John W. Keogh

Court cases Keogh was involved in at least a dozen court cases in the 1930s, in each case basing his arguments off of Illinois having malapportioned state legislative and congressional districts, as the state had not redistricted since 1901.

Keogh v. Neely In 1930, Keogh sought to avoid paying his 1929 federal income taxes by arguing Illinois's malapportioned districts violated the Guarantee Clause of the Constitution, and the federal government's failure to force Illinois to adopt fair districts invalidated its ability to levy taxes. The case was heard by judge James Earl Major in the Southern District of Illinois on November 19. Assistant attorney general Manford Cox, on behalf of attorney general Otto Kerner, filed to dismiss the case, arguing that the federal court had no jurisdiction to determine who should sit in Congress, and that the governor had no authority to deny certification of the election, as he was not undertaking a judicial action. On November 21, Major ruled in favor of the state, dismissing the case.

Murder of Christopher Kinney Keogh had taken out a $250,000 mortgage against a property he owned on Michigan Avenue with the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company. In 1934, the company repossessed the building and received an additional $25,000 deficiency judgement against Keogh in February 1935. The company, represented by Christopher G. Kinney, then sought access to a trust fund Keogh had established to cover this debt.

The case was heard by Cook County Circuit Court judge John Prystalski on January 13, 1936. for assessment. Following his indictment, a jury trial was held on January 17 to determine Keogh's sanity. Despite unanimous agreement between Dougherty, Keogh's daughter's attorney Albert S. Long, and public defender Benjamin Bachrach, that he was insane, Keogh objected to the declaration, arguing that he instead would like to enter a not guilty plea on the basis of self-defense. He then entered into a forty-five-minute diatribe on the subject of reapportionment, discussing his past legal cases on the subject. Many parts of his speech were humorous, causing laughter in the courtroom. After the speech, the jury declared Keogh sane and fit to stand trial for Kinney's murder, surprising the judge and all attorneys involved with the case.

On January 21, judge Denis J. Normoyle ordered another hearing to determine Keogh's sanity, ruling that the jury's initial finding was "manifestly against the weight of the evidence". Keogh attacked this hearing as unlawful, and objected to being represented by Long. The second hearing was held to determine Keogh's sanity on February 3. Keogh again discussed reapportionment, arguing that his actions had been those of a "clever, inventive lawyer". The jury, impressed by Keogh's arguments, initially could not come to a decision, but then ruled that he was insane on February 5. Keogh, continuing to act as his own lawyer, appealed the jury's determination, He was then transferred to the Chester Mental Health Center on March 14. Keogh had a daughter, Ruth Keogh Dickinson, who lived in Covina, California, at the time of his murder trial. Keogh had a summer home in Harwich Port, Massachusetts.

Keogh's efforts gained more attention in the early 1950s, with an increasing interest in reapportionment in the state.