7th Circuit Court

En banc 7th Circuit upholds gun seizure in claimed case of ‘parking while black’

A full federal appeals court has upheld a conviction based on a gun discovered when police shined their lights into a car parked too close to the crosswalk. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago upheld the conviction of Randy Johnson over a dissent that claimed the car…

Oct 31, 2017 2:57 PM CDT

Citing Posner opinion, 7th Circuit grants new trial because of Posner comments

A criminal defendant accused of receiving $600,000 in fraudulent tax refunds is entitled to a new trial because of statements by Judge Richard Posner when he was acting as the trial judge, a federal appeals court has ruled in a decision that cites a 1996 Posner decision.

Oct 26, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Posner says he is organizing a national pro-bono group that includes ex-prisoner

Updated: Former Judge Richard Posner is continuing his quest to help pro se litigants by forming a nationwide pro bono law group made up of lawyers and consultants.

Oct 24, 2017 9:33 AM CDT

Posner says he is open to litigating on behalf of pro se litigants, defends book

Retired Judge Richard Posner isn’t giving up on his crusade to help pro se litigants, even as he defends his book on the subject amid criticism for its use of internal memoranda from his former court, the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sep 26, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Is Posner’s ‘baffling’ book an ethics breach? Chief judge objects to release of internal memos

Retired Judge Richard Posner of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals apparently ruffled colleagues’ feathers and raised ethics questions when he released internal materials in a new book on the treatment of pro se litigators.

Sep 21, 2017 11:48 AM CDT

7th Circuit’s chief judge disagrees with newly retired Posner on pro se criticisms

Chief Judge Diane Wood of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is voicing her disagreement with newly retired Judge Richard Posner.

Sep 15, 2017 4:53 PM CDT

Posner: Most judges regard pro se litigants as ‘kind of trash not worth the time’

Judge Richard Posner cites boredom with judging as well as rebuffed efforts to aid pro se litigants in a new interview explaining his decision to suddenly retire from the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sep 11, 2017 11:57 AM CDT

Why did Posner retire? He cites ‘difficulty’ with his colleagues on one issue

Judge Richard Posner had intended to stay on the federal appellate bench until he reached 80, an age he believed to be the upper limit for federal judges.

Sep 7, 2017 9:04 AM CDT

Judge Richard Posner retires from the 7th Circuit after 36 years

Judge Richard Posner of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is retiring effective Saturday, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Sun-Times reported late Friday.

Sep 1, 2017 5:22 PM CDT

Subway foot-long settlement ‘utterly worthless’ to customers, 7th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has tossed an injunctive settlement in nine consolidated lawsuits that contended some Subway sandwiches fell short of the touted foot-long length.

Aug 30, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Posner rejects pattern jury instruction while sitting as trial judge and gets reversed

Judge Richard Posner of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has made clear his disdain for legal jargon and pattern jury instructions that are “largely unintelligible to jurors.” But his objection to the legal jargon in a pattern instruction, while sitting by designation as a trial judge in…

Aug 28, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Posner opinion tosses death sentence for man forced to wear stun belt during penalty hearing

An Indiana man sentenced to death for a triple murder was prejudiced by his lawyer’s failure to object to a stun gun belt he wore under his shirt, the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in an opinion by Judge Richard Posner.

Aug 8, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

‘No need for octogenarians’ on the bench, including those on the Supreme Court, Posner says

Judge Richard Posner is 78 years old, according to Wikipedia, a source he has cited in his own opinions for the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In a couple of years, Posner’s judicial career would be over if the position he takes in a Slate article were to come to fruition.

Jul 10, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Mayer Brown isn’t liable for $1.5B error that erased security interest in loan, 7th Circuit holds

Mayer Brown isn’t liable for a paralegal’s error that canceled a security interest in a $1.5 billion loan to General Motors because the law firm didn’t represent the lenders, according to a federal appeals court.

Jul 5, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

7th Circuit refuses to reinstate conviction of Brendan Dassey in ‘Making a Murderer’ case

Updated: A federal appeals court has refused to reinstate the conviction of a Wisconsin man convicted of helping his uncle kill a woman in a murder case featured in the Making a Murderer Netflix series. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a ruling that overturned the conviction…

Jun 22, 2017 3:36 PM CDT