7th Circuit Case Commentaries

Muzikowski v. Paramount Pictures: Establishing New Grounds in Defamation Law

Date: Mar 7, 2003

Muzikowski v. Paramount Pictures: Establishing New Grounds in Defamation Law Introduction Muzikowski v. Paramount Pictures Corporation, 322 F.3d 918 (7th Cir. 2003), is a pivotal case in defamation...

Reaffirming Rule 11 Compliance and Sentence Enhancement Standards: Blalock v. United States

Date: Mar 7, 2003

Reaffirming Rule 11 Compliance and Sentence Enhancement Standards: Blalock v. United States Introduction UNITED STATES of America v. Terrance E. Blalock, 321 F.3d 686 (7th Cir. 2003), involves the...

Probable Cause and Qualified Immunity in Impersonation Arrests: Smith v. Lamz

Date: Mar 6, 2003

Probable Cause and Qualified Immunity in Impersonation Arrests: Smith v. Lamz Introduction In the case of Michael B. Smith v. Douglas Lamz and the Village of Algonquin, the United States Court of...

United States v. Rezin: Clarifying Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Sentencing Hearings

Date: Mar 5, 2003

United States v. Rezin: Clarifying Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Sentencing Hearings Introduction The case of United States v. Frederick C. Rezin (322 F.3d 443) adjudicated by the United...

Dismissal of Civil Rights Case Under Rule 37: Shaunte Dotson v. Jaimie Bravo and City of Chicago

Date: Mar 4, 2003

Dismissal of Civil Rights Case Under Rule 37: Shaunte Dotson v. Jaimie Bravo and City of Chicago Introduction Shaunte Dotson, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Jaimie Bravo, Officer, Star # 4123, and City of...

Affirmation of the State-Created Danger Exception in §1983 Claims: Windle v. City of Marion

Date: Mar 4, 2003

Affirmation of the State-Created Danger Exception in §1983 Claims: Windle v. City of Marion Introduction Windle v. City of Marion, Indiana is a pivotal case that addresses the boundaries of liability...

Affirmation of Qualified Immunity in §1983 Claims: Beauchamp v. City of Noblesville

Date: Feb 27, 2003

Affirmation of Qualified Immunity in §1983 Claims: Beauchamp v. City of Noblesville Introduction In the case of Ricky W. Beauchamp and Beth E. Beauchamp v. City of Noblesville, Indiana, decided by...

Rogers v. City of Chicago: Affirmation of Summary Judgment on Title VII Claims

Date: Feb 27, 2003

Rogers v. City of Chicago: Affirmation of Summary Judgment on Title VII Claims Introduction Rogers v. City of Chicago is a significant case adjudicated by the United States Court of Appeals for the...

Proper Class Certification Essential in Default Judgments under FDCPA: Davis v. Hutchins

Date: Feb 27, 2003

Proper Class Certification Essential in Default Judgments under FDCPA: Davis v. Hutchins Introduction In Sidney Davis, III, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Charles T. Hutchins, Defendant-Appellant, 321 F.3d...

Affirming Objective Reasonableness in Police Use of Force: Bell v. Irwin Decision

Date: Feb 26, 2003

Affirming Objective Reasonableness in Police Use of Force: Bell v. Irwin Decision Introduction Bell v. Irwin is a pivotal case adjudicated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh...

Deliberate Indifference and Qualified Immunity in Pretrial Detainee Suicide: Shepard v. Cavalieri

Date: Feb 25, 2003

Deliberate Indifference and Qualified Immunity in Pretrial Detainee Suicide: Shepard v. Cavalieri Introduction Shepard v. Cavalieri is a landmark case adjudicated by the United States Court of...

Ministerial Exception Extended to Communication Roles in Religious Organizations: Alicea-Hernandez v. The Catholic Bishop of Chicago

Date: Feb 22, 2003

Ministerial Exception Extended to Communication Roles in Religious Organizations: Alicea-Hernandez v. The Catholic Bishop of Chicago Introduction Gloria Alicea-Hernandez v. The Catholic Bishop of...

Reaffirming Standards for Investigatory Stops and Felon Firearm Possession under the Fourth Amendment and 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1): United States v. Hendricks

Date: Feb 22, 2003

Reaffirming Standards for Investigatory Stops and Felon Firearm Possession under the Fourth Amendment and 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1): United States v. Hendricks Introduction In the case of United States...

Prosecutor's Reference to Defendant’s Silence Does Not Violate Due Process: Seventh Circuit Affirms Aleman's Conviction

Date: Feb 20, 2003

Prosecutor's Reference to Defendant’s Silence Does Not Violate Due Process: Seventh Circuit Affirms Aleman's Conviction Introduction The case of Harry Aleman v. Jerry L. Sternes, Warden, Dixon...

Affirmation of Denial of Habeas Corpus in Hardamon v. United States: Reinforcing the Strickland Standard for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Date: Feb 15, 2003

Affirmation of Denial of Habeas Corpus in Hardamon v. United States: Reinforcing the Strickland Standard for Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Introduction The case of Carletos E. Hardamon v. United...

Calhoun v. DeTella: Establishing Nominal and Punitive Damages for Eighth Amendment Violations

Date: Feb 14, 2003

Calhoun v. DeTella: Establishing Nominal and Punitive Damages for Eighth Amendment Violations Introduction In the case of Tyrone Calhoun v. George E. DeTella, et al., the United States Court of...

Affirmation of Lifting the Automatic Stay in Mortgage Foreclosure Under 11 U.S.C. § 1322(c)(1)

Date: Feb 12, 2003

Affirmation of Lifting the Automatic Stay in Mortgage Foreclosure Under 11 U.S.C. § 1322(c)(1) 1. Introduction Norma I. Colon, Debtor-Appellant, v. Option One Mortgage Corporation, and/or its...

Effective Assistance of Counsel Established in Berkey v. United States

Date: Feb 11, 2003

Effective Assistance of Counsel Established in Berkey v. United States Introduction Berkey v. United States (318 F.3d 768, 7th Cir. 2003) is a pivotal case in the realm of criminal defense,...

Affirmation of Effective Counsel in §2255 Motion: Coleman v. United States

Date: Feb 8, 2003

Affirmation of Effective Counsel in §2255 Motion: Coleman v. United States Introduction Willie P. Coleman, Jr. v. United States, 318 F.3d 754 (7th Cir. 2003), is a pivotal case addressing the...

Extending the Statute of Limitations in §1983 Actions: An Analysis of Clark v. City of Braidwood

Date: Feb 8, 2003

Extending the Statute of Limitations in §1983 Actions: An Analysis of Clark v. City of Braidwood Introduction The case of James Clark v. City of Braidwood (318 F.3d 764) represents a significant...