Yesterday, we began reviewing the trial courts which have produced the Court’s civil docket, beginning with the years 1990 through 1994.  Today, we review the Court’s criminal docket for the same years.

In 1990, the Court decided twenty-six criminal, quasi-criminal, juvenile and disciplinary cases from Cook County.  The Court decided eight disciplinary and licensing cases from the ARDC, five cases from Will County, four each from Lake, Du Page and St. Clair counties, three cases from McLean County, two from Jackson, Madison and Rock Island counties, and one case each from Wabash, Winnebago, Pope, Vermilion, Union, Whiteside, La Salle, Knox and Macon counties.

In 1991, the Court decided twenty-three criminal cases from Cook County.  It decided five ARDC cases, four from Du Page and Peoria counties and three cases from Will County.  The Court decided two cases from Winnebago, Kankakee and Champaign counties.  Finally, the court decided one case each from Lake, Madison, Rock Island, St. Clair, Jefferson, Stephenson, Jasper, Williamson, Montgomery, Marion, Edgar and Kane counties, and one case for which we were unable to identify the originating county.

In 1992, the Court decided forty criminal cases from Cook County.  The Court decided five cases from Kane County, four each from Lake, Du Page and Will counties and three which originated at the ARDC.  The court decided two cases from Winnebago, Madison, St. Clair, Jefferson, Randolph, Bureau and Livingston counties.  The court decided one case apiece from Vermilion, Union, Whiteside, Jackson, McLean, Knox, Montgomery, Clinton, McHenry, Sangamon, Grundy, Saline, Schuyler, Coles, Tazewell, McDonough, Iroquois and Effingham counties.

In 1993, the Court decided twenty criminal cases from Cook County.  The Court decided three cases from McLean County and two cases from the ARDC and Will and Lake counties.  The Court decided one case each from Winnebago, Madison, Rock Island, St. Clair, Jefferson, Montgomery, Kane, McHenry, Livingston, Effingham, Hancock, Boone, Fayette and Macoupin counties.

In 1994, the Court decided twenty-nine criminal cases from Cook County.  It decided five cases from Du Page County, four from McLean County, and three from Kane County.  The Court decided two cases each from Lake and Jo Daviess counties, and from the ARDC.  The Court decided one case apiece from Winnebago, Will, Whiteside, St. Clair, Champaign, Williamson, Clinton, Randolph, Coles, Livingston, Effingham, Adams, Mercer, Mason, El Paso, Ogle, Shelby and Cumberland counties.

Join us back here next week as we review the data from the civil and criminal dockets for the years 1995-1999.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Sebastien Launay (no changes).

Last week, we concluded our analysis of the government’s winning percentage, year by year and one area of law at a time, in civil cases at the Court.  This week, we begin reviewing the trial courts from which the Court’s civil and criminal dockets are drawn.

In Table 606, we report the data for civil cases in 1990.  Thirty-seven civil cases originated in Cook County.  Eight were direct appeals from various administrative boards.  Seven came from St. Clair County, six from Sangamon County, four from Du Page County, three each under the Court’s original jurisdiction and from Lake County, two cases from Madison County, and one case apiece from Will, Warren, Douglas, Bureau, McHenry, LaSalle, Johnson, Jackson, Kankakee, Wabash, Winnebago, Champaign, Marshall, Iroquois, De Kalb and Ogle counties.

We report the data for civil cases in 1991 in Table 607.  The Court decided twenty-two cases from Cook County, five which were direct appeals from administrative boards, three from La Salle and Kane counties, two each from St. Clair, Madison and Peoria counties, and one case each from Will, Sangamon, Lake, Du Page, McHenry, Winnebago, Jefferson, Greene, Franklin, Alexander, Christian, Rock Island, Marion and Putnam counties.

In 1992, the Court decided 36 civil cases from Cook County, seven cases from Du Page County, six direct appeals from administrative boards, five cases from Champaign County, three each from Lake and Madison counties, two from St. Clair, La Salle, Kane, Boone, Williamson, McLean, Vermilion and Ford counties and from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and one case apiece from the Court’s original jurisdiction and from Will, Sangamon, McHenry, Jackson, Winnebago, Rock Island, Macon, Wayne, Menard, Bond, Lawrence and Tazewell counties.

