* Greg Bishop at the Center Square…
One of the attorneys challenging Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts in court is also challenging the governor’s assertion that business prohibitions work to slow the spread of the virus.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration last week said the relaxation of mitigation efforts Friday in the Metro East St. Louis region was because of “proven and targeted mitigation efforts.”
“We are excited to see that after weeks of mitigation measures and sacrifice, Region 4 has reduced its positivity rate and can return to Phase 4,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “It takes communities working together to reduce the spread of the virus and lower the positivity rate. I want to thank Region 4 for its hard work to decrease the risk for all of Illinois.”
Attorney Thomas DeVore, who’s challenged the governor’s unilateral orders in court, told WMAY that’s not true.
“Down here in Region 4, I promise you, I was here, I go to all these counties, I worked in these counties, the overwhelming majority of the small business owners did not close down,” DeVore said. “The governor doesn’t want you to know that. He won’t tell you that. But that’s the truth because I am here. And I can tell you in Region 1, it’s the same thing.”
Region 1 still has mitigations in place prohibiting indoor service at bars and restaurants.
DeVore expects to be in a Springfield court Wednesday for a hearing about cases he brought challenging whether there are county-level health emergencies. He cautioned people who say a case has been decided when a judge denies a temporary restraining order, as has happened with cases across Illinois. He said a decision one way or another on a TRO isn’t based on the merits of the case.
“So when a court doesn’t grant one, or when a court grants one, lawyers know that at the end of the day that’s not a big deal and it’s not a test of whether that case has any merit or not,” he said.
* Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office…
Tom DeVore has spent a baffling amount of time during this pandemic fighting commonsense solutions backed by science that keep people healthy and safe.
The most absurd part of his charade is that he’s lost every single case outside of Clay County, where the positivity rate is currently 13.4 percent thanks in part to his antics.
While it doesn’t fit the naysayers’ agenda, the positivity rates in regions 4 and 7 went down because of mitigations designed by public health experts, not magic.
Also, obtaining a TRO requires showing that you have a likelihood of success on the merits. So, I’m not sure where he gets that reasoning of his.
- The Dude - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 9:56 am:
The word devore should be put in the dictionary for someone who always fights against logic.
- Roadrager - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 9:57 am:
Go to Wisconsin, Tommy. Stay there.
- Bruce( no not him) - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:00 am:
So if the mitigations aren’t the cause of the rates going down, what is the cause? Thoughts and prayers?
- Jibba - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:04 am:
==the overwhelming majority of the small business owners did not close down==
He says that like it’s a good thing. And even if business owners do ignore proper procedures, we have already seen people voting with their feet. That is who turned the tide.
- former southerner - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:05 am:
=The word devore should be put in the dictionary for someone who always fights against logic.=
It should return something similar to what the Oxford dictionary returns for Trumpery:
“attractive articles of little value or use.” and my personal favorite as an adjective “showy but worthless.”
- Jocko - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:06 am:
==he’s lost every single case outside of Clay County==
Where, thankfully, they still have the constitutional right to fish. /S
- Gravy Bond - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:11 am:
Thank God for people like Mr. DeVore. They stand up for a vast number of voices in Illinois that prefer freedom over heavy handed top down Governance. Illinois arrogance is a special kind. Only a state like Illinois could still strut with confidence while they are wildly out of step with all neighboring states in their approach to COVID-19.
- Lincoln Lad - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:22 am:
I guess some people will do anything to try and raise their profile… whatever the cost.
- Club J - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:23 am:
Seems Mr. DeVore likes to think businesses are following his advice and I’m sure a few are for some strange reason. Since Collinsville is my hometown I’ve watch it pretty close from up here and I can tell you the majority of bars and restaurants were closed to indoor dining. Collinsville closed Main Street for a weekend so the establishments could move all their tables outside and have extra space to do business. It was promoted heavy by the City. If they weren’t following the rules the Mayor wouldn’t have done that.
I’m not sure of DeVore’s motives but he’s gathering a following. He seems to be a regular on WMAY’s morning show and they give him plenty of time to sell his new way of practicing law. Today’s court hearing should be interesting.
