City of Joliet Secures Complete Legal Victory in Lawsuit Filed by Former Mayor Robert O’Dekirk

Joliet, IL - January 28, 2026 - The City of Joliet announced today that the Circuit Court of Kankakee County has dismissed with prejudice all remaining state-law claims in a lawsuit filed by former Mayor Robert O'Dekirk.

This follows the February 18, 2025 decision by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, which dismissed all federal claims with prejudice and relinquished jurisdiction over the state-law claims.

In the state ruling, the court concluded the claims were time-barred under applicable Illinois statutes of limitations and that no tolling provisions applied to revive them; it also found certain allegations insufficiently pled under Sections 2-615 and 2-619 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure.

The City of Joliet was represented by David Mathues of Hervas, Condon & Bersani, P.C.

"The City believes this is the correct ruling," said Todd C. Lenzie, Interim Corporation Counsel, City of Joliet. "The former mayor's legal claims have always been without merit, and in light of this dismissal of all remaining claims, the City of Joliet intends to pursue all of its rights and remedies on behalf of its residents."

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About the City of Joliet

The City of Joliet is located in Will and Kendall counties in the State of Illinois, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 census, the city was the third largest in Illinois, with a population of 150,362. For more information about the city, visit https://www.joliet.gov.