7th Circuit Court

Trial Allowed in Prisoner Challenge to Media Policy

A federal appeals court is allowing a challenge to a federal policy that bans death row inmates from holding face-to-face interviews with journalists. Death-row inmate David Paul Hammer claims the ban violates his First Amendment rights. The Bureau of Prisons said security concerns justified the ban, but Hammer argued the…

Jan 17, 2008 4:39 PM CST

Tinder Confirmed for 7th Circuit; Senator Raises Concern

The U.S. Senate has confirmed U.S. District Judge John Daniel Tinder of Indiana for a seat on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The vote was unanimous for Tinder, who had the backing of both of Indiana’s senators, the Indianapolis Star reports. “Throughout John’s career, his reputation for…

Dec 20, 2007 5:14 PM CST

Obama Played ‘Strong, Silent Type’ in Court

Presidential contender Barack Obama, known for his oratorical skills, played the “strong, silent type” when he was practicing law, according to a feature Monday in the Chicago Sun-Times. The paper reviewed cases Obama worked on while he was at Miner Barnhill & Galland and found that other than making introductions,…

Dec 17, 2007 4:47 PM CST

Ex-Hollinger GC Gets Probation

Lost in the news accounts of sentencing yesterday for Conrad Black, the ex-CEO of Hollinger International, was the sentence for the company’s former general counsel. Mark Kipnis, convicted of fraud for helping arrange illegal payments to Black and two co-defendants, received five years’ probation, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog…

Dec 11, 2007 7:18 PM CST

Motor Voter Law a Fast Track to Crime

Proudly proceeding on a fast track toward legal residency and eventual U.S. citizenship, Beth Keathley was so excited about having had a chance to vote in her first American election that she mentioned the milestone to her immigration officer. The next thing she knew, she had been charged with a…

Dec 3, 2007 9:45 PM CST

Judge: ‘Easy’ Diet Claim in TV Ads Misleading, Violated Order

A television pitchman has been found in contempt of a federal court order, for continuing to make misleading claims in television infomercials about a diet book he authored. Specifically, Kevin Trudeau violated the order by depicting the diet described in his book, The Weight Loss Cure “They” Don’t Want You…

Nov 20, 2007 5:11 PM CST

Right to Life’s Challenge to Judge Ethics Code Tossed

A federal appeals court has dismissed a challenge to Indiana’s judicial ethics code that barred judicial candidates from making statements about issues likely to come before the courts. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today (PDF) that Indiana Right to Life did not have standing to bring its…

Oct 26, 2007 5:53 PM CDT

Ex-IL Governor Writes of ‘Mindless Brutality’ in Prison

A former Illinois governor who served time at a Minnesota prison sometimes known as “Club Fed” says he encountered “mindless brutality” at the facility. In a commentary for the Chicago Tribune, former Gov. Dan Walker urges mercy for a more recent governor—George Ryan. The en banc 7th U.S. Circuit Court…

Oct 26, 2007 2:52 PM CDT

Divided 7th Circuit Rejects IL Gov’s Appeal

A former Illinois governor may soon be headed to jail after the rejection of his appeal of his federal corruption conviction. The full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused today to grant an en banc hearing to reconsider an earlier decision by a divided three-judge appellate court panel to…

Oct 25, 2007 5:58 PM CDT

New Twist: Fee Award Too Low

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has rejected a class action award, but not because of exorbitant fees. Indeed, the court questioned whether Milberg Weiss was undercompensated when it represented shareholders of the now-defunct MarchFirst Inc. The Chicago Tribune characterized the decision as a rare victory for…

Oct 24, 2007 5:05 PM CDT

Former AG Says DOJ Politicized Prosecution

After a relatively convivial two-day confirmation hearing last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee concerning President Bush’s nomination of Michael Mukasey to be the new U.S. attorney general, the gloves were off again today in a House Judiciary Committee hearing over alleged improper White House political influence in Department of…

Oct 23, 2007 11:05 PM CDT

How Not to Choose a Lead Plaintiff

After more than a year of legal wrangling, attorneys representing the plaintiffs in a would-be securities class action couldn’t come up with a lead plaintiff candidate who was acceptable to the trial judge. Hence, the judge refused to certify the class, and the plaintiff lawyers went to the 7th U.S.…

Oct 18, 2007 9:22 PM CDT

After Murders, Judge Seeks ‘Resurrections’

With the third anniversary of a tragic day in her life several months away, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow has granted an interview to a national television show, her first since the event that changed her life. On Feb. 28, 2005, Lefkow’s mother and husband were murdered at her Chicago…

Oct 15, 2007 10:40 PM CDT

Survey: Lawyers Split on Required Retirement

Although half of the law firms discussed in a recent survey have mandatory retirement policies, only a little more than one-third of the responding lawyers agree with such policies. That suggests it may be time for law firms to rethink mandatory retirement, says James Cotterman, a principal of the Altman…

Oct 11, 2007 5:57 PM CDT

Sidley ‘Partner’ Payout: Up to $1.8 M

The 32 former partners of Sidley Austin who were demoted in 1999 will receive a payment of between $122,000 and $1.8 million under an age discrimination settlement approved yesterday by a federal judge. “The amount to be paid to each of the 32 former Sidley [partners] was placed under seal,”…

Oct 6, 2007 12:39 AM CDT