In Crane v. City of Rockford, an Illinois Appellate Court upheld the dismissal of an appeal of an administrative hearing officer’s issuance of fines for building code violations where the property owner did not comply with the service requirements of state law.A municipal administrative hearing officer found a property owner in violation of various building code provisions and assessed a fine of $64,000. The property owner filed an appeal with the circuit court within the statutory 35 day period but failed to properly serve the City and other defendants as required by section 3-103 of the Administrative Review Law.
Continue Reading Case Was Properly Dismissed Where Appeal Not Served on City
Ancel Glink Diamond Bush DiCianni & Krafthefer, P.C. Blogs
Latest from Ancel Glink Diamond Bush DiCianni & Krafthefer, P.C.
Quorum Forum Podcast Ep. 106: Legislative Update
Ancel Glink has released Quorum Forum Podcast Episode 106: Legislative Update. The Illinois General Assembly
recently concluded its spring legislative session and Ancel Glink’s Greg Jones and Tyler Smith join
us to talk about recent legislation local governments should know, including
updates on housing grants, e-bike and e-scooter regulations, hemp regulations,
and more!
In This Episode:
- [00:00]
Baseball Fever: Greg and Tyler discuss their favorite all-time
and underrated players, including Lou Whitaker, Barry Bonds, and Anthony
Rizzo. - [03:45]
The “Build Plan” vs. The “REAL Act”: We
review Governor Pritzker’s Build Plan omnibus package, which sought to
preempt local zoning for
Continue Reading Quorum Forum Podcast Ep. 106: Legislative Update
Seventh Circuit Upholds Removal of Public Employee for Social Media Posts
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the removal of a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary after he refused to stop posting himself in uniform and making derogatory statements on social media in Wenzler v. United States Coast Guard, et al.Wenzler had been a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary for about 15 years when a member of the public complained about his LinkedIn posts. One of the posts accused certain Supreme Court Justices of being racist, and another made a crude remark about the Girl Scouts. The Auxiliary conducted an investigation, and a supervisor directed him to
Continue Reading Seventh Circuit Upholds Removal of Public Employee for Social Media Posts
106: Legislative Update
The Illinois General Assembly recently concluded its spring
legislative session and Ancel Glink’s Greg Jones and
Tyler Smith join
us to talk about recent legislation local governments should know, including
updates on housing grants, e-bike and e-scooter regulations, hemp regulations,
and more! What new laws are your following? Email us at podcast@ancelglink.com!
——————————————————————————–
In This Episode
- [00:00] Baseball Fever: Greg and Tyler
discuss their favorite all-time and underrated players, including Lou
Whitaker, Barry Bonds, and Anthony Rizzo. - [03:45] The “Build
Plan” vs. The “REAL Act”: We review Governor Pritzker’s Build
Plan omnibus package, which sought to preempt local zoning
Illinois General Assembly Passes Illinois Hemp Act
On the final day of its 2026 spring legislative session, the
Illinois General Assembly passed Senate
Bill 3222, creating the Illinois Hemp Act governing hemp-derived products
in Illinois. If signed by the Governor, the Act would repeal the existing Industrial
Hemp Act, effective November 12, 2026.
The federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill)
created an exception to the federal definition of “marijuana” for products
meeting the legal definition of “hemp.” This created a loophole under which hemp
was no longer a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act, allowing
for the proliferation of synthetic cannabis products,
Continue Reading Illinois General Assembly Passes Illinois Hemp Act
Seventh Circuit Sanctions Attorney for Filing Brief with AI Hallucinations
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals sanctioned a lawyer for AI-generated hallucinations and other inaccuracies and errors in a brief filed with the Court in an immigration appeal. Perez-Castillo v. Todd Blanche.
An attorney filed an opening appellate brief with the Seventh Circuit on behalf of his client, who was appealing an immigration removal order. The Court denied the appeal on its merits in the opinion, and also addressed certain problems and irregularities the Court discovered in the appellate brief. The Court noted that about half of the cases cited in the court filing either did not exist or were
Continue Reading Seventh Circuit Sanctions Attorney for Filing Brief with AI Hallucinations
School District Administrator Had Qualified Immunity in First Amendment Challenge
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals determined that a school district chief talent officer had qualified immunity in a First Amendment case brought by a school district employee who had been terminated for her social media posts in Hayes v. Board of Education.A college administrator responsible for staffing student teachers in a school district was terminated by the school district for making disparaging comments on social media about the district. The comments included criticisms of the school district and its CEO, including circulating a petition calling for the district to investigate and report on racial inequities in the district.
Continue Reading School District Administrator Had Qualified Immunity in First Amendment Challenge
Illinois General Assembly Spring 2026 End of Session Tracking
As the Illinois General Assembly
draws closer to concluding its 2026 spring legislative session, there are a
number of outstanding bills likely to be considered that would have a
significant impact on local governments throughout Illinois. The General
Assembly has been busy so far in the 2026 spring session passing a number of
bills that will affect local government operations as well as a bill on
regulating electric mobility devices. With three days left until the General
Assembly recesses on May 31st, the Governor’s BUILD Plan
legislation, and other bills impacting local governments, may still be considered.
