Former Roncalli teacher turns to advocacy after 7th Circuit loss
After three years of fighting in federal court for her job, Lynn Starkey is shifting her focus.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
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Reversal: Inmate fired for attending prayer service didn’t miss step in grievance process
An inmate who filed a First Amendment complaint after he was fired from his prison job for going to a prayer service instead of work can proceed with his case against a prison officer after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment for the officer.
Would-be GOP candidate can’t run on Republican ballot after party ban, 7th Circuit affirms
A longtime Indiana Republican who found himself at odds with the state’s Republican Party and was eventually banned from the GOP for a decade will have to stay off the Republican ballot, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed.
Indiana Court Decisions – July 13-27, 2022
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the latest reporting period.
Bankruptcy filings still falling, reversal expected
Even as Americans are paying more at the gas pump and grocery checkout, filings for bankruptcy protection have continued to decline, dropping 17.7% nationally and 19.1% in the 7th Circuit for the year ending June 30, 2022.
In affirming dismissal of Roncalli discrimination lawsuit, Easterbrook advises starting with statute
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has again sided with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by Lynn Starkey, a Roncalli High School guidance counselor who was fired for being in a same-sex marriage.
7th Circuit reverses for fired federal employee on retaliation claims
A jury could determinate that retaliatory animus influenced a woman’s decision-making and ultimately caused the termination of her co-worker, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a Thursday reversal.
7th Circuit upholds decision in Roncalli discrimination lawsuit
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a former guidance counselor’s discrimination claims against Roncalli High School and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Injunction against ‘mature minors’ parental notice abortion law lifted
A federal court has lifted an injunction against an Indiana abortion law requiring “mature minors” to notify their parents before getting an abortion — a decision that comes as the Indiana General Assembly is considering legislation that would enact a near-total ban on abortions statewide.
7th Circuit uphold dismissal of gun accessory manufacturer’s complaint
The owner of a firearm accessories manufacturing facility in southern Indiana who claimed his rights against search and seizure were violated when federal agents raided his business got a lesson on the Federal Rules of Evidence and the importance of precedent from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
DCS caseworkers who allegedly threatened parents with CHINS case must face civil suit, 7th Circuit rules
Two DCS caseworkers who allegedly threatened a couple with a CHINS proceeding if they did not submit their child to a blood draw must face the parents’ civil lawsuit, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled, overturning a lower court finding that the caseworkers were protected by qualified immunity.
Time winding down for White House to fill Kanne vacancy
The Indiana seat on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals left vacant by the sudden death of Judge Michael Kanne gives the Biden administration the opportunity to flip the seat. But with Republicans largely expected to win back the Senate in November, the time needed to select, nominate and confirm a judge by the end of this year is rapidly slipping away.
7th Circuit: Compassionate release not warranted despite prisoner’s ‘extraordinary’ rehabilitation efforts
A man who has revitalized his life while incarcerated has again been denied an opportunity at a second chance beyond prison walls after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded rehabilitation efforts are not a ground for compassionate release.
7th Circuit finds investment firm shielded from fiduciary duty claim by power of attorney
An opinion from a state appellate court that was issued while the Southern Indiana District Court was considering a motion to dismiss in a fiduciary duty dispute did not change the federal judge’s decision to grant the motion, but it did alter the reasoning on which the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed.
Indiana Court Decisions: June 29-July 12, 2022
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Gymnast fails to clear timeliness bar at 7th Circuit
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has found that a USA gymnast who was among the hundreds sexually assaulted by a former team physician did not present any evidence to support her claim to take part in the settlement agreement.
7th Circuit vacates conspiracy conviction for drug dealer who didn’t understand charge
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated and remanded a drug dealer’s conviction of conspiracy as well as his sentences after concluding a district court failed to clear up any confusion regarding his guilty plea.
Fired worker’s ADA retaliation claim not supported by evidence
A part-time employee argued she was terminated in retaliation for requesting a reasonable accommodation for her disability, but the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found the evidence she provided to support her claim would not convince a reasonable juror.
Pryor garners praise at confirmation hearing
Having built a legal career that includes two federal court clerkships, 12 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and four years as a federal magistrate judge, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals nominee and Southern Indiana District Court Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor sat for her confirmation hearing Wednesday and faced the stiffest questions about a 2019 speech she gave for Constitution Day at her son’s elementary school.
7th Circuit agrees evidence was ‘too vague’ to undermine jury
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an Indiana man’s conviction for rape, finding the evidence presented at trial that linked him to another rape was “too vague” to prejudice the jury.