:aut:T:fnOp:N:1888754:S:0">Patriotic Veterans v. Zoeller</a>, </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the court upheld an </span><a href="https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/indiana/in-code/indiana_code_24-5-14-5" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Indiana law</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> forbidding recorded phone messages placed by dialing machines unless the subscriber has consented to receiving robocalls or the recorded message is preceded by a live operator who obtains the subscriber’s consent to transmit the message.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The court found that the law was a valid time, place, and manner restriction and did not disfavor political speech or otherwise violate the First Amendment. The opinion appears to reflect the judges’ personal familiarity with prerecorded telephone calls:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No one can deny the legitimacy of the state’s goal: Preventing the phone (at home or in one’s pocket) from frequently ringing with unwanted calls. Every call uses some of the phone owner’s time and mental energy, both of which are precious. Most members of the public want to limit calls, especially cellphone calls, to family and acquaintances, and to get their political information (not to mention their advertisements) in other ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Illinois has a much less restrictive <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2323&ChapterID=67">statute</a> governing automated telephone calls.</span></div>
Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-72595213231298846592016-12-19T18:13:00.001-06:002016-12-20T14:40:21.272-06:00 Can the Government Make a Band Change its Name?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Simon Shioa Tam has been described as an "Asian-American musician, lecturer, and political activist." He also performs in a bank known as <a href="http://www.theslants.com/">The Slants</a>. In his own words, the band, by using that name, is "following in the long tradition of reappropriation, in which members of minority groups have reclaimed terms that were once directed at them as insults and redirected the terms outward as badges of pride."</div>
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As any savvy bandleader hoping to hit the big time would do, Mr. Tam filed a trademark registration for his band's name. However, the U.S. Patent and Trade Office denied his application due to the "disparagement clause" in the federal trademark statute, which bars the registration of "matter which may ... disparage person, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt or disrepute." </div>
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Mr. Tam appealed the denial of his trademark application -- several times. His case is currently schedule for argument before the U.S. Supreme Court on January 18, 2017. The case has drawn considerable attention, especially considering the political climate over the past year and the President-elect's propensity to make broad generalizations based on people's race.</div>
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<a href="https://www.cato.org/about">The Cato Institute</a> and a "basket of deplorable people and organizations," including <a href="http://www.ralphsteadman.com/">Ralph Steadman</a> and the <a href="http://flyingdogbrewery.com/">Flying Dog Brewery</a>, have filed an <i>amicus curiae </i>brief arguing in favor of The Slant's trademark application. The "friends of the court" make several compelling arguments against governmental involvement, including that disparaging language serves an important role in our society, that rock music has a long tradition of pushing the boundaries of expression, and that the First Amendment prevents the Government from dictating what is or is not an offensive slur.</div>
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I wanted to share the brief for several reasons. First, it is not every day that you see citations to the U.S. Supreme Court from works by South Park, Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Dr. Dre, N.W.A., Cypress Hill, and the Geto Boys. Also, I wonder how many Supreme Court Justices have songs on their iPods by the Queers, Hillbilly Hellcats, Rapeman, Snatch and the Poontangs, Dying Fetus, or some of the other offensively-named bands listed in the brief.</div>
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Lastly, for my practicing lawyers out there, the brief is beautifully written. From the simple question presented to the plain-spoken summary of the argument, the brief is a persuasive, direct, and well-organized gem of legal writing. <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/wctc4cq6jhu12xq/Lee-v-Tam-Amicus-Brief-of-the-Cato-Institute.pdf?dl=0">HERE</a> is a link to brief and it is embedded below. </div>
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/334652237/Lee-v-Tam-Amicus-Brief#from_embed" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Lee v Tam Amicus Brief on Scribd">Lee v Tam Amicus Brief</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/246554878/Mike-Huseman#from_embed" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Mike Huseman's profile on Scribd">Mike Huseman</a> on Scribd</div>
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Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-78936933052257938102016-10-06T17:59:00.000-05:002019-09-23T21:09:31.238-05:00Drug Dealers Can't Win the Lottery<div style="text-align: justify;">
Illinois law allows the Government to seize your property even if you have not been charged or convicted of a crime. This heavy-handed system is generally known as civil asset forfeiture. The Government only has show by a preponderance of the evidence (51% likely) that the assets in question are traceable to violations of certain laws. This relaxed burden of proof is much lower than that needed to convict someone of a crime, which is beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, millions of dollars of property are seized every year from people who are never convicted of any crimes, <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-12-09/news/ct-met-aurora-money-1210-20101209_1_drug-charges-drug-case-illinois-state-police-drug">including $190,000 from two brothers in Aurora several years ago, neither of whom had a criminal record at the time</a>. </div>
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Even if a person admits to committing a crime, or is eventually convicted, the question then becomes what assets can be traced back to the criminal activity? Or put another way, how creative can the Government get in trying to squeeze someone for every penny? They got pretty creative recently when police officers in Macon County, Illinois raided a house and seized marijuana, cocaine, a digital scale, and a $3 scratch-off lottery ticket, which turned out to be a $50,000 winner. </div>
