Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a challenge to the Wisconsin Elections Commission for lack of Article III standing. The court held that the Wisconsin Voter Alliance failed to demonstrate a concrete injury beyond a bare procedural violation of the Help America Vote Act.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the revocation of Erik Harbin's supervised release and his 15-month prison sentence, rejecting his claim that the district court improperly relied on his original offense's seriousness. The court held that the district judge's references to the original crime were permissible context for a breach-of-trust rationale rather than prohibited retribution.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a prison doctor and her employer, ruling that delays in treating a prisoner's broken hand did not constitute deliberate indifference under the Eighth Amendment. The court held that the medical staff's reliance on standard scheduling procedures and their reasonable response to the injury negated any claim of constitutional violation.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for prison officials regarding an Eighth Amendment claim about black mold, ruling that reasonable remediation efforts negate a finding of deliberate indifference. The court also upheld a jury verdict against the plaintiff on a heat-related claim, rejecting arguments regarding ineffective counsel and jury composition.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the grant of summary judgment for facility officials, holding that they were entitled to qualified immunity regarding visitation restrictions. The court found that no clearly established First Amendment right existed for civil detainees to unrestricted visitation under the specific pandemic-era and post-pandemic circumstances faced by the facility.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a drug trafficking conviction, ruling that the government acted in good faith when using a cell-site simulator warrant authorized under the Pen Register Act. The court also held that specific drug quantities are sentencing factors rather than elements of the crime, so juries need not find them to convict.
The Seventh Circuit reversed a summary judgment that had enforced a settlement agreement based on a brief email exchange. The court held that because essential terms remained open for future negotiation, the parties had not formed a binding contract.
The Seventh Circuit held that district courts retain jurisdiction to grant or modify interim injunctive relief, such as visitation rights, while a Hague Convention child abduction appeal is pending. The court clarified that Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 62(d) and Appellate Rule 8(a)(1)(C) collectively empower the district court to manage equitable relief during the appellate process.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that a federal judgment creditor's secured interest in a debtor's assets takes priority over a state judgment creditor's claim, even after the state creditor obtained a retroactive correction to fix a misnomer in his judgment. The court held that the federal district court had appellate jurisdiction over the final turnover order and that the Rooker-Feldman doctrine did not bar the federal court from adjudicating the priority dispute between the competing creditors.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a civil rights complaint alleging an unconstitutional vehicle search. The court held that the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege a Fourth Amendment violation because the search was a valid inventory procedure following a lawful arrest.