Prairie State Wire

Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride's committee for re-election has received millions of dollars from law firms that have tried cases in front of him, according to Reform for Illinois reports.

The reports show Kilbride has also taken large contributions from labor unions, even after he consistently ruled against pension reform.

He's also often sided with the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) in cases. Reform for Illinois reports that as of Oct. 13, the ITLA PAC has donated $100,000 to his campaign.

Previously, Kilbride was the only justice to argue that a Mississippi man injured in that state and had not once worked in Illinois could sue in Illinois. The rest of the court disagreed, ruling that the court in St. Clair County was an inappropriate venue for the asbestos exposure injury. Kilbride agreed with ITLA.

Kilbride was also the only justice who supported giving a man workers' compensation benefits when he was injured while driving to work on his own time. The majority disagreed. Kilbride again sided with the ITLA.

In that case, the six-justice majority found that the plumber, who had taken a job 200 miles from his permanent residence, was not entitled to workers' compensation benefits when injured on his way to work. Kilbride, however, agreed with the ITLA that the plumber should be considered a "traveling employee."

Additionally, Kilbride was the only justice to support allowing a personal injury lawsuit to continue against a dead man, despite the plaintiff failing to inform the decedent’s estate of her lawsuit, according to court documents. The majority ruled the lawsuit as time-barred since it was filed well after the statute of limitations expired.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce opposes Kilbride, saying he has continually sided against pension reform, which would benefit the unions that back his campaigns.

“Illinois has a terrible national reputation for fairness in our courts, and unfortunately Justice Kilbride is part of that reputation,” Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch said, the Center Square reported.