United States Seventh Circuit

In a prisoner suit alleging sexual assault by a guard, a jury verdict for defendant is reversed where the district court abused its discretion by applying only half of the prevailing legal standard in denying plaintiff's motions to have the court appoint counsel, and the error was not harmless since there was a reasonable likelihood that assistance of counsel would have made a difference in the outcome of plaintiff's case.

Appellate Information

• Argued 05/22/2007
• Decided 10/03/2007
• Published 10/03/2007

Judges

• SYKES, Circuit Judge., Before EASTERBROOK, Chief Judge, and POSNER, COFFEY, RIPPLE, MANION, KANNE, ROVNER, WOOD, EVANS, WILLIAMS, and SYKES, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Peter C. McCabe, III, William P. Ferranti (argued), Winston & Strawn, Chicago, IL, for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Carl Elitz (argued), Office of the Attorney General, Civil Appeals Division, Chicago, IL, for Defendants-Appellees.