Tue Jul 1, 2025 ‐ Municipal Law News
In Petersen v. Pedersen, the Seventh Circuit Gives Police Departments Guidance on Effectively Building Probable Cause and Seeking Judicial Warrants
Background and Procedural History Mark Petersen (“Petersen”) brought a 42 U.S.C. §1983 (“§ 1983”) lawsuit against Deputy Stefanie Pedersen (“Deputy Pedersen”) alleging false arrest and an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment. Petersen v. Pedersen, 2025 WL 1637317 (7th Cir.). […]Tue Jun 24, 2025 ‐ Municipal Law News
In Barnes v. Felix, 145 S. Ct. 1353 (2025), the United States Supreme Court Holds that the “Moment-of-threat” Rule is Unconstitutional in Evaluating Excessive Force Claims
In a 9-0 opinion, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the “totality of the circumstances” test employed to analyze excessive force claims under the Fourth Amendment cannot be limited in time to only the “moment of the threat.” Instead, […]Wed Jun 11, 2025 ‐ Education Law News
Illinois General Assembly Clarifies Prohibition on Fines to Punish School Discipline Violations, Including Citations for Local Ordinance Violations
The Illinois General Assembly has approved a measure that clarifies the current prohibition on schools fining students as punishment for violations of school discipline codes or rules. The law will further expressly extend to police to prohibit the issuance of […]Thu May 22, 2025 ‐ Library Law News
New Legislation Allows Libraries to Offer Quarterly or Biannual Payment Options for Non-Resident Fees
On May 21, 2025, the Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 42 (HB42), a legislative amendment affecting both the Illinois Local Library Act and the Public Library District Act of 1991. This bill introduces an important change for public libraries […]