We report the data for 1993 in Table 609.  That year, the Court decided twenty cases which originated in Cook County, three each from Sangamon and Madison counties, two from St. Clair, Peoria and Champaign counties, and one case apiece from Du Page, McHenry, DeKalb, Williamson and Randolph counties, and one direct appeal from an administrative board.

Finally, we review the data from 1994 in Table 610.  That year, the Court decided thirty-three civil cases from Cook County, six from Du Page County, four from McLean County, three from Madison and Jackson counties, two each from St. Clair, Will, Sangamon, Peoria, Champaign and Kane counties, and two direct appeals from administrative boards.  Finally, the Court heard one case each from the Court’s original jurisdiction and from Lake, McHenry, Johnson, Williamson, Macon, Tazewell, Randolph, Henry, Hamilton, Grundy and Morgan counties.

Join us back here tomorrow as we review the Court’s criminal docket for the years 1990-1994.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Adam Moss (no changes).

For the past two weeks, we’ve been reviewing the government’s winning percentage as the appellant in civil cases at the Illinois Supreme Court.  Today, we finish our review with the years 2011 through 2016.

In 2011, the government won its only domestic relations case as an appellant.  Governmental entities won two of three cases in government and administrative law, and one of two cases in tax and constitutional law.  The government lost its one case in employment law.  In 2012, the government won three of three cases in government and administrative law, plus its only cases in environmental law and wills and estates law.  The government won two of three cases in tort law, but lost its one civil procedure case.

In 2013, governmental entities won both their tax law cases and both their employment law cases.  They won three of five cases in government and administrative law, for a winning percentage of 60%.  They hit .500 in constitutional law cases, winning one of two, but lost single cases in civil procedure and workers compensation.  The court didn’t hear many cases initiated by governmental entities in 2014.  The government won single cases in government and administrative law, tort law and constitutional law, while splitting their two cases involving civil procedure.

For most of our study period, the court has tended to be fairly receptive to government appeals in government and administrative law.  The principal outlier to that trend was 2015, when the government brought four government and administrative law appeals to the court and lost all four.  The government won two of three constitutional law cases that year, won single cases in tort law and civil procedure, won a lone case in insurance law and lost a workers compensation case.  In 2016, the government’s luck turned in government and administrative law cases, as it won three of four.  The only other cases that year with government appellants were in constitutional law, where the government won one of two.

Join us back here next Tuesday as we turn our attention to a new question.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Brad Tutterow (no changes).

Last week, we began reviewing the government’s winning percentage in civil appeals.  We began by reviewing the data for the years 1990-2003.  This week, we address the more recent years, beginning with the period 2004-2010.

For the beginning of this period, the government fared somewhat worse in both constitutional law and government and administrative law cases before the Court than in previous years.  In 2004, governmental entities won both of their domestic relations cases and both of their tort cases.  They won three of five tort cases, one of two tax cases and three of six government and administrative law cases.  In 2005, governmental entities won both their employment law cases, plus their lone workers compensation case.  They won one of two cases in constitutional law, but only one of four cases in government and administrative law, and lost their one case each in environmental law and domestic relations.

In 2006, the government won one case each in civil procedure and tax law.  They won one of two cases in constitutional law and wills and estates and one of three cases in government and administrative law.  The government lost its one tort appeal.  The following year, governmental entities won their only cases in employment, constitutional law, environmental law, domestic relations and election law.  They lost their single cases in government and administrative law and tax law.  In 2008, governmental entities won single cases in civil procedure and domestic relations, and two of three constitutional law appeals.  They lost an appeal in tax law.

In 2009, governmental entities had a very good year at the Court, winning both of their government and administrative law cases and both constitutional law cases, as well as their single cases in tort, civil procedure and employment law.  The only case a governmental entity appealed and lost was in property law.  In 2010, governmental entities won single cases in government and administrative law and tort law, but lost one case each in tax law and employment law.

Join us back here tomorrow as we turn our attention to the years 2011 through the present.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Brokinhrt2 (no changes).

