7th Circuit Case Commentaries

Impact of Judicial Impartiality Violations on Discretionary Rulings: Orr v. United States

Date: Aug 11, 2020

Impact of Judicial Impartiality Violations on Discretionary Rulings: Orr v. United States Introduction The case of United States of America v. Earl R. Orr (969 F.3d 732, 7th Cir. 2020) presents...

Kurtzhals v. Dunn County: Affirmation of ADA Protections and Workplace Violence Policies

Date: Aug 11, 2020

Kurtzhals v. Dunn County: Affirmation of ADA Protections and Workplace Violence Policies Introduction In the landmark case of Todd Kurtzhals v. County of Dunn, the United States Court of Appeals for...

Strict Compliance with Summary Judgment Procedures and Sanctions for Frivolous Appeals in Employment Discrimination Litigation: Allen-Noll v. Madison Area Technical College

Date: Aug 6, 2020

Strict Compliance with Summary Judgment Procedures and Sanctions for Frivolous Appeals in Employment Discrimination Litigation: Allen-Noll v. Madison Area Technical College Introduction The case of...

Choice-of-Law Challenges in Multistate Group Insurance: Gunn v. Continental Casualty Company

Date: Aug 6, 2020

Choice-of-Law Challenges in Multistate Group Insurance: Gunn v. Continental Casualty Company Introduction Case: Carlton Gunn, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Continental Casualty Company, Defendant-Appellee....

7th Circuit Upholds Federal Arbitration Act’s Applicability to Grubhub Independent Contractors

Date: Aug 5, 2020

7th Circuit Upholds Federal Arbitration Act’s Applicability to Grubhub Independent Contractors Introduction The case of CARMEN WALLACE, et al. v. GRUBHUB HOLDINGS, INC., adjudicated by the United...

Cumulative Error Analysis in Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims: Myers v. Neal

Date: Aug 5, 2020

Cumulative Error Analysis in Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims: Myers v. Neal Introduction Case: John Myers, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Ron Neal, Respondent-Appellant. Citation: 975 F.3d 611 (7th...

Enforcement of Forum-Selection Clauses under 28 U.S.C. §1404(a): A Comprehensive Analysis of In Re Ryze Claims Solutions, LLC

Date: Aug 4, 2020

Enforcement of Forum-Selection Clauses under 28 U.S.C. §1404(a): A Comprehensive Analysis of In Re Ryze Claims Solutions, LLC Introduction The case of In Re Ryze Claims Solutions, LLC (968 F.3d 701)...

United States v. Howard: Narrowing the Scope of Child Pornography Production under §2251(a)

Date: Aug 4, 2020

United States v. Howard: Narrowing the Scope of Child Pornography Production under §2251(a) Introduction In the case of United States of America v. Matthew Howard, 968 F.3d 717 (7th Cir. 2020), the...

Affirmation of Reasonable Use of Deadly Force in Response to Imminent Threat: Estate of Joseph Biegert v. Thomas Molitor et al.

Date: Aug 1, 2020

Affirmation of Reasonable Use of Deadly Force in Response to Imminent Threat: Estate of Joseph Biegert v. Thomas Molitor et al. Introduction The case of Estate of Joseph Biegert v. Thomas Molitor et...

Sealing Court Records in Social Security Disability Cases: Mitze v. Saul Establishes Precedent for Public Access Over Privacy Claims

Date: Aug 1, 2020

Sealing Court Records in Social Security Disability Cases: Mitze v. Saul Establishes Precedent for Public Access Over Privacy Claims Introduction In the case of Brenda Mitze v. Andrew M. Saul,...

7th Circuit Clarifies Application of Law of the Case Doctrine in Social Security Disability Appeals – Surprise v. Saul

Date: Jul 30, 2020

7th Circuit Clarifies Application of Law of the Case Doctrine in Social Security Disability Appeals – Surprise v. Saul Introduction In Allen L. Surprise v. Andrew M. Saul, Commissioner of Social...

Affirmation of Custodial Interrogation Standards in Miranda Analysis

Date: Jul 29, 2020

Affirmation of Custodial Interrogation Standards in Miranda Analysis Introduction The case of Christy Lentz v. Teri Kennedy (967 F.3d 675, 7th Cir. 2020) presents a critical examination of custodial...

Separate Reporting of Individual Debts Does Not Constitute Unfair Collection Practices Under FDCPA

Date: Jul 29, 2020

Separate Reporting of Individual Debts Does Not Constitute Unfair Collection Practices Under FDCPA Introduction The case of Casimer Zablocki and Regina Johnson v. Merchants Credit Guide Co. (968 F.3d...

Affirming Probable Cause for Comprehensive Vehicle Searches Under Totality of Circumstances

Date: Jul 29, 2020

Affirming Probable Cause for Comprehensive Vehicle Searches Under Totality of Circumstances Introduction The case of United States of America v. Kevin Darnel Kizart, 967 F.3d 693 (7th Cir. 2020),...

Standing and Mootness in Preliminary Injunctions: A Comprehensive Analysis of Speech First, Inc. v. Thomas L. Killeen, et al.

Date: Jul 29, 2020

Standing and Mootness in Preliminary Injunctions: A Comprehensive Analysis of Speech First, Inc. v. Thomas L. Killeen, et al. Introduction Speech First, Inc. v. Thomas L. Killeen, et al. (968 F.3d...

Corner v. United States: Clarifying the Application of the First Step Act in Sentence Reductions

Date: Jul 25, 2020

Corner v. United States: Clarifying the Application of the First Step Act in Sentence Reductions Introduction In Corner v. United States, 967 F.3d 662 (7th Cir. 2020), the United States Court of...

Clarifying Reimbursement Obligations in Total-Loss Auto Insurance Claims: Sigler v. GEICO

Date: Jul 25, 2020

Clarifying Reimbursement Obligations in Total-Loss Auto Insurance Claims: Sigler v. GEICO Introduction The case of Nathan Sigler v. GEICO Casualty Company and GEICO Corporation, decided by the United...

Affirmation on Sentencing and Appellate Jurisdiction in Criminal Appeals: United States v. Bonk

Date: Jul 25, 2020

Affirmation on Sentencing and Appellate Jurisdiction in Criminal Appeals: United States v. Bonk Introduction The case of United States of America v. Wade Bonk, 967 F.3d 643 (7th Cir. 2020), presents...

Affirmation of Discriminatory Harassment and Punitive Damages in Sommerfield v. Knasiak

Date: Jul 24, 2020

Affirmation of Discriminatory Harassment and Punitive Damages in Sommerfield v. Knasiak Introduction The case of Detlef Sommerfield v. Lawrence Knasiak (967 F.3d 617) represents a significant...

Seventh Circuit Reinforces Fourth Amendment: Limits on Sheriff's Authority in Pretrial Detention

Date: Jul 24, 2020

Seventh Circuit Reinforces Fourth Amendment: Limits on Sheriff's Authority in Pretrial Detention Introduction In the landmark case of Taphia Williams, et al. v. Dart, et al., the United States Court...