7th Circuit Case Commentaries

Limits of Municipal Liability: Final Policymaker Determination in § 1983 Claims – Milestone v. City of Monroe

Date: Nov 22, 2011

Limits of Municipal Liability: Final Policymaker Determination in § 1983 Claims – Milestone v. City of Monroe Introduction The case of Edith Milestone v. City of Monroe, Wisconsin addresses critical...

Reaffirming the Mootness Doctrine in Class Actions: Insights from Damasco v. Clearwire

Date: Nov 19, 2011

Reaffirming the Mootness Doctrine in Class Actions: Insights from Damasco v. Clearwire Introduction In the case of Jerome Damasco v. Clearwire Corporation, adjudicated by the United States Court of...

Rigorous Standards for Expert Testimony Admissibility: Bielskis v. Louisville Ladder

Date: Nov 19, 2011

Rigorous Standards for Expert Testimony Admissibility: Bielskis v. Louisville Ladder Introduction In the case of Raymond B. Bielskis v. Louisville Ladder, Inc. (663 F.3d 887), adjudicated by the...

Consent to Magistrate Judge Reassignment Affirmed in Stevo v. Frasor

Date: Nov 18, 2011

Consent to Magistrate Judge Reassignment Affirmed in Stevo v. Frasor Introduction In the appellate decision Allan Stevo, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Pamela Frasor, et al., Defendants-Appellees (662 F.3d...

Supervisory Liability Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983: Insights from Backes v. Village of Peoria Heights

Date: Nov 11, 2011

Supervisory Liability Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983: Insights from Backes v. Village of Peoria Heights Introduction Backes v. Village of Peoria Heights, Illinois, 662 F.3d 866 (7th Cir. 2011), serves as a...

Admissibility of HR Statements in Pregnancy Discrimination Cases: Insights from Makowski v. SmithAmundsen LLC

Date: Nov 10, 2011

Admissibility of HR Statements in Pregnancy Discrimination Cases: Insights from Makowski v. SmithAmundsen LLC Introduction The case of Laura A. Makowski, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. SmithAmundsen LLC,...

Emphasizing the Weight of Treating Physician's Testimony in SSI Disability Appeals: Jelinek v. Astrue

Date: Nov 8, 2011

Emphasizing the Weight of Treating Physician's Testimony in SSI Disability Appeals: Jelinek v. Astrue Introduction The case of Jessica J. Jelinek v. Michael J. Astrue serves as a pivotal legal...

Comprehensive Analysis of Morgan v. Hardy: AEDPA Standards in Habeas Corpus Review

Date: Nov 8, 2011

Comprehensive Analysis of Morgan v. Hardy: AEDPA Standards in Habeas Corpus Review Introduction Samuel Morgan v. Marcus Hardy is a pivotal case adjudicated by the United States Court of Appeals for...

Reevaluation of Disability Termination Criteria: Tumminaro v. Astrue

Date: Nov 2, 2011

Reevaluation of Disability Termination Criteria: Tumminaro v. Astrue Introduction In the case of Jeannine A. Tumminaro v. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security (671 F.3d 629, 7th Cir....

Seventh Circuit Upholds Arbitration Rights in Kawasaki v. Bombardier Recreational Products

Date: Oct 22, 2011

Seventh Circuit Upholds Arbitration Rights in Kawasaki v. Bombardier Recreational Products Introduction In the landmark case of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. v. Bombardier Recreational Products,...

Limits on Equal Protection Claims under Monell: The Affirmation in McCauley v. City of Chicago

Date: Oct 21, 2011

Limits on Equal Protection Claims under Monell: Analyzing McCauley v. City of Chicago Introduction The case of Brewster McCauley v. City of Chicago (671 F.3d 611) addressed significant issues...

ADA Remedies Require Causal Link Between Age Discrimination and Employee's Damages: Analysis of Barton v. Zimmer

Date: Oct 19, 2011

Age Discrimination Remedies Under the ADEA: In-Depth Analysis of Barton v. Zimmer, Inc. Introduction Barton v. Zimmer, Inc., 662 F.3d 448 (7th Cir. 2011) is a pivotal case in the realm of employment...

Res Judicata and Municipal Liability under § 1983: Insights from Palka v. City of Chicago

Date: Oct 19, 2011

Res Judicata and Municipal Liability under § 1983: Insights from Palka v. City of Chicago Introduction The case of Peter J. Palka and Tadeusz Palka vs. City of Chicago and Matthew Tobias is a seminal...

Reversing Summary Judgment: Strengthening FMLA Protections in Shaffer v. American Medical Association

Date: Oct 19, 2011

Reversing Summary Judgment: Strengthening FMLA Protections in Shaffer v. American Medical Association Introduction William Shaffer, an employee of the American Medical Association (AMA), filed a...

Clarifying Causation in First Amendment Retaliation Claims: The Greene v. Doruff Decision

Date: Oct 12, 2011

Clarifying Causation in First Amendment Retaliation Claims: The Greene v. Doruff Decision Introduction In Greene v. Doruff, 660 F.3d 975 (7th Cir. 2011), the United States Court of Appeals for the...

Preemption of State Common Law Claims under FCRA: Purcell v. Bank of America

Date: Oct 4, 2011

Preemption of State Common Law Claims under FCRA: Purcell v. Bank of America Introduction In the case of Kristine P. Purcell v. Bank of America, decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the...

7th Circuit Affirms Waiver of Evidentiary Challenges in Civil §1983 Excessive Force Case

Date: Sep 24, 2011

7th Circuit Affirms Waiver of Evidentiary Challenges in Civil §1983 Excessive Force Case Introduction In the case of Patricia CLARETT v. Steven ROBERTS, et al., decided by the United States Court of...

Affirmation of Plea Agreement Waivers in Federal Collateral Relief: Keller v. United States

Date: Sep 24, 2011

Affirmation of Plea Agreement Waivers in Federal Collateral Relief: Keller v. United States Introduction The case of Charles Derrick Keller v. United States of America (657 F.3d 675) adjudicated by...

Clarifying the Limits of Colorado River Abstention: Seventh Circuit Vacates Stay in Huon v. Johnson Bell, Ltd.

Date: Sep 22, 2011

Clarifying the Limits of Colorado River Abstention: Seventh Circuit Vacates Stay in Huon v. Johnson Bell, Ltd. Introduction Meanith Huon v. Johnson Bell, Ltd., et al. (657 F.3d 641) is a pivotal case...

Affirmation of Conviction in Morales v. Johnson: Implications for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and Perjured Testimony

Date: Sep 21, 2011

Affirmation of Conviction in Morales v. Johnson: Implications for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and Perjured Testimony Introduction In Efrain Morales v. Yolande Johnson (659 F.3d 588, 2011), the...