Yesterday, we began looking at governmental entities’ won-loss record in civil cases by area of law. Interestingly, governmental entities had significantly more trouble in government and administrative law cases than they did in the previous seven years. In 1997, governmental entities win two thirds of their tort cases and two thirds of their constitutional law cases. Governmental entities won one of their two cases in government and administrative law. Governmental entities lost their single cases in civil procedure, employment and insurance. In 1998, governmental entities won all six of their cases in constitutional law, all five of their government and administrative law cases, and their only tort case. Governmental entities won two of three civil procedure cases, but got shut out in tax and employment law. In 1999, the government won its only case in civil procedure, both its constitutional law cases and its one case in property law. The government won two of its three cases in government and administrative law and lost its only tort case. In 2000, the government won both its workers compensation cases and its only constitutional law case, but lost single cases in government and administrative law, tax and employment law.

In 2001, the government won its only tort case, eighty percent of its government and administrative law cases, two thirds of its constitutional law cases, and one of its two civil procedure cases – the first year (and only second overall) that the government avoided getting zeroed out in any area of law.

In 2002, governmental entities won two constitutional law cases, and their sole cases in tort law, employment law and property law. The government won only one of five cases arising in government and administrative law. The court lost its only civil procedure case. In 2003, the government won its one case in civil procedure and one case in tax law. The government won one of its two cases in constitutional law and one of its three cases in government and administrative law.

Join us back here next Tuesday as we continue to look at the government’s won-loss record in civil cases at the Illinois Supreme Court.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Dan Perry (no changes).

For the past few weeks, we’ve been studying appeals brought to the Illinois Supreme Court by governmental entities – specifically, which areas do governmental entities tend to most often appeal in civil cases? This week, we begin our look at the natural follow-up question: how often do governmental entities win those appeals?

We begin with the years 1990 through 1996. During this period, the question of just how well governmental entities fared before the Court depended considerably on what area of law the case dealt with. Governmental entities tended to do very well, year by year, in government and administrative law cases. The government’s record in constitutional law cases was more variable, and in tort law and civil procedure cases, governmental entities didn’t do too well at all.

In 1990, governmental entities won their only constitutional law case. The government won 83.33% of their government and administrative law cases, one of their two tort cases and only a third of their civil procedure cases. Governmental entities lost their single cases in tax law and employment law.

In 1991, governmental entities won their single case involving government and administrative law and their one constitutional law case. The government won one of its two tort law cases, but lost its single cases in commercial and environmental law. The next year, governmental entities won both their constitutional law cases and their single domestic relations case. The government won 85.71% of its cases in government and administrative law, one of two civil procedure cases, and 40% of its tort cases. However, governmental entities got shut out in their two employment law cases and their single workers compensation case. In 1993, governmental entities won their single workers compensation case, and went 3-1 on government and administrative law cases. However, governmental entities lost their single cases in tort law, constitutional law and domestic relations. In 1994, governmental entities won all three of their cases in government and administrative law, and two cases in environmental law. The government won three quarters of their civil procedure cases and half their constitutional law cases, but lost single cases in tort law and insurance. In 1995, governmental entities won both of their two cases in government and administrative law, and their single case in environmental law. The government won three quarters of its cases in tort law and half its constitutional law cases, but lost single cases in civil procedure and arbitration.

Government entities had a very good year at the court in 1996 – not only did they win all their cases in four different areas, for the first time in these years, they weren’t shut out anywhere. Governmental entities were the appellants that year in seven cases all told involving government and administrative law, tort, civil procedure and tax law, and won them all. Governmental entities had seven cases that year in constitutional law, and won five – a winning percentage of 71.43%.

Join us back here tomorrow as we look at governmental entities’ winning percentage in the Court’s civil docket for another seven years – 1997-2003.

Image courtesy of Flickr by LHoon (no changes).

Earlier today, I had the pleasure of joining the Appellate Lawyers’ Association lunchtime meeting to talk about Litigation Analytics and Appellate Law: What the Numbers Tell Us About the Illinois and California Supreme Courts.  Attached here is a copy of the Powerpoint for the Presentation: Data Analytics 11 15 2017, and here’s a recommended reading list (in Word) of the academic literature applying statistical concepts to the study of appellate decision making.  Data Analytics Panel Recommended Reading.