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Predictably, the Government instituted civil forfeiture proceedings against the lump sum payout, or $35,315. The Government reasoned that the defendant was unemployed and had no source of income other than drug sales, so the $3 must be attributed to drug sales. The Government further reasoned that the $3 was actually worth $35,315 because it was in the form of a winning lottery ticket, so the whole amount should be for forfeited. </div>
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Following trial, the trial court very logically ruled in favor of the drug suspect. The court ruled that the $3 probably came from the sale of drugs, but that the civil asset forfeiture laws were not intended to capture a windfall. The court stated "What if, for instance, some cannabis dealer had earned $10,000 selling cannabis, and he decided to he was going to put himself through medical school, earned a medical degree, and was out successfully working? Is his income then forfeitable? At some point, the connection has to stop."</div>
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Predictably, the Government appealed. The appellate court reversed the trial court. The appellate court found that the purpose of the forfeiture law was to deter people from drug trafficking and should be "liberally construed so as to effect their remedial purpose." The court then ruled that "all proceeds" traceable drug trafficking are subject to forfeiture, even if they are increased due to a windfall.</div>
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<a href="http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Opinions/AppellateCourt/2016/4thDistrict/4150685.pdf"><i>The People of the State of Illinois v. $35,315 United States Currency, </i>2016 IL App (4th) 150685.</a></div>
Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-35312974064880566032016-08-10T20:02:00.000-05:002016-08-10T20:12:08.488-05:00Presidential Candidates’ Views on Jury Service<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to </span><a href="http://www.ncsc.org/Newsroom/JurE/2016/Aug-5.aspx" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jur-E
Bulletin</span></i></a><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">(National
Center for State Courts) for finding two articles shedding some light on the
presidential candidates’ views on jury service. A </span><a href="http://time.com/3999272/donald-trump-jury-duty" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Time<i> </i>magazine article</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"> from August 2015, reported
that Mr. Trump was “one for six for fulfilling his jury duty summonses. A judge
</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">fined him $250</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"> earlier this year for
ignoring every summons for nearly a decade.”</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/hillary-clinton-must-read-emails-217276"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Politico
reported</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> the following e-mail exchange between Secretary Clinton
and a staff member:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">In one exchange from August 2011, Clinton gives
a thumbs up to aide Jake Sullivan’s apparent attempt to not get picked for a
trial when called for jury duty. “Look and sound eager--you'll be viewed as too
crazy for either side to pick, according to Kurt,” Clinton emails Sullivan. He
then replies with his own approach: “My prosecutor friend told me I simply have
to say I trust cops.” Clinton seemed to approve. “Perfect!” she replied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-65828557884778994082016-07-11T16:51:00.000-05:002016-08-11T10:57:30.238-05:00Seriously?<div style="text-align: justify;">
John Wright is a State Farm insurance agent in Joliet, Illinois. His neighbor, Rick Papp, is also a State Farm insurance agent in Joliet, Illinois. They are competitors. If you watch Modern Family on ABC, just picture Phil Dunphy and his nemesis/arch-rival, Gil Thorpe, although they are realtors, not insurance agents, on that show. </div>
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John Wright and Rick Papp are involved in one of the most ridiculous lawsuits that I have ever seen, and I've seen some good ones. According to the lawsuit, some unknown individual or individuals had been repeatedly ringing the doorbell at the Wright residence for several weeks prior to June 26, 2016. When Mr. Wright would answer the door, no one would be there. The lawsuit alleges that this practice is commonly known as a "ding, dong, ditch."</div>
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According to the lawsuit, the Shorewood Police Department subsequently questioned Rick Papp's minor son, who admitted that he ding, dong, ditched John Wright on June 26, 2016. The lawsuit alleges that the June 26, 2016 ding, dong, ditching occurred after curfew, at a time when the minor ought to have been in his own home. Therefore, Mr. Wright sued Mr. Papp for failure to exercise reasonable care so as to control his minor son and prevent him from intentionally harming others.</div>
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The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $50,000. The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Wright suffered severe emotional distress, severe anxiety, sleeplessness, extreme and rapid weight loss, and that he required medical treatment in order to function in his daily living, all as a direct result of the minor's alleged ding, dong, ditching. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Wright also failed to earn an employment incentive worth $30,000, which he had achieved in each of his last twenty years of employment, as a direct result of the minor's ding, dong, ditching. </div>
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The lawsuit is ridiculous for several reasons. First, the lawsuit is about ding, dong, ditching (Ha!). Next, the lawsuit doesn't allege that Rick Papp's minor son committed the several weeks of ding, dong, ditching that occurred in early June. The lawsuit only alleges that the minor committed one ding, dong, ditching on June 26, 2016. All of the alleged injuries, including the $30,000 in lost income, resulted from a single ding, dong, ditching on June 26, 2016. Of course, the implication is that the kid was behind it all, but the lawsuit never says that, even on information and belief. Lastly, the lawsuit was filed on June 23, 2016. I know I'm nitpicking and it must just be a typo or clerical error, but the lawsuit uses the June 26th date in eight different paragraphs and the case was filed on June 23rd. Come on! If you're going to file a ding, dong, ditching lawsuit you must dot your I's and cross your T's...you know you're going to get huge media attention! </div>
