Judge May Dismiss One Of Three Counts

We're still awaiting an outcome after a Cook County (IL) judge Friday heard arguments from lawyers for the city of Chicago who demand a lawsuit over the destruction of Meigs Field be thrown out of court. The city's lawyers say the suit, filed April 4th, by the Illinois Association of Air and Critical Care Transport, The Meigs Coalition, Friends of Meigs Field and citizens Steven Whitney and Rachel Goodstein should be quashed.

Meigs backers would most certainly disagree. They sued after Mayor Richard Daley ordered the airport bulldozed in the dark of night March 30th. They say Daley violated the state's open meetings law and the public trust doctrine and have endangered the public by destroying the only runway at Meigs.

Judge William Maki had earlier indicated he would probably throw out of court one count that said the plaintiff's had the right to sue Chicago because the state attorney had failed to prosecute Daley for the midnight runway destruction.

TRO

Judge Maki did order a temporary restraining order against further destruction of Meigs on the day the suit was filed. The terminal is still standing, as are the hangars and the control tower (although it's no longer manned by FAA controllers). That order is still in effect.

The next step? If Judge Maki allows the lawsuit to continue, lawyers for the backers of Meigs Field say they'll want to depose Mayor Daley, as well as the Police Chief and the Fire Commissioner. "We're outside the loop on what exactly happened here," said Steven Novack, attorney for the plaintiffs, in an interview for www.chicagobusiness.com.

FMI: www.friendsofmeigs.org