Alvarez wants special prosecutor for Van Dyke

By Don Babwin Associated Press writer

Posted May 5, 2016 2:45 PM

Cook County’s embattled state’s attorney asked a judge Thursday to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case against a white Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager 16 times.Anita M. Alvarez has faced months of criticism over her handling of the case and why it took more than a year to bring charges despite there being police dashcam video of the October 2014 killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.Alvarez, who is set to leave office in December, wrote in a petition to recuse her office from …

To Read the Full Story

Your source for legal news and information

Print & Digital Access

Stay in the know all year long with these benefits:

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

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

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

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

7th Circuit tosses retaliation suit against South Suburban College

A woman who claims she was fired from her job in retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint cannot sue her former employer.
By Grace Barbic
Appellate panel affirms $770,000 judgment against railroad

A freight railroad company must pay $770,000 to the estate of one of its former employees who allegedly developed cancer during the scope of his employment.
By Emma Oxnevad
Pritzker’s health insurance reforms clear House

Gov. J.B. Pritzker celebrated a partial legislative victory Thursday night when the House passed his initiative to end some practices health insurance companies use to control the amount and cost of health care services individual patients receive.
By Peter Hancock
Senate advances bill to ban food additives linked to health problems

The Illinois Senate passed a bill Thursday that would ban four food additives that are found in common products including candy, soda and baked goods.
By Cole Longcor
Initial suits over weed killer paraquat dismissed

A federal judge threw out four lawsuits that allege exposure to the weed killer paraquat can cause Parkinson’s disease, holding her rejection of the expert opinion offered by the plaintiffs doomed their cases.
By Patricia Manson
Settlement for sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with little

When a deadly explosion destroyed BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 134 million gallons of crude erupted into the sea over the next three months — and tens of thousands of ordinary people were hired to help clean up environmental devastation from the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
By Travis Loller and Michael Phillis
Historic jury selection highlights key role of social media vetting

When the first batch of potential jurors was brought in for Donald Trump’s criminal trial this week, all the lawyers had to go on to size them up at first were their names and the answers they gave in court to a set of screening questions.
By Larry Neumeister and Jake Offenhartz
Boeing put under Senate scrutiny over safety culture

An engineer at Boeing said Wednesday that the aircraft company, in rushing to produce as many planes as possible, is taking manufacturing shortcuts that could lead to jetliners breaking apart.
By David Koenig