Bailey vs Pritzker Case Moved Out of Clay County

The Illinois Supreme Court has allowed a stay in the Clay County case involving Governor J.B. Pritzker and State Representative Darren Bailey. The ruling was announced Tuesday morning. On Tuesday afternoon, the Illinois Supreme Court moved the Clay County case of Darren Bailey vs. Governor Jay Robert Pritzker to the Circuit Court of Sangamon County. The Court also consolidated the Bailey vs. Pritzker case with a case already on file in Sangamon County similar to the Clay County case. The Clay County case joins cases moved from Edgar County, Bond County, Clinton County and Richland County to Sangamon County last week. All of those cases are being handled by Greenville attorney Thomas DeVore, who is Bailey's attorney in the Clay County case that has now been moved to Springfield.

The stay was allowed in the citation for contempt to be considered against the governor for issuing emergency orders after a July 2 ruling in Clay County court that earlier orders by the governor were improper. Judge Michael McHaney had ordered Pritzker to be in court in Louisville this Friday to address the matter. He was also ordered by McHaney to rescind the orders issued since the judge's decision or be held in Clay County Jail until he did so.

The state supreme court received a filing Monday from the Illinois Attorney General's office asking for a decision by the high court as to whether the governor is within his authority to issue emergency orders. On Tuesday, the high court denied an emergency motion for supervisory order, then moved the Clay County case to Sangamon County.