U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Recent News About U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
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Seventh Circuit finds ConAgra not liable for grain bin explosion; tosses its share of $180M jury award
EasterbrookOverturning its share of a nearly $180 million jury award, a federal appeals panel on Tuesday found ConAgra Foods Inc. not liable for a 2010 explosion in a southern Illinois grain elevator because it had hired a self-proclaimed expert to deal with smoldering bin before it blew up and injured three men.In its 10-page opinion, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said U.S. District Judge Michael -
Seventh Circuit revives class action suit over payday loans; calls arbitration clause "unconscionable" and process "a sham"
An embattled provider of online payday loans who allegedly used his standing as a member of a Sioux Indian tribe to tailor loan agreement terms to skirt state and federal law will need to defend yet more of those loans in federal court after the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals panel determined arbitration procedures designed to give jurisdiction over the contracts to tribal courts failed to pass legal -
Seventh Circuit rejects Prenda trio's Lightspeed appeal, upholds sanctions award and contempt finding
WoodThe Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals late last week upheld a quarter of a million dollar sanctions award and a contempt finding against a trio of attorneys believed to be behind the now-dissolved Prenda Law firm.In its 24-page ruling in Lightspeed Media Corp. v. Anthony Smith, et al., the federal appeals panel rejected every argument Paul Duffy, Paul Hansmeier and John Steele presented, saying -
Judge reinstates evidence fabrication count in trio's wrongful conviction suit; cites Seventh Circuit ruling to reverse prior decision
Three men wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for more than a decade for the brutal rape and murder of a Chicago woman have received permission from a federal judge, in light of a recent federal appellate decision, to renew their claim that police and prosecutors violated their constitutional rights by fabricating evidence to falsely link them to the crime. -
Seventh Circuit OKs Chicago's ward map for 2015 aldermanic elections
A federal appeals panel today upheld the City of Chicago’s new ward map as constitutional. -
Limo companies slap Caterpillar with class action suit over engines
Two Illinois limousine companies are seeking more than $5 million from one of the state’s largest manufactures, claiming it used deceptive practices to sell them defective engines.Windy City Limousine LLC and JKS Limousine LLC filed a class action lawsuit against Caterpillar Inc. June 9 in Chicago’s federal court.The plaintiffs assert they both leased-to-own vehicles containing Caterpillar diesel engines -
Seventh Circuit: 1988, $3K settlement precludes man's lawsuit over Burge police torture
RovnerA man who asserts he confessed to murder after being tortured by Chicago police officers under the watch of former Cmdr. Jon Burge will not be given a second chance to litigate his case after a federal appeals panel determined his 1988 decision to settle his claims for $3,000 prevents him from doing so.In a 50-page opinion handed down May 27, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal -
Seventh Circuit calls Pella class action settlement ‘scandalous;’ removes Paul Weiss as attorney
PosnerA federal appeals court has overturned the approval of a multi-million dollar class action settlement, describing it as “inequitable – even scandalous.”The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Monday overturned a settlement involving window-maker Pella Corporation that was estimated to be worth $90 million, though the court feels its value is much, much less.Class counsel was to receive -
Attorney Gill Garman, husband of chief justice, dies; colleagues remember him as "family man"
Gill GarmanIllinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman’s husband has died.Gill M. Garman, a senior partner at Kesler Nelson Garman Brougher & Townsley P.C. in Danville, died Saturday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, according to his obituary and a Monday news release form the court. He was 71.Not only was Gill known for helping Garman reach the center seat behind the state high court