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Here is a copy of the complaint if you are interested:</div>
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/318032460/Wright-v-Papp#from_embed" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Wright v. Papp on Scribd">Wright v. Papp</a></div>
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Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-38954458947930282412016-06-10T14:40:00.000-05:002016-06-13T14:56:04.782-05:00Illinois Real Estate Tax Sales<div style="text-align: justify;">
A real estate tax sale can be aside aside in bankruptcy court if it was for less than "reasonably equivalent value." <i>In re Smith</i>, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 934 (7th Cir. 2016). The <i>Smith</i> case dealt with several technical bankruptcy and fraudulent transfer issues, which will not be explained here, but I wanted to pass along this section of the opinion that explains the Illinois real estate tax sale process. I do not have any prior experience with tax sales and I did not know that potential buyers actually bid downwards on the redemption interest rate they'd be willing to accept. This case says that 85% of winning bids are at zero percent. If no one redeems the tax bill, plus the prevailing interest rate, the winning bidder gets an unencumbered deed to the property. Here is how the 7th Circuit explained the two most common methods for selling delinquent real estate taxes, including the system used in Illinois:</div>
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States generally choose one of three methods for collecting delinquent property taxes: the overbid method, the interest rate method, and the percentage ownership method. Georgette C. Poindexter, Lizabethann Rogovoy & Susan Wachter,<span class="SS_Pag_Show" id="PAGE_10_1292" name="PAGE_1292" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Selling Municipal Property Tax Receivables: Economics, Privatization, and Public Policy in an Era of Urban Distress</span>, <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="138398" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/analytical-materials/urn:contentItem:3S8H-FS60-00CV-T1MT-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="PAGE_174_8070" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;">30 Conn. L. Rev. 157, 174 (1997)</a>. This case requires us to compare the overbid and interest rate methods, so we focus on them.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
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The overbid method is probably the auction system more familiar to most readers: the bidding price begins at the total amount of taxes and interest due, and potential buyers then offer higher bids up to the total price they are willing to pay in return for (eventual) fee simple title. See, e.g., <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="4900" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/statutes-legislation/urn:contentItem:5HDK-DXC0-004D-10PB-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;">Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 39-11-115</a> (West 2015). The fair market value of the property is at least in theory the ceiling for amounts that might be bid. The winner of this competitive bidding receives rights to the property. See <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="6394" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/cases/urn:contentItem:438T-CC30-0038-X3FB-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="PAGE_1152_1107" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In re Grandote Country Club Co.</span>, 252 F.3d 1146, 1152 (10th Cir. 2001)</a> (explaining the competitive nature of the Colorado overbid system). A redemption period typically follows, during which the delinquent taxpayer or a mortgage lender may pay off the tax debt and reclaim the property. If the property is not redeemed, the winning bidder may bring an action for quiet title to the property. See, e.g., <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="4900" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/statutes-legislation/urn:contentItem:5HDK-DXD0-004D-10R5-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;">Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 39-11-120</a> (West 2015).<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
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The interest rate method used by Illinois is quite different. At the county tax auction, bidders vie to purchase the tax lien, not the property itself. They do so by bidding <span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">down</span>. See <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="6391" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/cases/urn:contentItem:52FW-1VM1-F04K-R033-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="PAGE_752_1107" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BCS Services, Inc. v. Heartwood 88, LLC</span>, 637 F.3d 750, 752-53 (7th Cir. 2011)</a>. Bids are expressed not as a total price for the property but rather as decreasing interest percentages. <span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Id.</span> These percentages are the penalty interest rates that the buyer may demand from the delinquent taxpayer (or mortgage lender) to redeem the property. <span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Id.</span> In Illinois, the bids therefore work <span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">down</span> from a statutory ceiling of eighteen percent. Zero percent is the floor. <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="6671" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/statutes-legislation/urn:contentItem:5C65-YX01-6YS3-D408-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;">35 Ill. Comp. Stat. 200/21-215</a> (2015).<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
