Illinois Justice Awarded 7 Million in libel suit against small paper

[Wetzelbill]

Ill. High Court justice awarded $7 million in libel suit

November 14, 2006
BY DAN ROZEK Staff Reporter
After about eight hours of deliberations, the jury ruled the 14,000-circulation Kane County Chronicle libeled Justice Bob Thomas when Page wrote columns in 2003 that said Thomas played politics with a big case.

Thomas — a former placekicker for the Chicago Bears — sued over columns that criticized his actions in a case involving former Kane County State’s Attorney Meg Gorecki.

Gorecki was disciplined by the Supreme Court for leaving messages on a telephone answering machine that suggested she would help obtain a county job for a friend in return for a political contribution. In 2003, the court, including Thomas, suspended Gorecki’s law license for four months for unethical behavior.


http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/135698,thomas111406a.article