United States Seventh Circuit - Opinion Summaries

US v. ALVAREZ-MARTINEZ

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
For purposes of sentence for conviction of being in the United States without consent after having previously been deported as a convicted felon,...

RODRIGUEZ v. US

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing, Habeas Corpus
Denial of ineffective assistance of counsel claim was proper where there was no showing that counsel's performance fell below reasonableness standard,...

RYAN v. UNION PACIFIC R.R. CO.

Contracts, Labor & Employment Law
Because collective bargaining agreement between defendant employer and union appoints the latter as plaintiffs' exclusive representative in grievance...

WATSON v. SMITH

Bankruptcy Law, Debt Collection
Discharge of bankruptcy petitioner's debt to creditor was rightfully granted where debtor's pre-filing conduct did not indicate that Chapter 13...

US v. THOMPSON

Criminal Law & Procedure
Consolidated appeals by three participants in drug conspiracy; all arguments rejected except challenge to district court's application of the drug...

MITCHELL v. DONCHIN

Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Remedies
Claimant never alleged that defendants took any step to prevent suit and should have been aware of the possibility of a claim against defendants, thus...

PURZE v. VILLAGE OF WINTHROP HARBOR

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Property Law & Real Estate
In action for denial of equal protection for refusal to approve plats of a subdivision plan, summary judgment was proper where plaintiffs failed to...

ALLSTATE INS. CO. v. MENARDS, INC.

Civil Procedure, Injury & Tort Law, Insurance Law
The Erie doctrine imposes on federal courts the responsibility to determine the content of state law at the state, not the local, level, and because...

FISCHER v. US

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
Because the petitioner failed to challenge the lack of jury unanimity on his conviction under 21 U.S.C. section 848, the "drug kingpin" statute, in...

MCCASKILL v. SCI MGMT. CORP.

Civil Rights, Dispute Resolution & Arbitration, Labor & Employment Law
Because attorney's fee clause in arbitration agreement between plaintiff and her employer purports to prevent plaintiff from effectively vindicating...