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Under this system, the <span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lowest</span> bidder wins and is granted the lien and a certificate of purchase. <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="6391" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/cases/urn:contentItem:5B7D-CNB1-F04K-R13T-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="PAGE_400_1107" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In re LaMont</span>, 740 F.3d 397, 400-01 (7th Cir. 2014)</a>. And if the delinquent taxpayer and any mortgage lenders fail to redeem in the subsequent two years, the buyer takes the property free and clear. <span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Id.</span>, citing <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="6671" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/statutes-legislation/urn:contentItem:5C65-YX01-6YS3-D41F-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;">35 Ill. Comp. Stat. 200/21-350</a> (2015).<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
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In the vast majority of tax sales in Illinois, the penalty percentage paid by the winning bidder is zero percent. <a class="SS_EmbeddedLink" data-contentcomponentid="6391" data-docfullpath="/shared/document/cases/urn:contentItem:52FW-1VM1-F04K-R033-00000-00" data-func="LN.Advance.ContentView.getDocument" data-pinpage="PAGE_752_1107" data-priceplan="subscription" href="https://advance.lexis.com/document/midlinetitle/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=7bce83f5-1bfc-48c2-8817-35ddcdec2e5c&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fcases%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A5HWV-DNP1-F04K-R0B8-00000-00&pdcomponentid=6391&ecomp=7tmk&earg=sr5&prid=f3121658-2cc1-445c-b312-e2a79625855e#" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #0077cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="SS_it" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BCS</span>, 637 F.3d at 752</a> (almost 85 percent of the winning bids). The purchase price of the property, taking into account the<span class="SS_Pag_Show" id="PAGE_12_1292" name="PAGE_1292" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>risk of redemption, is therefore usually nothing more than the sum of the delinquent taxes.</blockquote>
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Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-61446473433305215632016-05-14T11:46:00.000-05:002016-05-14T11:46:23.605-05:00Cook County Evictions As a Landlord attorney, my job is to help my clients navigate the eviction process in a manner that minimizes stress and is also cost effective. In Cook County, this goal is almost impossible. I have been practicing in this area of the law for many years now, but I am still amazed at how inefficient Cook County is when it comes to handling these matters. Whenever I receive an inquiry from a potential Cook County client, I always have to provide a long explanation upfront of what difficulties the landlord is sure to encounter. Yet, even after providing a thorough and exhaustive explanation, I find my Cook County clients are still stunned by the unbelievable waste of time and money that accompanies the eviction process in Cook County. This is very disappointing because so many of my clients are not big management companies, but rather small time investors with one or two rental properties. In many cases, the delays they encounter in Cook County impose significant financial burdens on them. And, these problems are really so unnecessary when you consider that the law relating to evictions is not rocket science, and it is the same for all of Illinois. Unfortunately, it is the actual execution of the law that varies from county to county. My practice covers Cook and all of the collar counties (Will, Kane, Dupage, Lake, Kendall, McHenry). <div>
In my experience, all of the collar counties are fairly similar. I can usually give a good estimate of how long an eviction will take from start to finish assuming that a tenant takes advantage of all their rights under law. You typically have a couple months in court if a tenant wants to go to trial and then another couple of weeks or month until the Sheriff get can get out to the property to execute the order if the tenant does not leave on their own accord. Unfortunately, it is not so in Cook County. First, in Cook, you have to use the Sheriff for the first round of service of process attempts. In the collar counties, I go straight to a private process server. For $75-$150, my server will at a minimum, make 7 attempts at service before the first court date. If they fail to get service on a tenant who is avoiding, I can at least ask the judge for permission to do a posting which is usually granted. This alone saves three weeks and a couple hundred dollars. But, it is not so in Cook. In Cook County, my clients fork out anywhere from $120-$180 to the Sheriff who gets first dibs on service attempts. In my experience, the Sheriff makes one or two attempts and usually fails to get the defendant served. So, when I go back to court, I can't usually get a posting because the Sheriff hasn't made enough attempts. So, I have to get permission to use a private server and waste more of my client's time and money before getting service or permission for a posting. If you ask the Sheriff's office why this is the case, you will hear an explanation about how big Cook County is and how they have a lot going on. Of course, this is as good an argument as any why the law should not require that you use the Sheriff on the first round of service attempts. Revoking that rule alone would save time and money. Second, in Cook County, once you have your order of possession, you take it to the Sheriff for execution. This is the same as in all of the other counties. But, unlike the other counties, Cook does not schedule a specific date. Rather, they give you a number to check on the Sheriff's website, and when you see your number that means it is supposed to be executed "soon." "Soon" however, is a very vague term and usually means nothing as I have on many occasions seen my number pop up, and the eviction still didn't take place for many weeks after that. Furthermore, even after your number pops up, you never get an actual date. You get a call the day or night before the eviction from the Sheriff saying they will be there the next day, and that you have to meet them at such and such time or your eviction will be canceled. This practice is a huge problem for most small time landlords because they don't have a management company to coordinate all of this. And, the Sheriff requires you to have four able bodied people with you to move the tenant's property off the premises and on to the front lawn/driveway. Now, a management company can usually pull this off even the night before because they have a crew they can assemble or hire. This is a very difficult for normal people who have jobs and have to scramble last minute to hire movers or assemble relatives or friends. To be fair, all of the counties require you to have helpers to move the property off the premises. The Sheriff isn't going to carry stuff out, they