7th Circuit affirms cross burner’s convictions
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found sufficient evidence to uphold a Muncie man’s convictions stemming from his burning of a cross in front of the home of a family with biracial children.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
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7th Circuit affirms writ of habeas corpus
On remand from the Supreme Court of the United States, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s conditional grant of the petition for a writ of habeas corpus for a man facing the death penalty.
7th Circuit: counsel assistance wasn’t ineffective
A defendant didn’t receive ineffective assistance of counsel when his attorneys failed to raise the issue of comments made by his victim’s mother during the trial, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
7th Circuit: expenses were capital expenditures
An Indianapolis-based health insurer can’t deduct its settlement payments or legal expenses from the litigation because the insurer’s payments were actually capital expenditures, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed today.
DCS to appeal injunction on rate cuts
The Indiana Department of Child Services wants the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to review a judge's decision to temporarily stop DCS rate cuts.
Judge dissents on qualified immunity issue
Judges on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed as to whether law enforcement officers were entitled to qualified immunity for their use of flash-bang devices in attempting to remove a suicidal man from his home.
Man not prejudiced by attorney’s assistance
Even though a defendant's counsel was found to be ineffective based on his "television fantasy" trial strategy, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court denial of his petition for habeas corpus because he didn't show he was prejudiced by his attorney's performance.
Circuit Court vacates drug sentence
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a man's drug conviction, but vacated his sentence because it wasn't confident the District Court judge properly sentenced him.
District Court erred in drug sentence
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a man's sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine because the District Court failed to figure out the quantity of the drug reasonably attributable to the defendant.
7th Circuit warns attorneys about compliance
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals chastised the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indiana’s Northern District to “get its act together” to comply strictly with a statute that imposes a mandatory life sentence for a defendant convicted of a drug offense with two prior drug convictions.
Judges uphold mail fraud conviction
Although it noted the question was a "close one," the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined there was sufficient evidence to support a man's conviction of mail fraud in his scheme to defraud the government out of money for work he didn't complete.
7th Circuit affirms possible erroneous sentence
Because a defendant’s attorney affirmatively waived any challenge to an Armed Career Criminal Act enhancement – despite the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals advisement that the enhancement may have been an error due to a recent Circuit ruling – the federal Circuit Court had no choice but to affirm the District Court.
Man’s claims against officers can proceed
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment in favor of police officers in a man's civil suit, finding the man may have Fourth and Fifth Amendment claims against them.
Senators still stalling judge’s Circuit nomination
An Indianapolis judge's potential elevation to the federal appeals bench remains controversial even as the full U.S. Senate inches closer to voting on his nomination in the next week.
Sexual misconduct may not be abusive
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated today a man's sentence following a guilty plea on a child pornography charge because it was unsure whether his previous conviction in Indiana for sexual misconduct with a minor should be considered abusive and allow for his minimum sentence to be increased.
SCOTUS asked to take Indiana wine case
The Supreme Court of the United States is being asked to consider the constitutionality of Indiana's wine shipping law, which requires in-person contact before any direct delivery is allowed.
SCOTUS remands Indiana death penalty case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong in disposing of an Indiana man's death penalty challenges without any explanation, and should have allowed a Northern District of Indiana judge to consider those unresolved claims, the nation's highest court ruled today.
7th Circuit discovery pilot program starts Oct. 1
The first phase of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals’ Electronic Discovery Pilot Program kicks off Thursday.
Court rules on adult-business ordinance
Six years after the city of Indianapolis amended its adult-business ordinances, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered the District Court to hold an evidentiary hearing on whether the restricted hours in the new ordinance violate the businesses' constitutional rights.
Survey assesses PACER program
The federal judiciary is seeking feedback from users through a short survey on its PACER program, which allows people to search federal court records.