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.

Mar 13 2026
25-2198 Panel Decision

GEORGE REUSCH, JR v. THE HERTZ CORPORATION

The Seventh Circuit vacated the district court's grant of summary judgment in an employment retaliation case, ruling that genuine disputes of material fact existed regarding the employer's motive. The appellate court held that a reasonable jury could find the employee's termination was retaliatory based on timing, policy inconsistencies, and the applicability of probationary rules.

Criminal Embezzlement & Forgery
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Mar 13 2026
25-1004 Panel Decision

JOHN PETERSON v. DOUGLAS A. COLLINS, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Dr. Peterson's appeal regarding his removal from the Veterans Administration, holding that the agency's procedures were not arbitrary or capricious. The court found that Peterson received adequate due process, including advance notice and multiple opportunities to be heard, despite delays caused by the pandemic.

Administrative / Agency Review Civil Summary Judgment
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Mar 12 2026
23-1201 Panel Decision

GURMEET SINGH v. PAMELA J. BONDI, Attorney General of the United States

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the Board of Immigration Appeals' denial of Gurmeet Singh's adjustment of status application, holding that room and board provided by temples outside his sponsoring entity constituted unauthorized employment. The court found no reversible error in the agency's determination that Singh violated the terms of his R-1 visa by working for over 180 days at locations not authorized by his original petition.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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Mar 12 2026
24-3293 Panel Decision

CHRISTOPHER P. RADDANT v. DOUGLAS COUNTY, WISCONSIN, et al

The Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil rights case alleging excessive force during a jail booking. The court held that body-worn camera footage contradicted the plaintiff's version of events, leaving no genuine dispute for a jury to resolve regarding the reasonableness of the officers' actions.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983 Summary Judgment
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Mar 11 2026
25-2415 Panel Decision

Carnell D. Taylor v. John Idleburg, et al.

The Seventh Circuit vacated a district court's dismissal of a pretrial detainee's failure-to-protect claim, ruling that the lower court erred in treating defendant-authored documents as incontrovertible contradictions of the plaintiff's allegations. The appellate court held that the attached grievance responses did not definitively refute the detainee's claim that officials had a record of a keep-separate order.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983
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Mar 11 2026
25-2414 Panel Decision

Carnell D. Taylor v. John Idleburg, et al.

The Seventh Circuit vacated a district court's dismissal of a pretrial detainee's failure-to-protect claim, ruling that the lower court erred in treating defendant-authored grievance responses as incontrovertible proof contradicting the plaintiff's allegations. The appellate court held that the attached documents did not definitively refute the detainee's assertion that officials had a record of a keep-separate order.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983
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Mar 10 2026
23-1249 Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DERRICK DAVIS

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a 84-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, rejecting claims that the district court committed procedural error or imposed a substantively unreasonable sentence on remand. The court held that the judge properly relied on the defendant's boastful jail call and extensive criminal history to justify an above-Guidelines sentence, even after agreeing that evidence was insufficient to prove he fired a weapon.

Criminal Drug Trafficking Sentencing Guidelines
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Mar 10 2026
24-1024 Panel Decision

United States v. Bull

The Seventh Circuit affirmed a drug trafficking sentence where the district court relied on the defendant's own post-arrest statements to calculate drug quantities. The court held that self-incriminating statements made by a defendant are sufficiently reliable for sentencing even if the defendant claims they were made while under the influence.

Criminal Drug Trafficking
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Mar 9 2026
25-2074 Panel Decision

Yinnv Liu v. Monthly

The Seventh Circuit vacated a default judgment against absent e-commerce vendors, ruling that the district court lacked personal jurisdiction due to insufficient evidence of actual sales in Illinois. The court clarified that merely operating an accessible website is not enough to establish jurisdiction under the Lanham Act without proof of forum-specific transactions.

Criminal Embezzlement & Forgery
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Mar 9 2026
25-1739 Panel Decision

ISMAEL TORRIJOS-ZAMORA v. PAMELA J. BONDI, Attorney General of the United States

The Seventh Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order rejecting an asylum claim because the petitioner failed to prove the gang targeted him for a protected reason. The court upheld the finding that the gang's motivation was purely economic, aimed at recruiting boys for fuel theft rather than punishing the petitioner's civic activities.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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