United States Seventh Circuit

In a challenge to renovation plans for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, denial of a church's motion for a preliminary restraining order preventing the relocation of a cemetery is affirmed where: 1) a statute enabling the relocation was facially neutral in regards to religious practices; 2) there is no evidence in support of the claim of a specific targeting of religious institutions or practices; 3) plaintiff's equal protection claim failed; and 4) eminent domain does not constitute a "land use" regulation subject to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Appellate Information

• Argued 01/10/2006
• Decided 09/13/2007
• Published 09/13/2007

Judges

• WOOD, Circuit Judge., Before BAUER, RIPPLE, and WOOD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Joseph V. Karaganis (argued), Karaganis, White & Magel, Chicago, IL, for Plaintiffs-Appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Mara S. Georges, Benna R. Solomon (argued), Suzanne M. Loose, Office of the Corporation Counsel Appeals Division, Chicago, IL, for Defendant-Appellee, City of Chicago., Emily Nicklin, Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago, IL, for Defendant, Richard M. Daley., Todd S. Aaraard (argued), Department of Justice Environment & Natural Resources Division, Patrick W. Johnson, Office of the United States Attorney, Chicago, IL, Charles Prock, Federal Aviation Administration, Des Plaines, IL, for Defendant-Appellee, Federal Aviation Administration., Deborah L. Ahlstrand, Office of the Attorney General Civil Appeals Division, Chicago, IL, for Defendant, State of Illinois.