Articles

7th Circuit certifies questions for Kansas Supreme Court

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals was unable to determine under Kansas law how that state’s Supreme Court would rule on whether FedEx drivers are employees or independent contractors, so the court sent two certified questions to the Kansas justices.

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Judges disagree over impact of mental illness label at sentencing

7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Diane Wood believed that Michael Dean Overstreet, who was convicted of killing Franklin College student Kelly Eckart in 1997, was prejudiced by his attorneys’ decisions at sentencing regarding which experts should testify about his mental illness.

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7th Circuit affirms life sentences in prostitution ring

Two men sentenced to life in prison on an assortment of federal charges related to a prostitution ring involving underage girls that operated in northwest Indiana failed in their appeal before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, but judges asked the trial court to clarify the sentence for a third defendant.

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7th Circuit receives 52 applications for bankruptcy judgeships

The Judicial Council of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals received 52 applications from people interested in filling two upcoming bankruptcy court vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The court previously announced that Judges Anthony Metz III and Frank J. Otte will retire this year.

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7th Circuit dismisses case for mootness

The appeal of an eviction initiated by the Housing Authority of South Bend was dismissed by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals because the woman and her son have already been evicted.

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7th Circuit upholds 300-month sentence

The United States Sentencing Guidelines aren’t susceptible to vagueness challenges, so a defendant’s claim that the career offender sentencing guideline is unconstitutionally vague failed, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.

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Defendants’ drug sentences ineligible for reduction

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the sentences of six members of a Gary street gang for various crack cocaine and other offenses, finding none of the men are eligible to have their sentences reduced based on the retroactive crack cocaine amendments to the sentencing guidelines.

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