- Red Ketcher - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:32 am:
T. Devore’s ” new way ” may be found to be outside the accepable realm of the practice of law
Jumping into The Fishbowl can be treacherous
- We'll See - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:37 am:
==Illinois could still strut with confidence while they are wildly out of step with all neighboring states==
It’s true that Illinois is not keeping up with our neighboring states exploding COVID rates
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:38 am:
=== Thank God for people like Mr. DeVore. They stand up for a vast number of voices in Illinois that prefer freedom over heavy handed top down Governance.===
… and yet he can’t win a case on the merits, and the arguments in those cases are not in the best interests of public health.
“Other than that… “
=== Illinois arrogance is a special kind.===
… and, yet again, still cases in federal court, in other states, mirror the outright failure DeVore is, and the arguments are in the context of the law.
=== Only a state like Illinois could still strut with confidence while they are wildly out of step with all neighboring states in their approach to COVID-19.===
Yeah… out of step… more safe, more centered around public health, and following the law.
Please, wear a mask when typing that mouth breathing silliness.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:38 am:
“The most absurd part of his charade is that he’s lost every single case outside of Clay County, where the positivity rate is currently 13.4 percent thanks in part to his antics.”
In any rational world, this would be the last word on Mr. Devore.
– MrJM
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:46 am:
=== I guess some people will do anything to try and raise their profile… whatever the cost.===
Bailey for Governor, DeVore for Attorney General, it’d be like the Pritzker Crew was picking their dream ticket to run against… and the Raunerites said… “Sure”
All this… while the safety and public health of Illinois is merely an avenue for DeVore to grift.
- Go Big - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:48 am:
Mr. DeVore and those who foolishly listen to him are the CAUSE of the pandemic lingering. His actions should not confused with a remedy by any thinking citizen.
He is a charlatan of the highest order whose association with the Eastern Bloc speaks for itself.
Wearing a mask is not a political statement, it is an IQ test. This truth remains . . . .
- CCapilla - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:53 am:
To be fair, Rich. There are multiple ways to get your TRO request denied before the judge even has to think about the merits.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 10:57 am:
==“So when a court doesn’t grant one, or when a court grants one, lawyers know that at the end of the day that’s not a big deal and it’s not a test of whether that case has any merit or not,” he said.==
As long as you have clients who don’t care about winning, this is true in a sense.
- Fixer - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 11:09 am:
DeVore should really just go back to picking fights with high school concession stand workers instead of whatever this is he’s trying to do.
- Just Me 2 - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 11:09 am:
DeVore is a trial attorney who enjoys racking up billable hours.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 11:17 am:
Whether it’s “mitigation’s don’t work” or the “constitutional right to fish” DeVore has yet to make an argument that’s based in fact or the law. That’s what grifters do. It’ not about being legally correct it’s about finding new ways to line your pockets in the guise of “freedom.”
- Steve Rogers - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 11:19 am:
@ Gravy Bond: Positivity rates as of yesterday:
Illinois 4.6%
Kentucky 6.0%
Missouri 7.5%
Indiana 15.6%
Iowa 18.8%
Wisconsin 21.1%
I’ll take that special arrogance that keeps me safer than my neighbors.
- thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 11:19 am:
To Gravy Bond: So if everybody does something stupid (like neighboring States loosening restrictions despite the science and facts), Illinois has to do it also?? We have enough spikes from the unwilling as it is, and it simply delays beating Covid down.
- don the legend - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 11:56 am:
Hey Gravy Bond: Merica, freedom, MAGA, lamestream media, deep state, immune, cured…..
Am I Right?
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 12:03 pm:
Tommy DeVore, there’s a case of Cheese Curds waiting for you in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Go for it. Stay a while. Enjoy the fall colors. Check out the Friday Fish Fry. Then quarantine for two weeks.
- Highland Il - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 12:06 pm:
I saw a local republican facebook page down here sharing Devore’s post with these claims. I clicked on his page to read the comments only to see that he also posted a picture of his child eating ice cream off the sidewalk on a $10 bet. “Reckless Roadshow” indeed Mr. DeVore.
- Flapdoodle - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 12:35 pm:
==So, I’m not sure where he gets that reasoning of his.==
Maybe from a Cracker Jack box?
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 12:47 pm:
=And I can tell you in Region 1,it’s the same thing.”=
I work in Region one and in out town (very small) everything is closed for indoor dining. In Dixon, and Oregon not so much.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Oct 14, 20 @ 1:06 pm:
For what it is worth, DeVore has expanded his resume nicely. He can add “Snitch” to his experience.
Tommy, I never took you for an informer.