are just there to keep the peace and ensure the landlord can get the property back. But, at least in the other counties, they give you an exact date so you can prepare a few weeks ahead of time to have people in place to coordinate this effort. But, not so in Cook County. Finally, the biggest and most serious problem in Cook County is the amount of time it takes the Sheriff to execute these orders. In Dupage, it is almost always about three weeks after the date given by the judge on the order of possession. In Cook County, it is anyone's guess. In the winter, it is even worse because they have to cancel and reschedule some days due to extremely cold weather. It is not uncommon for the Sheriff to take 4-6 months to get these orders executed. This last fall/winter was taking about 4 months for my clients. I filed one order in October that got executed in February. Keep in mind, that this is 4 months with no rent being paid. Unfortunately for most of my clients, they are still paying the mortgage and property taxes while rent is not being paid. And while they are waiting for the Sheriff, they often have an angry tenant in the property who may being doing significant damage to the premises. Even though I warn my clients, they are always frustrated and desperate when this actually unfolds. Some of the tips that I offer are as follows: 1) I try to encourage them with the fact that not every tenant waits until the Sheriff arrives to leave the property. Many leave on their own. Because there is no certain date when the Sheriff arrives, many tenants don't want to take the chance of having their possessions put out on the lawn. Nevertheless, many do wait until the very last minute. 2) I try to get my clients to consider "cash for keys." For small time landlords, this is a very bitter pill to swallow. Even though it makes economic sense, some just can't even consider this option. This is especially true if the tenant already owes unpaid rent and if there are hard feelings between the parties. But, if the Sheriff is going to take 4 months to get the tenants out, it makes more sense to either forgive the rent owed or even offer a couple thousand dollars to get the tenants out quicker. If you can get the tenants out in a couple weeks and get the place re-rented quicker, you are likely in a better financial situation. Of course, the tenant has to be willing to leave quickly in exchange for the money. This is not always an option tenant are willing to accept. </div>
Brian M. Krause, Esq. http://www.blogger.com/profile/00030809578348492686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-29122075951575983952016-04-30T09:10:00.000-05:002016-05-02T09:57:28.023-05:00Captain Kirk v. Iqbal<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Star Date 93795.09</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;"> (thanks to star date
calculator </span></strong><a href="http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/stardate.php"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">here</span></a><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">): Today, paramount Pictures filed an amended
complaint (</span></strong><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2757228-Axanar-Klingon.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">here</span></a><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">) against Axanar Productions in a copyright
infringement suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of
Florida. Paramount charges Axanar with “unauthorized exploitation of Star Trek,
one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time.” And it would
be difficult to deny that allegation since Star Trek has spawned 6 television
series and 12 movies with a new movie planned for release this year and a new
T.V. series planned for 2017.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">To Trekkies, the most important aspect of the Amended Complaint is the Star
Trek photographs and trivia included in the pleading. For example, you may know that the Klingons are a warrior race from the planet Qo’noS and first appeared
in a 1967 episode of the original series, but did you know that the Klingons’
planet was not seen until a 1990 episode (Amended Complaint at 11-12, 20)? Or
that “Dilithium is a crystalline substance used in warp propulsion systems to
regulate the matter/antimatter reactions that provide the energy necessary for
faster-than-light speed (Amended Complaint at 29)”? The photographs and factual
trivia take up 28 pages of the 48 page amended pleading.<o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">To non-Trekkie lawyers, the importance of the Amended Complaint lies in the
fact that it demonstrates (to the extreme) the change from simple “notice”
pleading to the factually demanding “plausibility” pleading now required in
federal courts by <i>Ashcroft v. Iqbal </i>(</span></strong><a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/08pdf/07-1015.pdf"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">here</span></a><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">). The case will likely demonstrate another
fact of modern day litigation— discovery is unlikely to move at warp speed.<o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
<br />Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-90088038091183227202016-03-10T16:50:00.000-06:002016-03-14T16:50:51.748-05:00A party who represents herself... You know the rest...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm reading a case about a <i>pro se </i>plaintiff who was sanctioned for her behavior at trial. The case is somewhat interesting and may stand for the proposition that a party can be liable for the opposing party's legal fees based upon his or her misconduct, even in the absence of a contract or statute providing for legal fees. The case is <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?q=harvey+v.+carponelli&hl=en&as_sdt=400006&case=7450964026446842606&scilh=0"><u>Harvey v. Carponelli</u>, 117 Ill.App.3d 448 (1st Dist. 1983)</a>. There's also good language in there about holding <i>pro se </i>litigants to the same procedural standards as attorneys.</div>
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Anyway, all I really wanted to point out is the following paragraph from the case. For some reason this description of the trial made me laugh out loud. I'm just glad it wasn't me who had to oppose this lady.</div>
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"Plaintiff's first witness was called and examined. The trial judge found that the entire line of questioning by plaintiff as <i>pro se </i>counsel indicated a lack of awareness of the issues raised by [her] in her fourth amended complaint. The entire testimony of this witness was stricken as irrelevant. <b>Next, plaintiff called herself as a witness. After taking the stand, she was allowed to read questions to herself from her notes for 1 1/2 days. She asked herself at least one question to which she answered "I don't know." </b></blockquote>