Below is a
Continue Reading Illinois General Assembly Spring 2026 End of Session Tracking
Police Search of Backpack During Arrest Was Lawful
Federal appeals court rules against arrestee in challenge to police officer’s seizure of backpack during arrest in U.S. v. Fillyaw.
Local police officers executed a search warrant and arrested an individual in connection with an arson investigation. During the arrest (which took place in an apartment parking lot), police seized the arrestee’s backpack and searched the contents, finding a loaded handgun and drugs. The arrestee filed a motion to suppress the evidence found in the backpack, arguing that the search violated his Fourth Amendment rights. The district court and Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the
Continue Reading Police Search of Backpack During Arrest Was Lawful
Seventh Circuit Rejects Discrimination Claim by Candidate for Deputy Sheriff Position
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a county sheriff office’s decision not to hire a candidate for a deputy sheriff position, rejecting the candidate’s racial discrimination claim in Burton v. Will County Sheriff’s Merit Commission.A candidate applied for a deputy sheriff position with a county sheriff’s department. As part of the background check process, the county contacted the candidate’s current employer, who stated that he was not a dependable employee, did not work well with others, and that the employer would not rehire him. Based on that information, the county sheriff’s commission removed the candidate from the hiring
Continue Reading Seventh Circuit Rejects Discrimination Claim by Candidate for Deputy Sheriff Position
Court Upholds Pension Board Decision to Award Non-Duty Disability Pension
An Illinois Appellate Court upheld a pension board’s award of a non-duty disability rather than a line-of-duty disability in Hull v. Village of Wheeling Police Pension Fund.
A probationary police officer applied for a line-of-duty disability, claiming that a motor vehicle accident while on duty caused disabilities preventing him from returning to work. The pension board conducted a hearing, at which the officer presented evidence in favor of a line-of-duty pension and the village (as intervenor) presented evidence opposing the application, arguing that he was able to work and had, in fact, been employed in various jobs since the
Continue Reading Court Upholds Pension Board Decision to Award Non-Duty Disability Pension
Updates on Senate Bill 3336 (E-Bikes, etc)
We
previously reported about Illinois Senate Bill 3336, which if passed by both houses of the Illinois General Assembly and
signed by the Governor, would make comprehensive changes to the authority of
local governments to regulate several devices and vehicles, including electric
mobility devices (EMDs), motor driven cycles, low-speed electric bicycles, and
low-speed gas bicycles. We wanted to share a couple of updates to the bill, including House Floor Amendments No. 2 and No. 3.
House Floor Amendment No. 2 was
introduced on May 11, 2026, and subsequently recommended for adoption by the
House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee.
Continue Reading Updates on Senate Bill 3336 (E-Bikes, etc)
Village Board Violated OMA by Not Including "General Subject Matter" of Action Item on Agenda
The Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) found a public body in violation of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) in its fifth binding opinion of 2026 for an inadequate agenda. PAC Op. 26-005.A citizen filed a request for review with the PAC office claiming that a village board violated the OMA at a meeting where it voted on the termination of a village employee. Specifically, the citizen claimed that the agenda only listed “Personnel issues” under a “POLICE & LIQUOR” heading on the agenda, which he claimed was not sufficient to inform the public of the matter on
Continue Reading Village Board Violated OMA by Not Including "General Subject Matter" of Action Item on Agenda
PAC Finds City Council in Violation of OMA for Closed Session Discussions
The Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) issued its 4th binding opinion of 2026 finding a public body in violation of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) by discussing matters in closed session that were not outside the scope of a closed session exemption. PAC Op. 26-004.
A citizen filed an OMA complaint with the PAC claiming that a city council improperly held closed sessions to discuss the potential renovation of city hall and plans for a new city hall. In response to the complaint, the city argued that the city council discussed whether or not the city needed
Continue Reading PAC Finds City Council in Violation of OMA for Closed Session Discussions
Prosser Rule Applied to City Council’s Appointment of Clerk
It isn’t often that the Illinois courts apply the “Prosser Rule” to the vote of a city council, but an Illinois Appellate Court did just that recently in Christian v. Buscher. In 2025, a city council held a special meeting to vote on the appointment of a person to fill a vacant city clerk position. The city council (made up of 10 elected aldermen and the mayor) voted five “yea,” three “nay,” and two “present” on the motion to approve an ordinance to appoint a sitting alderman to fill the clerk position. The mayor (who did not vote) announced
Continue Reading Prosser Rule Applied to City Council’s Appointment of Clerk
Removal of Tow Company from County Tow List Not a Due Process Violation
In Tire Town Auto, LLC v. Wood County, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals found no due process violation when a county removed a tow company from the county’s tow list. A Wisconsin county maintained a list of towing businesses that were available on a rotating basis to recover vehicles on public roads. After receiving complaints about one of the tow companies, the county removed it from the list and the company sued, claiming the county violated its procedural due process rights in removing it from from the tow list. The county asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing
Continue Reading Removal of Tow Company from County Tow List Not a Due Process Violation