Illinois Appeals Court Issues TRO To Stop Relocation of Graves In O'Hare Expansion

The Chicago Tribune and NBC Chicago report that an Illinois appellate court on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order barring the city of Chicago from relocating any more graves from the St. Johannes Cemetery. In long-running litigation, the city is attempting to obtain the cemetery land to use for expansion of O'Hare International Airport. Earlier this month, a DuPage County trial court ordered the transfer of title of the 5.3-acre cemetery from St. John's United Church of Christ to the city for $630,000. (See prior posting.) Since then, the city has relocated 24 graves to nearby cemeteries with the consent of the families of the deceased. The new TRO prevents the city from taking further action on disinterments while an appeal is pending even where it has already received permission from families. However families may still relocate graves, so long as the city is not involved. In the case, church members have so far unsuccessfully argued that removal of graves substantially burdens their religious exercise.