Noland v. Mendoza

Summary

The Illinois Supreme Court held that laches barred former legislators’ claims seeking back payment of salaries reduced under salary-reduction laws. Because the plaintiffs sued individually, waited eight years while accepting or acquiescing in the reductions, and sought payment from budgets for prior years, their claims involved private rights and their delay prejudiced the State. The court therefore declined to reach the constitutional validity of the laws and vacated the circuit court’s constitutional and mandamus rulings.