The Doyen Law Group, LLC

09/12/2024

Please join us September 19th at 5:00 p.m.! Contact me or Jess Defino if you are interested in sponsoring!

06/27/2024

Heading to Gail Borden Public Library this evening with my friends at the Kane County Law Library & Self Help Legal Center! If you have legal questions, I might have the answer😇 If I don't, I can point you to someone who will!

01/08/2024

Ms. Addie's headshot turned out great!

10/05/2023

Come join us on October 12th at Pollyanna for Rocktoberfest 2023!!

09/26/2023

Do you owe any fines or fees to McHenry County? Pay this week and all interest and collection's fees will be waived!

09/09/2023

Reclaim your future with the upcoming Kane County Expungement Clinic hosted by the Kane County Circuit Court Clerk's Office and Senator Cristina Castro!

When: September 9, 2023 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Where: Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, IL

Please check the library website to register. Walk-ins may not be accommodated based on the time that we are alotted. It is helpful to be at the clinic when it starts at 9:00 a.m.

03/28/2023

In the wake of the horrific shooting in Nashville yesterday, an important topic has come up. Averianna Patton was contacted by the shooter earlier in the morning of March 27th. Ms. Patton did everything she could to contact authorities regarding the fact that the shooter was suicidal and possibly planning something tragic. She was sent to at least three different numbers and ultimately referred by 911 dispatchers to the non-emergency phone number--this resulted in not speaking with an officer for five hours.

I don't know what resources the city of Nashville has when it comes to crisis intervention, but I do know that our local Elgin Police Department has a Collaborative Crisis Services Unit that our community members should be aware of.

In the last few years, many departments have created similar teams to address citizens experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises. Please familiarize yourself with the services available in your area, and feel free to reach out to your local department (or to me--I'll answer what I can) with any questions.

- Katie Doyen

The Collaborative Crisis Services Unit (CCSU) is responsible for conducting follow-up visits for individuals who could benefit from mental or behavioral health services. CCSU utilizes community resources, including the Elgin Police Department’s own Social Services Unit, to connect individuals with...

07/15/2019

UPDATE: PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DOYEN LAW GROUP, LLC

The First District Appellate Court has upheld a Cook County Jury’s 2016 award of $252,500 for intentional infliction of emotional distress committed by Cathryn Ilani in 2008 against a then-12-year-old boy. The now adult Plaintiff was represented on appeal by The Doyen Law Group, LLC. of Elgin. The Defendant was represented by The Walters Law Firm of Chicago.

Ilani primarily argued in her appeal that the jury’s verdict was against the manifest weight of the evidence and that judgment in the amount of $252,500 was excessive. The Appellate Court found, however, that “[t]here was sufficient evidence for the jury to find that [Ilani], an adult, sent threatening and harassing emails and texts to a twelve year old minor in an attempt to extort him into continuing a romantic relationship with her daughter. [Ilani’s] conduct was extreme and outrageous: she knew that her conduct was intended to cause or would cause severe emotional distress, and her conduct did in fact cause emotional distress.” The Court’s full opinion can be found here:
http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/R23_Orders/AppellateCourt/2019/1stDistrict/1170754_R23.pdf

The original press release from June 2016 is below:

A Cook County jury has awarded a Sleepy Hollow man $252,500 for abuse and harassment perpetrated by Cathryn Ilani of Elgin. Jackson Buckley was 13 years old in 2008 when the harassing communications began. Ilani, 42 at the time, is the founder, principal, and a teacher at Einstein Academy in Elgin.

On September 27, 2008, officers from the Sleepy Hollow Police Department, with assistance from officers from the the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Elgin Police Department and Aurora Police Department executed search warrants at the Ilani home and at Einstein Academy in connection with an investigation into intimidation, harassment, and possession of child po*******hy.
Once at the school, Ilani led officers to her office, where n**e photographs of Jackson Buckley were confiscated by law enforcement. Ilani had retrieved the images from her daughter’s cell phone, and used them in a campaign to blackmail Buckley into remaining in a relationship with her daughter.

The Plaintiff presented evidence in the form of 350 pages of emails, and phone records showing over 6,000 text messages between Ilani and the young boy in June and July of 2008 alone. At times, the rate of messages received from Ilani reached 200 per hour. Along with threats of releasing the photographs, Ilani told the 13-year-old that she was dying, and that her daughter needed him to be present once she no longer had her mother.

Evidence was also presented that Ilani attempted to intimidate another young man in 2010, stating that if he did not remain in a relationship with her daughter she would have him charged with r**e. That man subsequently checked himself into a psychiatric hospital.

Judge Eve Reilly presided over the trial, which took place at the Richard J. Daley Center and lasted seven days. Jurors deliberated for two and a half hours before returning their verdict. The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Michael Doyen, Kathleen Doyen, Christopher Doyen and Anne Chapski Doyen of The Doyen Law Group, LLC.

Questions should be directed to Kathleen Doyen at 847-720-5815.

03/27/2019

We are proud to support such a great organization working to better the lives of Chicago's children by providing scholarships for extracurricular activities!