Inmate scheduled for Thursday execution asks 7th Circuit for a stay
With mere hours left before his scheduled execution, Brandon Bernard is awaiting a decision from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that could delay his death by lethal injection.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
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Judging future jurists: Kirsch grilled in 7th Circuit bid while diversity calls grow and Flaum takes senior status
With two vacancies now on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, President Donald Trump’s nominee for an Indiana seat faced tough questioning on Capitol Hill while bar and civil rights groups called for change on the Chicago-based court, the only all-white federal appeals bench in the nation.
Senate Committee holds Kirsch’s nomination to succeed Barrett
The Senate Judiciary Committee held consideration of Thomas Kirsch’s nomination until its Dec. 10 meeting, putting the U.S. Attorney for the Northern Indiana District’s confirmation to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a tight race against the clock.
Federal courts invite families to celebrate Bill of Rights through virtual event
As courts nationwide are celebrating the anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution’s first 10 Amendments during the month of December, families are invited to join in during a Wednesday evening event.
Full 7th Circuit rejects federal execution appeal over mental capacity
In a 7-2 decision, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected a federal death row inmate’s request for an en banc rehearing after a panel of the court in October refused to stay his execution due to his claimed mental incapacity.
7th Circuit discusses supervised release appeals in child-porn case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a man’s sentence after deciding to bring closure to a recurring issue faced in recent years regarding criminal defendants’ contentions about unconstitutionally vague conditions of supervised release.
7th Circuit gets another vacancy as Flaum takes senior status
Judge Joel Flaum of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals took senior status Monday, creating another vacancy on the appellate court that has welcomed four new judges and is preparing for a fifth since Donald Trump became president in 2017. Flaum has served on the federal appellate bench for 37 years.
Minority groups highlight need for diversity on all-white 7th Circuit
The lack of diversity on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals – which would remain unchanged if nominee Thomas Kirsch II is confirmed to fill the current vacancy – is prompting minority groups to speak out and call upon elected officials and the judiciary to appoint judges from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Investor loses appeal of ruling in favor of futures association
A derivatives investor whose longtime association with a trader soured before the trader was barred from dealing in commodity futures lost his appeal of a ruling in favor of the entity that regulates those traders.
7th Circuit again rules for buyer in long-running rubber-supply litigation
A dispute between a carbon buyer and seller has once again resolved in the buyer’s favor, with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals finding the buyer was entitled to terminate a contract based on the seller’s breach.
Kirsch questioned about Chicago crime guns during confirmation hearing
During his allotted time to question Thomas Kirsch II about his potential confirmation to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, bypassed all inquiries about the judiciary and pressed the nominee on the flow of guns from Indiana to Chicago.
After criticism, Feinstein to step down as top Senate Judiciary Democrat
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Monday she will step down from her role as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, giving up the powerful spot after public criticism of her bipartisan outreach and her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings.
Kirsch pressed on originalism at 7th Circuit confirmation hearing
As many judicial nominees before him have done, Thomas Kirsch II told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee that he would apply the law as written but his explanations of how he would interpret statutes brought intense scrutiny from senators on both sides of aisle.
Sentence upheld for pharmacy exec convicted of distributing bad drugs
The former owner of a Noblesville compounding pharmacy lost an appeal of his conviction and prison sentence related to the distribution of drugs that contained more or less potency than labeled – in some cases with a potency up to 25 times greater than they should have been.
Confirmation hearing for Kirsch set for today
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana Thomas Kirsch II is scheduled to appear before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday as he begins the confirmation process to fill the vacancy on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals created by the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
7th Circuit affirms consecutive federal, state sentences for South Bend crimes
How should federal judges decide whether sentences in federal prosecutions should run consecutively to or concurrently with sentences in unrelated state prosecutions? The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals tackled that question in a Monday decision, affirming a man’s decades-long sentence for his part in a South Bend kidnapping.
Whistleblower ATF agent wins appeal; 7th Circuit blasts administrative judge
A federal law enforcement agent who filed a whistleblower complaint claiming he was retaliated against after he alleged another agent committed perjury during a criminal trial won his appeal, and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals harshly criticized a judge it said ignored its orders in a prior remand.
Indiana election suit plaintiffs waiting for fees, watching voting statutes
In the only election lawsuit the state did not appeal, the plaintiffs have filed a third request with the Southern Indiana District Court for more time in filing a petition for attorney fees.
Supreme Court issues flurry of last-minute election orders
At first blush, the difference in outcomes at the U.S. Supreme Court in cases regarding the counting of absentee ballots seems odd because the high court typically takes up issues to harmonize the rules across the country. But elections are largely governed by states, and the rules differ from one state to the next.
Justices deny fast, new look at Pennsylvania ballot deadline
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would not grant a quick, pre-election review to a new Republican appeal to exclude absentee ballots received after Election Day in the presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania, although it remained unclear whether those ballots will ultimately be counted.