Seventh Circuit Tag

Here are published decisions involving local governments from the federal appellate courts from December 9, 2013, through December 13, 2013: Sixth Circuit Henschel v. Clare County Road Commission, No. 13-1528 (Dec. 13, 2013) (in ADA claim brought by individual not permitted to return to work after accident, reversing grant of summary judgment to road commission because genuine issues of material fact remained about whether individual was qualified). Seventh Circuit Jones v. City of Elkhart, No. 12-3912 (Dec. 12, 2013) (affirming grant of summary judgment for City...

Here are published decisions involving local governments from the federal appellate courts from November 25, 2013 through December 6, 2013: Second Circuit American Petroleum and Transport v. City of New York, No. 12-4505 (Dec. 6, 2013) (finding that vessel owner may not be awarded damages for economic loss due to negligence in the absence of physical damage to property). Fourth Circuit Sandslands C&D LLC v. County of Horry, No. 13-1134 (Dec. 3, 2013) (affirming that County waste-disposal ordinance does not violate Dormant Commerce or...

Here are published decisions involving local governments from the federal appellate courts from November 18, 2013 through November 22, 2013: First Circuit: Easthampton Savings Bank v. City of Springfield, No. 12-1917 (Nov. 22, 2013) (certifying state-law questions regarding municipal ordinances addressing foreclosures to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court). See our coverage here. Seventh Circuit: Hamilton v. Village of Oak Lawn, No. 12-3174 (Nov. 20, 2013) (affirming dismissal of 1983 challenge based on alleged unlawful detention under Fourth Amendment). ...

Here are published decisions involving local governments from the federal appellate courts from November 11, 2013 through November 15, 2013: First Circuit Winslow v. Aroostook County, No. 13-1319 (Nov. 15, 2013) (finding Winslow is not a whistleblower under Maine Whistleblowers' Protection Act). Second Circuit Lynch v. City of New York, No. 12-3089 (Nov. 15, 2013) (affirming summary judgment for NYPD in Fourth-Amendment challenge to City policy requiring breathalyzer test for any officer whose firearm discharge results in death or injury; testing under the policy...

Here are published decisions involving local governments from the federal appellate courts from November 4, 2013 through November 8, 2013: Seventh Circuit Brumfield v. City of Chicago, No. 11-2265 (Nov. 6, 2013) (finding that Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply to public-employment discrimination claims). See our coverage here. Balthazar v. City of Chicago, No. 12-3378 (Nov. 8, 2013) (affirming dismissal of 1983 action against officers for alleged unreasonable apartment search after mistaken opening of wrong apartment). See our coverage here. ...

In Balthazar v. City of Chicago, No. 12-3378 (Nov. 8, 2013), the Seventh Circuit addressed an interesting Fourth-Amendment question: is it a "search" for officers to mistakenly open the wrong apartment door and glance inside? Judge Posner said that in this case, it likely was not: Police forced open the door of a residence by mistake, realized their mistake immediately (in fact before the door opened—for remember that Beckman tried to check the forward motion of the battering ram), and left immediately....

Does Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act apply to employment-related discrimination claims, even though Title I of the Act specifically addresses such claims? Answering this "question of first impression" in the circuit, in Brumfield v. City of Chicago, No. 11-2265 (Nov. 6, 2013), the Seventh Circuit today joined the Ninth and Tenth Circuits in concluding that Title II does not extend to employment-discrimination claims. Such claims must be brought under Title I. The court determined that because, read in context, Title II unambiguously does not reach employment-discrimination claims, the court need...

Eagle Cove believed that its religion required it to hold its Bible camp in only one place: on its lake-side property in Oneida County, Wisconsin. But the County had zoned the property for residential use only. When Eagle Cove asked the County to re-zone the property, the County refused. When Eagle Cove asked for a conditional use permit so that it could hold the Bible camp anyway, the County denied that too.Wisc-lake Did the County's denials violate the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act? In Eagle Cove Camp & Conference Center v. Town of Woodboro, No. 13-1274 (Oct. 30, 2013), the Seventh Circuit said "no." It affirmed the grant of summary judgment for the County and for the Town of Woodboro. No Total Exclusion One provision of RLUIPA provides that

Here are published decisions involving local governments from the federal appellate courts from October 28, 2013 through November 1, 2013: 6th Circuit Hidden Village, LLC v. City of Lakewood,  No. 12-3543 (Oct. 30, 2013) (finding that claim brought by apartment-complex owner that City and officials waged racially motivated harassment campaign against its tenants may proceed to trial). Burgess v. Fischer, No. 12-4191 (Nov. 1, 2013) (holding that summary judgment for County and officers was only proper for certain of plaintiffs' excessive force, failure to intervene, deliberate...

Here's how local governments fared in the federal courts of appeals during the past week. Seventh Circuit Perry v. City of Chicago, No. 10-3979 (Oct. 23, 2013) (affirming verdict for City against evidentiary challenges). Lavalais v. Village of Melrose Park, No. 13-1200 (Oct. 23, 2013) (vacating dismissal of race-discrimination claims brought against Village by former Village employee based on denial of transfer from midnight shift). Williams v. City of Chicago, No. 12-3249 (Oct. 24, 2013) (reversing grant of summary judgment for City, finding officers are not...