Indiana Court Decisions: Dec. 15-28, 2022
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Articles
Ex-AG Hill accusers appeal grant of summary judgment to Legislature on Title VII claims
The federal case stemming from the sexual misconduct allegations against former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is headed back to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, this time on the question of whether the Indiana Legislature violated the federal rights of three of Hill’s accusers.
US Supreme Court asked to bar punishment for acquitted conduct
In courtrooms across America, defendants get additional prison time for crimes that juries found they didn’t commit. The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked, again, to put an end to the practice.
7th Circuit affirms convictions in wide-ranging drug conspiracy, splits over resentencing
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed convictions and sentences in a wide-ranging challenge to a drug conspiracy case, affirming against the 10 defendants in all instances except one sentencing challenge. That one reversal prompted a dissent.
7th Circuit orders East Chicago to restore firefighters’ schedule, but judge warns of infringement on democracy
In a dispute between the mayor of East Chicago and the local firefighters union that opposes him, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the city violated the firefighters’ First Amendment rights.
Hoosier attorneys’ challenge to loan forgiveness program put on hold at 7th Circuit
The lawsuit filed by a pair of Hoosier attorneys against the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program has been put in neutral by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals pending the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of the issue.
Indiana Court Decisions: Nov. 16-30, 2022
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Pryor garners praise, makes history as she prepares to join 7th Circuit
The bipartisan vote of 60-31 by the U.S. Senate in favor of her confirmation to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals provided another example of how much people like and respect Judge Doris Pryor.
Pryor makes history in confirmation to 7th Circuit
The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Doris Pryor to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a bipartisan 60-31 vote Monday evening, making her the first woman of color from Indiana to sit on the Chicago-based appellate court.
7th Circuit: Terry search warranted during traffic stop
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has concluded that members of the Brownsburg Police Department didn’t violate an Indiana man’s rights when they frisked him during a traffic stop.
Exasperated 7th Circuit reverses block on Indiana’s fetal disposition law
In an outright reversal, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld Indiana’s law requiring fetal remains to be buried or cremated and chastised the Indiana Southern District Court for blocking the statute in the first place.
7th Circuit denies Kokomo man relief in sextortion case
A northern Indiana man involved in a sextortion scheme involving “many” individuals online, including minors, has failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that his constitutional rights were violated during an investigation by the FBI.
Civil rights groups push Congress to confirm Pryor and other federal judicial nominees
With more than 100 judicial nominees stalled, including for Indiana Southern District Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor, national civil rights organizations are pushing Senate Democrats to fill as many vacancies on the federal bench as possible by Jan. 1.
8 trans athletes file brief opposing IN trans girls sports ban
Eight transgender women athletes hailing from seven different states have filed a 46-page amici curiae brief challenging an Indiana law that bans trans girls from participating in K-12 girls’ sports.
7th Circuit: Immigration appeals case wrongly applied new precedent retroactively
A Mexican citizen lawfully living in the United States will have a chance to revisit her challenge to removal proceedings after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined a new rule was impermissibly applied to her case retroactively.
Indiana Court Decisions: Oct. 20-Nov. 2, 2022
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
7th Circuit vacates 10-year sentence after district court wrongly dismisses evidence of drug purity
A split 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated a 10-year prison sentence for a drug dealer after finding a district court failed to address “some evidence” suggesting inaccurate drug testing.
Late Judge Kanne’s papers donated to IU Maurer library
Case files and papers from the late 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Michael Kanne have been donated to the Indiana University Maurer School of Law’s Jerome Hall Law Library.
7th Circuit affirms denial of disability benefits, agrees 89,000 is ‘significant’ number of jobs
A woman seeking disability benefits has lost her argument that a judge improperly found there were a “significant” number of jobs she could perform despite her disabilities.
Supreme Court won’t consider Lake Michigan beach case
The public will keep the right to use Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline for recreation as the U.S. Supreme Court won’t consider arguments from nearby property owners who claimed they also owned the beach.