On October the federal court overseeing the Shakman Decree regulating government hiring granted a motion filed by Michael Shakman seeking the appointment of a special master to investigate and remedy illegal employment practices at the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Chicago Sun-Times, October 22, 2014: “Federal monitor to be appointed to oversee hiring at IDOT”
Miller Shakman attorney and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weisman was interviewed by NBC 5’s Carol Marin in connection with the release from prison of former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Weisman was the lead prosecutor in the Burge perjury case.
United States Senators Richard Durbin and Mark Kirk have appointed David Weisman to a five-member bipartisan committee to help select the next U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. Weisman, who is the only practicing attorney on the committee, joins two former federal judges and two law enforcement officials.
ABC7 Eyewitness News, Chicago, September 23, 2014: “Next U.S. Marshal in Chicago Search Begins”
Mike Shakman and Edward Feldman filed a lawsuit on behalf of the taxi industry against the City of Chicago for its failure to regulate ride-sharing services such as Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar. The suit is the first in the nation challenging a municipality for its unequal regulation of taxis and ride-sharing services.
Washington Post, June 20, 2014: “Taxi medallions have been the best investment in America for years. Now Uber may be changing that.”
On June 16, 2014 federal Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier granted Michael Shakman’s motion to lift the federal oversight of Chicago’s hiring practices. The motion states that the City was in “substantial compliance” and outside supervision was no longer needed, thus ending the long-standing Shakman Decrees as to the city of Chicago, but continuing the decrees with respect to other governmental bodies that had not reached substantial compliance.
New York Times, June 16, 2014: “Chicago Is Freed From Oversight On Graft”
Attorneys from the ACLU and Miller Shakman have filed suit against the City of Peoria, its Mayor, and other city officials on behalf of Jon Daniel, the author of a parody Twitter account that poked fun at the Mayor. in response to that account, Peoria officials raided Mr. Daniel’s home, seized his computer and other property, and arrested him.
ACLU, June 12, 2014: “Man Sues City After Being Arrested for Twitter Account Parodying Mayor”
Dan Feeney, Gabe Plotkin and Alexandra Block represented Annabel Melongo in a landmark case before the Illinois Supreme Court, People v. Melongo, in which the Court held that the Illinois Eavesdropping Statute is unconstitutional.