August 08, 2006

Class action lawyers have had a rough summer in Southern Illinois' Fifth District Appellate Court, which is the court that handles appeals arising out of Madison and St. Clair counties. The makeup and attitude of the court has changed considerably since the election of Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier in 2004.

On July 25, the court handed down two rulings in favor of Airborne Express (now DHL) and Intel. The Mt. Vernon Register-News reports the case against Intel will be moved to California court and the Madison County Record reports the court affirmed summary judgment in favor of Airborne Express.

Earlier in the summer, the same court moved a St. Clair County Vioxx class action to Cook County, citing improper venue. See this previous post about Vioxx lawsuits in St. Clair County (IL).

(Cross-posted at ICJL Blog.)