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Oh man... One and half days? And she was answering "I don't know" to her own questions!! I would have had a heart attack. </div>
Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-28018532653751566072016-02-12T17:49:00.001-06:002016-02-18T14:31:43.448-06:00$2,000 per hour?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.gibsondunn.com/Pages/default.aspx">Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP</a> is a global law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers spread between 18 offices. <a href="http://www.gibsondunn.com/lawyers/tolson">Ted Olson</a> is one of their managing partners. Mr. Olson is widely regarded as one of the best lawyers in the country, if not the world. He has argued 62 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including <i>Bush v. Gore, Citizens United, </i>and the case that overturned California's ban on same-sex marriages. His biography on the law firm's website says that he has prevailed more than 75% of the time before the U.S. Supreme Court. </div>
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Mr. Olson was also involved in the Tony Bostic case that overturned Virginia's ban on same-sex marriages. Mr. Bostic and his spouse, as the prevailing parties in a civil rights lawsuit, became entitled to reimbursement of their legal fees. As part of that process, Gibson Dunn's bills have recently become public and are now making the rounds on the legal blogs. I have embedded them below. </div>
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These guys know how to bill, holy cow. Gibson Dunn was only involved in the case for approximately 14 months. Their final bill was $1,378,771.00. The invoices are categorized by partner time, associate time, and paralegal time. The partners' rates run from $795 to $1,800 per hour. The associates' rates are between $425 and $740 per hour. The paralegals' rates are between $255 and $385.</div>
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Mr. Olson is the only lawyer on these statements billing at $1,800 per hour. However, I found articles on the internet from 2012 that set Mr. Olson's billing rate at $1,800 per hour back then. His rate was still $1,800 on these invoices and his time entries end in September 2014. It is reasonable to conclude that he has increased his billing rate since September 2014, especially considering that he had been billing at the same rate at least as far back as 2012. I wonder if he's now at $2,000 per hour.</div>
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If you've ever wondered what it would cost to have one of the best law firms in the world on your side, today is your lucky day. Just imagine receiving this bill in the mail at the conclusion of your case. If you are unable to view the file below, I have also linked to the bills <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ah7fez3c6aewtd/Gibson%20Dunn%20attorney%20time%20sheets.pdf?dl=0">HERE</a>.</div>
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<br />Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-70242438237434938972016-02-05T21:29:00.000-06:002016-02-05T21:36:25.137-06:00ISBA Issues Report on Recent Law School Graduates<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The Illinois State Bar Association has issued its </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Report and Recommendations of the Special
Committee on the Impact of Current Law School Curriculum on the Future of the
Practice of Law in Illinois </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">(</span><a href="http://www.isba.org/sites/default/files/committees/Impact%20of%20Current%20Law%20School%20Curriculum%20on%20the%20Future%20of%20the%20Practice%20of%20Law%20in%20Illinois.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">).</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">The Report explores ways to ensure that
law school graduates are “prepared for the realities facing new lawyers in
today’s legal marketplace.” According to the Report, the top complaint of experienced
attorneys about their new colleagues is the inability to write clearly,
concisely, and accurately. The Report also concludes that graduates fall short
in:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Drafting Legal Documents<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Recognizing Legal Issues<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Performing Legal Research<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Organizational Skills<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Exposure to Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Problem Solving<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Professionalism and Work Ethic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Understanding Civil Case Chronology:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Business Skills<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Practical Application of Evidence Rules</span></div>
Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-62593064694017072772016-01-15T14:50:00.002-06:002016-01-15T14:50:56.698-06:00Gambling Fever...in Bankruptcy Court<div style="text-align: justify;">
When a person files bankruptcy, all of his property is transferred into a theoretical pot known as the bankruptcy estate. The bankruptcy trustee can then sell items from the bankruptcy estate to pay back the creditors, subject to certain limitations and exemptions.</div>
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A 73-year-old man from Michigan recently filed bankruptcy. One of his assets at the time was his right to receive $1,000 per month for life pursuant to a Michigan Lotto "Cash for Life" jackpot that he won back in 1984. The cash payments for life became part of the bankruptcy estate and were subsequently auctioned by the trustee. The catch, however, is that as soon as the debtor dies, the payments will stop</div>
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How much would you pay to receive $1,000 per month for the rest of a 73-year-old bankruptcy debtor's life? The winning bid was $40,026. It's kind of ironic that gambling is probably what lead the old dude into bankruptcy to begin with, but then his creditors had to gamble in an attempt to get their money back. If he lives for another 20 years, the winning bidder will have hit the jackpot.</div>
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<a href="http://ktar.com/story/840109/clock-will-be-ticking-for-winner-of-unusual-lottery-auction/">HERE</a> is a link to a news article about the bankruptcy sale.</div>
Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-42858460284390012432015-12-10T16:23:00.000-06:002015-12-10T19:24:08.768-06:00Husemans Usually Win Big Cases<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most people have probably googled their own name at some point. But I took it one step further. I did a nationwide Lexis search for published court opinions involving Husemans. It turns out that three Husemans have had their cases heard before state supreme courts, two in Illinois and one in Indiana. </div>
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We're two out of three and we're on a hot streak considering that we won the last two. It has been a while though ... our last victory before the Illinois Supreme Court came in 1914.</div>
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Here are the three cases:</div>
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<b><u>Huseman v. Sims</u>, Supreme Court of Indiana, December 30, 1885: </b></div>
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This case originated out of Dearborn County, Indiana. Mr. Huseman (his first name was not identified), due to unfortunate circumstances that were probably outside of his control but which were not explained in the court's ruling, had apparently fallen behind on his rent. His landlord obtained a judgment against him for $1,059.25. Mr. Sims was the county sheriff. At the instruction of the landlord, Mr. Sims, as sheriff, seized Mr. Huseman's property in order to sell it and pay off the judgment. </div>
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Mr. Huseman contended that the seized property was exempt from execution, so he sued the sheriff. Huseman lost at trial and then appealed. The Indiana Supreme Court found that Mr. Huseman did not properly raise his exemptions at trial, so the sheriff's execution was proper. </div>
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Huseman loses on a technicality. </div>
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<b><u>Sassenberg v. Huseman</u>, Supreme Court of Illinois, October 16, 1899:</b></div>
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This case originated out of Bureau County, Illinois. The Sassenbergs were the heirs of a man who had once owned a farm in Bureau County consisting of 120 acres. John and Anna Huseman claimed to be the rightful owners of the farm, having purchased it prior to the decedent's passing. The Sassenbergs challenged the Husemans' deed as a forgery and attempted to acquire title to the farm. </div>
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The trial court believed that the Husemans were honest people who had legally acquired the farm. The Strassbergs appealed. The Illinois Supreme Court found that the witnesses who testified at trial were credible, including the decedent's daughter who witnessed the execution of the deed and the notary public. </div>
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The Supreme Court affirmed that the Husemans were honest, trustworthy people. Big win for the Husemans, not that it was ever really in doubt.</div>
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<b><u>Bruns v. Huseman</u>, Supreme Court of Illinois, December 16, 1914:</b></div>
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This case originated out of Whiteside County, Illinois. Anna Mary Huseman, who was 80 years old at the time, owned a farm consisting of 157 acres. Ms. Huseman verbally authorized a man named Vernon C. Freeman to sell her farm. Mr. Freeman allegedly sold the farm to Mr. Bruns for $8,500 and took $500 down. Mr. Freeman presented a deed to Ms. Huseman, which she signed, but it was never delivered to Mr. Bruns or recorded with the county. Mr. Bruns sued Ms. Huseman for specific performance in order to force the sale of the farm for the remaining $8,000. Testimony at trial indicated that the farm may have been worth up to $125 per acre, or $19,625. Ms. Huseman resisted the specific performance of the alleged contract due to an allegedly fraudulent scheme between Mr. Freeman and Mr. Bruns to obtain title to the farm for a grossly inadequate price.<br>
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The trial court ruled that an agent's authority to bind the owner to a sale of real estate must be in writing pursuant to the statute of frauds. Therefore, Mr. Freeman did not have authority to sell the farm for $8,500. The Supreme Court affirmed.<br>
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Another big win for the Huseman family. Hopefully we can keep the streak alive if we find ourselves before the Supreme Court again. </div>
Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-48163996613010765562015-12-05T18:33:00.000-06:002015-12-07T11:50:39.928-06:00Defendant’s Name Must Appear on Face of Summons<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">The sample summons in Illinois Supreme Court Rule 101(d) requires
“naming all defendants.” Illinois Supreme Court Rule 131(c) states that in multiple
party cases, “it is sufficient in entitling documents, </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">except a summons,</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"> to name the . . . the first-named defendant with the usual
indication of other parties (emphasis added).” So, what happens when a plaintiff files an action
against several defendants, naming one defendant and adding the “et al”
designation to each summons? Is the failure to include a defendant’s name in
the caption of the summons a barrier to obtaining personal jurisdiction over
that defendant even if the defendant is served? </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">Arch Bay Holdings v. Perez</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"> (</span><a href="http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Opinions/AppellateCourt/2015/2ndDistrict/2141117.pd" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">here</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">),
provides the answer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Arch Bay filed a foreclosure action against a husband, wife,
and other defendants. Each summons listed the husband by name followed
by “et al.” The wife was served but did not appear. The court entered a default
judgement against her. The trial court rejected the wife’s 2-1401 petition which
claimed a lack of personal jurisdiction because her name did not appear on the
summons. The Appellate Court, Second District, reversed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The appellate court held that the model summons in Rule 101(d)
requires that the names of all defendants appear in the caption of the summons.
