GOP defection tests legislative immunity for party leader

Federal Courts

By Jay S. Judge

Jay S. Judge, a name partner of Judge, James, Hoban & Fisher LLC in Park Ridge, is a defense attorney who specializes in trials, appeals and insurance coverage. Judge graduated with honors from The John Marshall Law School and served as editor-in-chief of the school’s law review.

Posted December 4, 2018 11:12 AM

Today’s case posed the question of whether the Illinois Senate’s minority leader had absolute legislative immunity for expelling a senator from the Republican caucus and cutting off his party resources when the senator ran for governor as the Conservative Party candidate, not as the Republican candidate.In McCann v. Brady, No. 18-2179 (7th Cir.), plaintiff William “Sam” McCann, an Illinois Republican senator and member of the Senate Republican caucus chose to run for Illinois governor as the …

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