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

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.

Page’s columns contended that Thomas, after originally backing a harsher penalty for Gorecki, ultimately agreed to the four-month suspension because he hoped Gorecki’s supporters would then back a candidate he favored for a Kane County judgeship.

Thomas’ attorney, Joe Power, argued the allegations demeaned Thomas’ integrity and placed his career — and future earnings — at risk. Thomas asked the jury to award him between $8.5 million and $16 million for the emotional damage and loss of reputation.

Page’s attorney, Stephen Rosenfeld, had said Page wasn’t worried about his information because it came from long-trusted sources who were in the position to know. Rosenfeld framed the case as a freedom of speech issue.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether there would be an appeal.

drozek@suntimes.com