The fact that the wife’s name appeared on an attached list of defendants to be
served did not cure the defect. And even thought the wife was served, “the
missing name from the face of the summons was a barrier to obtaining personal
jurisdiction” over her.</span></div>
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Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-536550926499064812015-11-07T12:10:00.000-06:002015-11-07T12:20:29.302-06:00Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person or a Person with a Disability <div style="text-align: justify;">
Effective January 1, 2016, the Illinois Criminal Code will be amended to include a new crime called "financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability." The new crime is a Class 4 felony if the value of the property is $300 or less and goes up to a Class 1 felony if the value is greater than $50,000. </div>
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The new statute also creates a civil cause of action with the same name. The civil cause of action is available whether or not the defendant has been charged or convicted of a criminal offense under this section. The civil cause of action provides for treble damages plus attorneys' fees to the victim or the estate of the victim.</div>
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A person commits financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability when he or she "stands in a position of trust or confidence with an elderly person or a person with a disability and he or she knowingly and by deception or intimidation obtains control over property of an elderly person or a person with a disability or illegally uses the assets or resources of an elderly person or a person with a disability." </div>
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The statute defines "elderly" as someone over 60 years of age. The statute also provides that a person stands in a position of trust or confidence with an elderly person or person with a disability when he (i) is a parent, spouse, adult child or other relative by blood or marriage of the victim; (ii) is a joint tenant or tenant in common with the victim; (iii) has a legal or fiduciary relationship with the victim; (iv) is a financial planning or investment professional; or (v) is a paid or unpaid caregiver for the victim.</div>
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The new statute is located at 720 ILCS 5/17-56.</div>
Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-51730493362961448442015-10-25T20:24:00.000-05:002015-10-26T09:39:20.226-05:00Child Representatives Enjoy Absolute Immunity<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">In <i>Davidson v. Gurewitz</i> (October 20, 2015) (</span><a href="http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Opinions/AppellateCourt/2015/2ndDistrict/2150171.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">), the
Appellate Court, Second District, held that a child representative appointed
under section 506(a) of the Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act enjoys
absolute immunity from malpractice liability.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Pursuant
to section 506(a)(3), the trial court appointed Thomas Gurewitz as the child
representative of the divorcing parent’s minor child. After the trial court
entered the judgment of dissolution, the mother sued Gurewitz for malpractice.
The mother claimed that Gurewitz completed his duties as a child representative
on October 1, 2012, when the parties entered into a parenting agreement that
settled all issues relating to the best interests of the child. The plaintiff
further alleged that instead of withdrawing from the case after completing his
duties, Gurewitz participated in the trial by cross-examining the plaintiff and
making a closing argument. According to the malpractice complaint, Gurewitz’s
unauthorized actions resulted in the entry of a judgment “replete and filled
with vindictiveness relating to [plaintiff].”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Gurewitz
moved to dismiss the malpractice action arguing that it was barred by the
doctrine of absolute immunity. The appellate court acknowledged that section
506(a) does not, by its terms, immunize child representatives. But the court
determined that the common law affords immunity to court-appointed child
representatives. Thus, the Second District aligned itself with the First District’s
decision in </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">Vlastelica
v. Brend<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext;"> (</span></span></span><a href="http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/opinions/AppellateCourt/2011/1stDistrict/August/1102587.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt;">here</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">)</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">, finding
that absolute immunity is necessary so that a child representative can “fulfill
his obligations without worry of harassment and intimidation from dissatisfied
parents.”</span>Ray McKoskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13408211900282630454noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245085298601124851.post-60444827462713182622015-09-26T14:37:00.000-05:002015-10-28T18:43:50.919-05:00Peter Rogan Will Plead Guilty to Perjury for Lying During a Citation<div style="text-align: justify;">
Peter Rogan was on the wrong side of one of the most famous "collections" cases of all time. I wrote a five-part blog post about <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=11560106196461861734&q=dexia+credit+local&hl=en&as_sdt=2,14">Dexia v. Rogan</a> back in 2011. The Dexia case involved more than $100 million and the resulting opinion from the 7th Circuit contained nearly that many tips for commercial litigators. My original post can be found <a href="http://www.northernlawblog.com/2011/02/advanced-collection-techniques-in-third.html">HERE</a>.</div>
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I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar given by the plaintiff's lawyers about this case. It was absolutely fascinating. These guys literally traveled the globe to recover Rogan's assets. He had established trusts that were located in multiple foreign countries around the world. His current perjury charges stemmed from his denials under oath about those trusts during a citation to discover assets.</div>
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<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-edgewater-hospital-owner-fraud-met-20150921-story.html">Mr. Rogan was back in the news this week because he finally returned to Chicago after fighting extradition from Canada for the last several years.</a> He is expected to plead guilty to perjury this week and could be sentenced immediately. All "collections" lawyers will smile when the cell door closes behind this guy.</div>
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Michael W. Husemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01047045128712909700noreply@blogger.com1