In Shehadeh v. Downey, 2020 IL App (3d) 170158-U, a requester filed several FOIA requests with the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), seeking a variety of records relating to the requester’s imprisonment at the Jerome Combs Detention Center (JCDC). He requested his inmate file, emails and text messages from both personal and work phones of KCSO employees, video footage of the correctional facility, and the internet search engine queries performed by KCSO staff. He…

Two binding PAC opinions in the span of one week! Last week we reported on PAC 20-001 that found a public body in violation of the OMA for failing to timely approve meeting minutes. Today, we report on PAC 20-002 in which the PAC found a public body in violation of FOIA for failing to respond to a FOIA request and to the PAC’s request for review. Nothing groundbreaking or new here – public bodies…

You may have read about this story in the news recently. Last week, a number of news agencies reported that the Burlington, Vermont Police Chief was forced to resign from her position for creating and using fake Facebook accounts. What is interesting about this story is that the Chief’s predecessor had also resigned from office last December after admitting he had created a fake Twitter account that appeared to focus on a blogger who was…

Recorded live at the Chicago Children’s Museum, Ancel Glink attorneys join the Quorum Forum podcast to cover highlights from the IAPD/IPRA Soaring to New Heights Conference! Podcasting from the top of a fire truck, Adam Simon covers park district finance, and regulating cannabis use and other controversial activities in parks. Then, Matt DiCianni discusses what cannabis means for parks employees, while Ashton Tunk talks about recent changes to the Freedom of Information Act.  Download the Cannabis Response Checklist for Parks Register for the Feb. 26 APA-CMS…

The Illinois Public Access Counselor (PAC) just issued its first binding opinion of 2020. In PAC 20-001, the PAC found a public body in violation of the Open Meetings Act for failing to approve its meeting minutes in the time limits required by that statute. The public body had scheduled approval of its meeting minutes from 3 meetings in September at its November 12, 2019 meeting.  A request for review was filed with the…

Last Wednesday, an Illinois House committee voted unanimously to advance a bill that bans the use of red-light cameras in municipalities in the Chicago and St. Louis area. A similar bill was also introduced in the Illinois Senate that would include home rule municipalities in the ban. HB0322, if passed, would prohibit non-home rule units of government in the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair, and Will from enacting or…

As our readers know, the Illinois General Assembly previously enacted legislation to provide certain protections for small cell wireless providers to install their facilities. Those protections included restrictions on municipal control over the installation of these facilities. Most Illinois municipalities subsequently enacted ordinances to implement the statutory limitations and procedures on the approval process and standards for small cell wireless facilities.  Recently, a bill was introduced in the Illinois House that would allow property owners…