State Representative Terri Bryant introduced Molly’s Law in February. The legislation was inspired by the death of 21-year-old Molly Young. The Carbondale woman was killed by a gunshot wound to her head in March 2012. The incident occurred in the home of her boyfriend Richie Minton, who was a police dispatcher at the time.

Molly Young’s death was declared a suicide. However, her family claimed she was murdered. Her father Larry Young struggled for years to obtain information from police and investigators regarding his daughter’s death.

According to Bryant, an increased statute of limitations would have given Larry Young more time to gather additional information that could have been used in a wrongful death lawsuit. “This family received no justice when they got to civil court because the statute of limitations had run out,” she said.

The second part of Molly’s Law increases penalties for government units that deliberately fail to follow court orders to release information under the Freedom of Information Act.

State Representative Terri Bryant introduced Molly’s Law in February. The legislation was inspired by the death of 21-year-old Molly Young. The Carbondale woman was killed by a gunshot wound to her head in March 2012. The incident occurred in the home of her boyfriend Richie Minton, who was a police dispatcher at the time.

Molly Young’s death was declared a suicide. However, her family claimed she was murdered. Her father Larry Young struggled for years to obtain information from police and investigators regarding his daughter’s death.

According to Bryant, an increased statute of limitations would have given Larry Young more time to gather additional information that could have been used in a wrongful death lawsuit. “This family received no justice when they got to civil court because the statute of limitations had run out,” she said.

The second part of Molly’s Law increases penalties for government units that deliberately fail to follow court orders to release information under the Freedom of Information Act.

The wrongful death lawsuit, filed by Molly Young’s father, was dismissed by Judge W. Charles Grace of the Jackson County Circuit Court. The lawsuit had been filed against Richie Minton, a police dispatcher in whose apartment the woman was found dead.

Young was found dead on March 24, 2012, from a gunshot wound, and the lawsuit was filed June 30, 2014, after the statute of limitations had passed. Mr. Young’s attorney argued that crucial evidence had been kept from him in what amounted to fraudulent concealment. The evidence allegedly included Minton wiping the gun clean of any fingerprints, Minton waiting for hours before calling 911, police allowing Minton to shower and clean his clothes at the scene, and Minton indicating in the 911 call that Young had overdosed, while placing a bottle of pills nearby.

Judge Grace did not comment on the merit of the allegations, but said that there was still time to file the wrongful death lawsuit, as there were 14 months remaining under the statute after the inquest was completed. Mr. Young’s attorney had argued that the inquest was a key factor in discovering information about the death.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago work accidents and wrongful death lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

According to court records, the case has been reassigned to Judge Chuck Grace, after the plaintiff’s attorney filed a motion. The lawsuit was filed by Larry Young, the father of Molly Young, who died in the home of her former boyfriend, Richie Minton. According to Young’s attorney, the request for reassignment was made because of the possibility that Judge Solverson could be called as a witness.

According to court records, Judge Solverson was the judge who signed a search warrant for Richie Minton’s apartment at the request of Illinois State Police on March 24, 2012, the day Molly Young died. Records indicate that the warrant was secured about seven hours after Minton called 911 to report Young’s death; the family has questioned why the police waited to search the apartment.

Minton’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the case, and a hearing was set for March 24 at the Jackson County Courthouse. No criminal charges have been filed against Minton. The State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor issued a report in November 2014 that stopped short of ruling Young’s death a suicide but also said there was not conclusive evidence to issue an indictment against Minton.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago work accidents and wrongful death lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.