Pension Law - In Fedorski v. Board of Trustees of the Aurora Police Pension Fund, the Appellate Court ruled that the Board of Trustees of a Police Pension Board did not commit error when it denied a line of duty disability pension to a police officer, serving as an evidence technician, who was riding in the back of a police car when it was hit from behind by another motorist.  The Court determined that traveling in a vehicle to return a camera after photographing a line-up was not an Aact of duty@ within the definition of the Pension Code.

Real Estate Law - In Smart Growth Sugar Grove, LLC v. Village of Sugar Grove, it was determined by the Appellate Court that the trial court correctly held that one-year limitation period under the Municipal Code barred counts of the plaintiff=s complaint challenging the zoning of property, including because zoning was a result of an ordinance approving an pre-annexation agreement that was entered into between the village and the prior owner of the property.

Municipal Law - In Galena Gazette Publications v. County of Jo Daviess, the Appellate Court held that the trial court erred when it granted summary judgment in favor of the Plaintiffs, including finding that the defendants city, planning committee and county board, violated the Open Meetings Act when they went into executive session to discuss racking of promotional materials by prospective subtenant of an old train station owned by the city.

Real Estate Law - The Appellate Court, in the case of In Re Estate of Lambrecht, held that the trial court=s finding accepting an appraisal obtained by an independent administration of an estate of real estate, which was owned partially by the decedent=s trust over an appraisal by a 5-year-long acquaintance of the objector was not against the manifest weight of the evidence.  The Appellate Court indicated that the trial court had wide discretion in valuation of real estate, and that the appraiser whose testimony it accepted considered the value of the land and did not improperly consider the effective long-term leases on the value.