Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
The Seventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw and dismissed Kendall Guyton's appeal after determining the case was frivolous under Anders v. California. The court found no non-frivolous grounds to challenge Guyton's sex trafficking conviction or his 324-month sentence.
The Seventh Circuit dismissed Michael Tovar's appeal in a civil forfeiture case because his brief failed to challenge the district court's reasoning on issue preclusion. The court held that Tovar could not relitigate the source of the seized cash, which had already been determined during his criminal sentencing and prior appeal.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers in a civil rights suit involving an inventory search of a trespasser's vehicle. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove the officers' conduct was clearly established as unlawful and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing an adverse inference instruction for missing dashcam footage.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a § 1983 lawsuit challenging a state family court order, holding that federal courts lack jurisdiction to review or alter such orders under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine and the domestic-relations exception. The appellate court modified the judgment to clarify that claims dismissed on jurisdictional grounds should be dismissed without prejudice, while claims dismissed on immunity or pleading deficiencies remain with prejudice.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Yang Shao's bankruptcy petition, ruling that her repeated filings across multiple jurisdictions constituted a bad-faith scheme to defraud creditors. The court upheld the lower courts' findings that Shao violated filing restrictions and engaged in fraudulent asset transfers to evade foreclosure.
The Seventh Circuit granted appointed counsel's motion to withdraw, finding the defendant's appeal regarding the revocation of his supervised release to be frivolous. The court affirmed the district court's decision because the defendant waived key objections and the evidence supported the finding of domestic battery.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Monisha Rhodes's motion for compassionate release, ruling that statutory sentencing factors weighed against relief despite her caregiving circumstances. The court held that the district court properly considered her extensive criminal history and the need to protect the public from further crimes.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling denying a Chapter 7 debtor's request to dismiss an adversary proceeding after the bankruptcy trustee had already settled the case. The court held that the debtor lacked standing to control the litigation because the estate's liabilities vastly exceeded its assets, leaving no realistic prospect of a surplus for the debtor.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the denial of Donald Stenson's motion to withdraw his guilty plea to sex trafficking charges. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding the plea voluntary despite Stenson's claims of medication impairment and feeling rushed.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the City of Aurora and its officers, ruling that the plaintiff's Fourth Amendment claims were either time-barred or defeated by the existence of probable cause. The court held that a state judge's finding of probable cause to charge the plaintiff with a weapon offense provided an absolute defense to his civil rights lawsuit, regardless of his subsequent acquittal.