7th Cir.

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Apr 14 2026
25-1919 Panel Decision

Jane Doe 1 v. Steven V. Sloan

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a substantive due process claim against law enforcement officers who shared child pornography images with an untrained auxiliary officer. The court held that no fundamental liberty interest exists in preventing the sharing of such images during an investigation, even when the recipient retains them without authority.

Apr 14 2026
25-1918 Panel Decision

Jane Doe 1 v. Sloan

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Fourteenth Amendment substantive due process claim against law enforcement officials. The court held that no fundamental liberty interest exists protecting minors from police sharing sexually explicit images with an untrained auxiliary officer during an investigation.

Apr 14 2026
25-1917 Panel Decision

Jane Doe 1 v. Sloan

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a civil rights claim alleging that police officers violated victims' substantive due process rights by sharing child pornography images with an untrained auxiliary officer. The court held that no fundamental liberty interest exists under the Due Process Clause protecting against such disclosure during an ongoing criminal investigation.

Apr 13 2026
24-2327 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. LENNIE PERRY

The Seventh Circuit affirmed Lennie Perry's conviction, ruling that the district court properly denied his midtrial request for a sixth appointed attorney after he had twice validly waived his right to counsel. The court held that once a defendant knowingly and voluntarily waives the Sixth Amendment right to self-representation, the judge may hold him to that decision without reassessing his motives or the potential for delay.

Apr 13 2026
24-2245 Panel Decision

JOHN DOE v. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA, et al

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of an adult plaintiff's request to litigate a Title IX lawsuit under a pseudonym. The court held that absent a substantial risk of physical harm or retaliation beyond the consequences of public truth, the public interest in transparency outweighs privacy interests in federal appellate proceedings.

Apr 13 2026
24-3175 Panel Decision

MARWAN MAHAJNI v. VU DO and SCOTT WOIDA

The Seventh Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court's denial of qualified immunity because the lower court's ruling was not a final adjudication. The appellate court held that the district court's decision to deny immunity without prejudice and invite further arguments at summary judgment did not satisfy the collateral order doctrine.

Apr 2 2026
24-1612 Panel Decision

Stingley v. Laci Transport Inc.

The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for shuttle truck drivers transporting auto parts, holding their intrastate routes fell within the Fair Labor Standards Act's motor carrier exemption. The court ruled that moving goods from out-of-state storage lots to a Chicago assembly plant was part of a continuous interstate journey.

Apr 2 2026
24-1613 Panel Decision

Stingley v. Laci Transport Inc.

The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for trucking defendants, holding that shuttle drivers moving auto parts within Illinois were engaged in interstate commerce. Consequently, the drivers are exempt from state and federal overtime wage requirements under the Motor Carrier Act.

Apr 2 2026
24-1998 Panel Decision

Nos. 24-1998 & 24-2210 Don Lippert v. Latoya Hughes, et al.

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court's modification of a consent decree requiring the Illinois Department of Corrections to provide adequate medical care, holding that the PLRA's specific findings requirement was satisfied by the parties' stipulation and the court's explicit amendment. The court dismissed appeals regarding the extension of the decree and the removal of a procedural stipulation, concluding those issues fell outside its interlocutory jurisdiction.