United States Seventh Circuit - May 2003 Opinion Summaries

US v. SIMS

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
Supplemental jury instruction as to the proper standard of intent for conspiracy to commit mail fraud was not an abuse of discretion. Obstruction of...

ALLIANT ENERGY CORP. v. BIE

Commercial Law, Constitutional Law, Corporation & Enterprise Law, Public Utilities
In constitutional challenges to statutes regulating public utilities and public utility holding companies in Wisconsin, 1) an in-state incorporation...

BUCKLEW v. HAWKINS, ASH, BAPTIE & CO, LLP

Copyright, Cyberspace Law, Intellectual Property, Remedies
In an action alleging infringement on copyrighted construction and display of electronic forms, a jury verdict for infringement can stand only with...

LEWIS v. PETERSON

Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus
The rule of Bousley v. US, 523 U.S. 614 (1998), is not limited to the case in which a dropped or otherwise forgone charge was more serious, rather...

MARTIN v. SNYDER

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law
Prison officials were entitled to qualified immunity to a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 claim by an inmate and his wife, alleging restriction of ability to...

LEE v. CITY OF CHICAGO

Civil Rights, Government Law, Property Law & Real Estate
Conditioning a car's release upon payment of storage and towing fees does not amount to a "seizure" under the Fourth Amendment, but a 42 U.S.C....

ALEXANDER v. DEANGELO

Civil Rights, Criminal Law & Procedure, Government Law
Use of trickery in a sting operation cannot in itself give rise to a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 suit for damages, but where a police officer may have...

GIBBS v. VANNATTA

Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus
A habeas petitioner showed that his appellate lawyer's performance fell below the minimum level of competent representation where a defendant was...

BILLY-BOB TEETH, INC. v. NOVELTY, INC.

Copyright, Intellectual Property, Trade Dress
A third-party infringer had no standing under 17 U.S.C. section 204 where there was no dispute between copyright owner and transferee about the status...

GEORGIS v. ASHCROFT

Immigration Law
Denial of asylum and withholding of deportation is vacated where purported inconsistencies in claims of racial and political opinion discrimination...