7th Circuit Case Commentaries

Seventh Circuit Upholds City of Chicago's Eminent Domain Power over Religious Cemetery under O'Hare Modernization Act

Date: Sep 14, 2007

Seventh Circuit Upholds City of Chicago's Eminent Domain Power over Religious Cemetery under O'Hare Modernization Act Introduction In the landmark case of St. John's United Church of Christ, Helen...

Younger Abstention Doctrine Reinforced in FreeEats.com, Inc. v. State of Indiana

Date: Sep 13, 2007

Younger Abstention Doctrine Reinforced in FreeEats.com, Inc. v. State of Indiana Introduction The case of FreeEats.com, Inc. v. State of Indiana addresses the intricate balance between federal and...

Estoppel of ERISA Plan Administrators Based on SSA Disability Determinations: Comprehensive Analysis of Mote v. Aetna Life Insurance Company

Date: Sep 13, 2007

Estoppel of ERISA Plan Administrators Based on SSA Disability Determinations: Comprehensive Analysis of Mote v. Aetna Life Insurance Company Introduction The case of Brenda Mote v. Aetna Life...

Enhanced Evidentiary Requirements for Rule 41(g) Motions: United States v. Stevens

Date: Sep 1, 2007

Enhanced Evidentiary Requirements for Rule 41(g) Motions: United States v. Stevens 1. Introduction United States of America v. Lawrence Stevens is a pivotal case decided by the United States Court of...

Requiring Substantive Inquiry for Damages and Injunctive Relief in Default Judgments: The e360 Insight v. The Spamhaus Project Ruling

Date: Aug 31, 2007

Requiring Substantive Inquiry for Damages and Injunctive Relief in Default Judgments: The e360 Insight v. The Spamhaus Project Ruling Introduction The case of e360 INSIGHT, LLC and David Linhardt v....

Seventh Circuit Upholds Evidentiary and Procedural Standards in Product Liability: Chlopek v. Federal Insurance Company

Date: Aug 29, 2007

Seventh Circuit Upholds Evidentiary and Procedural Standards in Product Liability: Chlopek v. Federal Insurance Company Introduction In the case of Denise C. Chlopek and Jaron M. Chlopek v. Federal...

Establishing Prima Facie Race Discrimination: Insights from Brown v. Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Date: Aug 28, 2007

Establishing Prima Facie Race Discrimination: Insights from Brown v. Illinois Department of Natural Resources Introduction Brown v. Illinois Department of Natural Resources is a pivotal case...

Morales v. Bezy: Clarifying Postconviction Relief Procedures and Actual Innocence Claims in the 7th Circuit

Date: Aug 25, 2007

Morales v. Bezy: Clarifying Postconviction Relief Procedures and Actual Innocence Claims in the 7th Circuit Introduction In Angel L. Morales, Petitioner-Appellant, v. Mark A. Bezy,...

Seventh Circuit Affirms Denial of Fourth Amended Complaint: Reinforcing Federal Pleading Standards

Date: Aug 25, 2007

Seventh Circuit Affirms Denial of Fourth Amended Complaint: Reinforcing Federal Pleading Standards Introduction The case of Airborne Beepers Video, Inc., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. AT&T Mobility LLC,...

Pisciotta and Mills v. Old National Bancorp: Establishing Limits on Recoverable Damages for Data Breaches

Date: Aug 24, 2007

Pisciotta and Mills v. Old National Bancorp: Establishing Limits on Recoverable Damages for Data Breaches Introduction In Pisciotta and Mills v. Old National Bancorp, 499 F.3d 629 (7th Cir. 2007),...

Diaz v. Prudential Ins. Co.: Clarifying Summary Judgment Standards in ERISA Long-Term Disability Claims

Date: Aug 24, 2007

Diaz v. Prudential Ins. Co.: Clarifying Summary Judgment Standards in ERISA Long-Term Disability Claims Introduction Hugo Diaz, the Plaintiff-Appellant, initiated legal action against Prudential...

Fru-Con Inc. Not Liable for Strict Liability in Equipment Installation: Winters v. Fru-Con Inc.

Date: Aug 23, 2007

Fru-Con Inc. Not Liable for Strict Liability in Equipment Installation: Winters v. Fru-Con Inc., 498 F.3d 734 (7th Cir. 2007) Introduction In the case of Terry L. Winters v. Fru-Con Inc., adjudicated...

Establishing the Boundaries of Jury Conduct in High-Profile Trials: United States v. Warner and Ryan

Date: Aug 22, 2007

Establishing the Boundaries of Jury Conduct in High-Profile Trials: United States v. Warner and Ryan Introduction United States of America v. Lawrence E. Warner and George H. Ryan, Sr. is a notable...

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in ADA Disability Claims: Squibb v. Memorial Medical Center

Date: Aug 17, 2007

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in ADA Disability Claims: Squibb v. Memorial Medical Center Introduction Parties Involved: Plaintiff-Appellant: Mary R. Squibb Defendant-Appellee: Memorial Medical...

Seizure Reasonableness and Qualified Immunity: Insights from Belcher v. Norton

Date: Aug 16, 2007

Seizure Reasonableness and Qualified Immunity: Insights from Belcher v. Norton Introduction In Belcher v. Norton and Town of Orland, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit...

Westfall Act and Appellate Jurisdiction: The Foster v. Hill Precedent

Date: Aug 14, 2007

Westfall Act and Appellate Jurisdiction: The Foster v. Hill Precedent Introduction The case of James H. Foster v. Kirk L. Hill, adjudicated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh...

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in Sides v. City of Champaign: Implications on §1983 Claims and the Rooker-Feldman Doctrine

Date: Aug 9, 2007

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in Sides v. City of Champaign: Implications on §1983 Claims and the Rooker-Feldman Doctrine Introduction The case of Brian Sides, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. City of...

Controlling Weight of Treating Physicians’ Opinions in Disability Claims: Schmidt v. Astrue

Date: Aug 9, 2007

Controlling Weight of Treating Physicians’ Opinions in Disability Claims: Schmidt v. Astrue Introduction The case of Lee Ann Schmidt v. Michael J. Astrue, decided by the United States Court of...

Deliberate Indifference in Pre-Trial Inmate Safety: Guzman v. Sheahan Analysis

Date: Aug 8, 2007

Deliberate Indifference in Pre-Trial Inmate Safety: Guzman v. Sheahan Analysis Introduction Guzman v. Sheahan, 495 F.3d 852 (7th Cir. 2007), is a pivotal case addressing the constitutional...

Affirmation of State-Created Danger Doctrine in Bernice King v. East St. Louis School District

Date: Aug 8, 2007

Affirmation of State-Created Danger Doctrine in Bernice King v. East St. Louis School District Introduction The case of Bernice King, as Mother and Next Friend of Jerica King, Plaintiff-Appellant, v....