Protecting Innocent Families Act: An Introduction to the New Statute
Tracks
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| Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| 4:55 PM - 5:30 PM |
Overview
Michelle Weidner, Executive Director, Family Justice Resource Center and Rory McHale, Attorney Supervisor, Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Details
Child abuse pediatricians (CAPs) conduct forensic medical evaluations through agreements with DCFS and Children's Advocacy Centers. Their opinions carry considerable weight in child welfare investigations and court proceedings, yet their forensic role has historically lacked meaningful transparency and accountability. Beginning January 1, 2027, Illinois' Protecting Innocent Families Act introduces new protections for parents facing medically based allegations of child abuse. This session will examine the concerns that prompted the legislation and its practical implications for defense attorneys. Presenters will explain new requirements for medical professionals to identify themselves and disclose their role to parents, along with parents' rights to request written CAP opinions and seek independent second opinions. Attorneys will learn how to put these protections to work in their cases, advocate for timely access to medical records, and ensure that forensic medical conclusions are subject to meaningful scrutiny.
Speaker
Rory McHale
Attorney Supervisor
Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
Protecting Innocent Families Act: An Introduction to the New Statute
Biography
Rory McHale is a supervisor in the Cook County Public Defender’s Professional Development Division (PDD). He was previously Director of Legislative and External Affairs on the policy team, serving as an in-house governmental affairs liaison, drafting and advocating for policy and legislation in Springfield, including several years spent advocating for the passage of the Protecting Innocent Families Act. Before joining the Cook County PD, Rory was the General Counsel for the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General. He proudly began his legal career as a public defender, working at Federal Defenders of San Diego at the US-Mexico border and as a trial attorney for Contra Costa County in California's Bay Area. Rory immigrated to Chicago from Ireland as a child and grew up in the Albany Park neighborhood.
Michelle Weidner
Executive Director
Family Justice Resource Center
Protecting Innocent Families Act: An Introduction to the New Statute
Biography
Michelle Weidner is the Executive Director of the Family Justice Resource Center, an Illinois-based nonprofit working nationally to strengthen due process, evidence-based medicine, and medical ethics in medically based child protection investigations. She led the bipartisan coalition that secured unanimous passage of Illinois' Protecting Innocent Families Act in 2026. She was named a 2022 Reunification Hero by the ABA Center on Children and the Law and introduced the Take Care of Maya plenary at its 2024 National Conference on Parent Representation. Michelle began her advocacy after her family was wrongly accused of child abuse in 2010 when a child abuse pediatrician misdiagnosed her son with a fracture that did not exist. Before leading FJRC, she was a project manager for the Society of Actuaries and previously served as a broadcaster in the U.S. Air Force. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Northern Illinois University.
