Indiana Court Decisions: May 4-17, 2023
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Articles
Opinions May 22, 2023
United States of America v. Travis Lee Beechler
21-3379
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Judge James Hanlon.
Criminal. Affirms Travis Beechler’s convictions of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Also affirms Beechler’s 30-year sentence. Finds Beechler’s Fourth Amendment rights weren’t violated. Also finds the district court didn’t commit reversible error in applying sentencing enhancements.
7th Circuit affirms meth conviction, sentence for man on home detention
A search that uncovered 388 grams of methamphetamine and led to a man’s conviction did not violate his Fourth Amendment rights because he waived them as part of his home detention, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
Argument of racial bias in jury selection rejected by 7th Circuit
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a man’s claims of racial bias in jury selection for his felon in possession of a weapon case and affirmed a lower court’s ruling Wednesday.
Indiana Court Decisions: April 20-May 3, 2023
Read the latest Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Prisoner at Terre Haute federal prison wins reversal for grievance
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s ruling to dismiss two grievances from a prisoner who claimed he was beaten by guards at Terre Haute’s federal prison. But the appellate court reversed and remanded a third grievance back to the district court for a Pavey hearing.
District court correct in declining to reduce sentence for gun offenses, 7th Circuit affirms
A district court ruled correctly when it declined to impose a reduced sentence for a convicted drug trafficker’s gun-related offenses, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday.
SCOTUS once again considering challenge to IN fetal disposition abortion law
Today’s conference of the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to include discussion about whether the justices should once again consider a case challenging a law governing the disposal of aborted fetal remains in Indiana.
7th Circuit again reverses judgment for sex offenders who challenged registration requirement
Requiring sex offenders who are already subject to registration elsewhere to also register in Indiana rationally promotes public safety, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing a district court’s judgment.
7th Circuit asks IN Supreme Court to consider dispute about corporate contributions to PACs
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is asking the Indiana Supreme Court to consider whether state law prohibits or otherwise limits corporate contributions to political action committees or other entities that engage in independent campaign-related expenditures.
Man did not have standing, suffer concrete injuries in debt collection case, 7th Circuit affirms
An Indiana man did not have standing to sue a collection agency and the company’s letters did not cause him any concrete injury, a split 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.
Indiana Court Decisions: April 6-19, 2023
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Suspected drug dealer who used alias to rent condo wins reversal at 7th Circuit
Although he had used an alias to hide from law enforcement and rent a condo, law enforcement did not have the right to search a suspected drug dealer’s residence with only his landlord’s consent, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
$11K sanction for unemployment fraud not excessive, 7th Circuit affirms
A woman who failed to report part-time income on her unemployment applications didn’t get an excessive sanction when she was required to repay $11,190 to the state, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
Indiana Court Decisions: March 22-April 5, 2023
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7th Circuit sides with school district following teacher’s ‘forced resignation’ over transgender name policy
A central Indiana school district did not violate the religious rights of a former teacher who resigned after refusing to follow the district’s policy for how to address transgender students, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in affirming a district court’s decision.
Court backs school district in teacher firing over transgender students’ names
An Indiana school district did not violate a former music teacher’s rights by pushing him to resign after the man refused to use transgender students’ names and gender pronouns, a federal appeals court said in an order released Friday.
Indiana Court Decisions: March 9-21, 2023
Read the latest Indiana appellate court opinions from the most recent reporting period.
7th Circuit judges open up about their process, tips for arguments during IU McKinney panel
Three federal judges from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals shed some light on how they work, offered advice to attorneys and reminisced on former judges during a conversation Monday evening at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
7th Circuit hears arguments in Shelbyville woman’s Rehabilitation Act case at IU McKinney
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is urging the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a district court’s ruling that a Shelbyville woman with a mobility impairment has meaningful access to post office services.