Yesterday, we continued tracking the areas of law, year by year, in which governmental entities appealed in civil cases. Today, we’re completing our review with the years 2011 through 2016.

Once again, the leading areas for governmental entities appeals were government and administrative law with 21 and constitutional law with 10. The court decided five tort cases from governmental entities and five civil procedure cases, four tax cases and three employment cases.

The court decided three government and administrative law cases in 2011, three in 2012, five in 2013, one in 2014, four in 2015 and five in 2016. The court decided three tort law cases in 2012 and one each in 2014 and 2015. The court decided one civil procedure case in 2012 and 2013, two in 2014 and one in 2015. The court decided two tax cases in 2011 and two in 2013. The court decided one employment law case in 2011 and two in 2013. The court decided two constitutional law cases in 2011, two in 2013, one in 2014, three in 2015 and two in 2016. The court decided one environmental law case in 2012. The court decided one workers compensation case in 2013 and one in 2015. The court decided one domestic relations case in 2011 and one insurance law case in 2015. Finally, the court decided one wills and estates case in 2012.

Join us back here next Tuesday as we turn to another issue in our analysis of the court’s decision making.

Image courtesy of Pixabay by CaptainDan (no changes).

Last week, we began reviewing the subject matter areas in which governmental entities appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court between 1990 and 2003.  This week, we’ll turn our attention to the years 2004 through 2016.

For the years 2004 through 2010, governmental and administrative law was the most common source of appeals by government entities at 18.  There were 15 constitutional law appeals and five appeals each in tort law, tax, employment and domestic relations.  The court decided three governmental entity appeals in civil procedure and three in environmental law.

Turning to the year-by-year data, the court decided six government and administrative law cases in 2004, four in 2005, three in 2006, one in 2007, two in 2009 and two in 2010.  The court decided two cases in 2004 and one each in 2006, 2009 and 2010.  The court decided one case per year in civil procedure in 2006, 2008 and 2009.  The court decided two tax law cases in 2004 and one per year in 2006, 2007 and 2008.  The court decided two cases in employment law in 2005 and one per year in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  The court decided five cases in constitutional law in 2004, two per year in 2005 and 2006, one in 2007, three in 2008 and two in 2009.  The court decided one case per year in environmental law in 2004, 2005 and 2007.  The court decided one case in workers compensation in 2005.  The court decided two cases in domestic relations in 2004 and one in 2005, 2007 and 2008.  The court decided one property law case in 2009.  The court decided two property law cases in 2006.  Finally, the court decided one election law case in 2007.

Join us back here tomorrow as we continue our trip through the court’s governmental entity appeals.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Daniel X. O’Neil (no changes).

Yesterday, we began looking at a new question in our ongoing studies – what areas of law does the State most often appeal in civil cases?  We began in our last post with the years 1990 through 1996.  Today, we turn to the years 1997 through 2003.

For the first part of our study period, the State most frequently appealed constitutional law cases.  For our second seven-year period, government/administrative law and constitutional law cases are in a dead heat – the State appealed 23 cases arising from government and administrative law issues and twenty-two posing questions of constitutional law.  Civil procedure was next, accounting for nine cases, followed by tort law (seven), tax and employment law (three each).

The Court decided two cases appealed by the State in government and administrative law in 1997, four in 1998, three in 1999, one in 2000, five per year in 2001 and 2002 and three in 2003.  The Court decided six State appeals in constitutional law in 1997, another six in 1998, two in 1999, one in 2000, three in 2001 and two per year in 2002 and 2003.  The Court decided one State appeal relating to civil procedure in 1997, three in 1998, one in 1999, two in 2001 and one per year in 2002 and 2003.  The Court decided three tort cases arising in State appeals in 1997 and one in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002.   The Court decided one State appeal per year in tax law in 1998, 2000 and 2003.  The Court decided one employment law case per year in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

The Court decided two State appeals relating to workers compensation in 2000, and one State appeal raising questions of property law in 1999 and 2002.  The Court decided one State appeal involving insurance law in 1997, and one involving arbitration law in 1998.

Join us back here next Tuesday as we continue our examination of the State’s civil appeals.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Nathan Guy (no changes).