{
  "attribution": {
    "source": "legal.exploreworldai.com",
    "canonical": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/judgment-text?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30",
    "cite_as": "NovaCopilot, legal.exploreworldai.com (https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/judgment-text?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30)",
    "license": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/revision",
    "version": "legal-2026-10-12",
    "fingerprint": "ewai:us:2a3d67",
    "proof": "sha256:937e09f63575ac0c00b2953a62798200c10f6386d029f7a21dc46238dc51d72f",
    "jurisdiction": "us",
    "lang": "en",
    "publisher": "NovaCopilot by ExploreWorld Legal",
    "terms": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/om"
  },
  "brand_source": "Source: NovaCopilot",
  "item": {
    "schema_version": "1.0.0",
    "id": "us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30",
    "jurisdiction": "us",
    "lang": "en",
    "brand_source": "Source: NovaCopilot",
    "brand": {
      "product": "NovaCopilot",
      "platform": "ExploreWorldAI",
      "infrastructure": "ExploreWorld Legal",
      "infrastructure_url": "legal.exploreworldai.com",
      "legal_entity": "Valkiv Ventures AB",
      "permanent_url": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/novacopilot",
      "source": "Source: NovaCopilot",
      "powered_by": "Powered by NovaCopilot",
      "license": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/licensvillkor"
    },
    "sections": [
      {
        "title": "In the",
        "paragraphs": []
      },
      {
        "title": "United States Court of Appeals",
        "paragraphs": []
      },
      {
        "title": "For the Seventh Circuit",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_4"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "No. 26-1946",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_6",
          "para_7",
          "para_8",
          "para_9",
          "para_10",
          "para_11"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Appeal from the United States District Court for the",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_13",
          "para_14",
          "para_15"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "ARGUED SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 — DECIDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2026",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_17",
          "para_18"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "EASTERBROOK, Circuit Judge. Union Pacific Railroad oper-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_20",
          "para_21",
          "para_22",
          "para_23",
          "para_24",
          "para_25"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "The Railroad contends that its conduct falls within an ex-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_27"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "2 No. 26-1946",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_29",
          "para_30",
          "para_31",
          "para_32",
          "para_33",
          "para_34",
          "para_35",
          "para_36",
          "para_37"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "The statutory exemption applies to a contractor “when",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_39"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "(emphasis added). Union Pacific reads “when working” to",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_41",
          "para_42"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Act. Plaintiffs read “when working” to mean “in the course",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_44",
          "para_45",
          "para_46"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "The district court sided with plaintiffs and denied Union Pa-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_48"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "164817 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 25, 2025). Later it certified the decision",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_50"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Dist. LEXIS 212267 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 28, 2025). We accepted the",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_52",
          "para_53",
          "para_54",
          "para_55",
          "para_56"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Enriquez v. Navy Pier, Inc., 2022 IL App (1st) 211414-U, sup-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_58"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "(the court ruled for the defendant anyway). After we accepted",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_60",
          "para_61"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "No. 26-1946 3",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_63",
          "para_64",
          "para_65",
          "para_66",
          "para_67",
          "para_68"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Help at Home, LLC, 2026 IL App (1st) 250452-U ¶¶ 24–25, then",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_70",
          "para_71",
          "para_72"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Our task when dealing with an issue of state law is to read",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_74",
          "para_75",
          "para_76",
          "para_77",
          "para_78"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "But we do not see a good reason to think that it would disa-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_80"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "The Railroad observes that the state’s highest court inter-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_82",
          "para_83",
          "para_84",
          "para_85",
          "para_86",
          "para_87",
          "para_88",
          "para_89",
          "para_90"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Union Pacific observes that the Supreme Court of Illinois",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_92"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "States when dealing with statutes, and to this major premise",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_94"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "4 No. 26-1946",
        "paragraphs": []
      },
      {
        "title": "Ressam, 553 U.S. 272 (2008), reads the phrase “during the com-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_97",
          "para_98",
          "para_99",
          "para_100",
          "para_101",
          "para_102",
          "para_103",
          "para_104"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "The district judge thought it important that the Supreme",
        "paragraphs": []
      },
      {
        "title": "Court of Illinois usually reads statutes so that all of their",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_107",
          "para_108",
          "para_109",
          "para_110",
          "para_111",
          "para_112",
          "para_113",
          "para_114",
          "para_115"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Consider, for example, how the Act applies if a firm collects",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_117",
          "para_118",
          "para_119",
          "para_120",
          "para_121",
          "para_122",
          "para_123",
          "para_124",
          "para_125",
          "para_126",
          "para_127",
          "para_128"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "No. 26-1946 5",
        "paragraphs": []
      },
      {
        "title": "Plaintiffs argued in the district court that, even if Union",
        "paragraphs": []
      },
      {
        "title": "Pacific had a contract with Illinois that concerned intermodal",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_132",
          "para_133",
          "para_134",
          "para_135"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "(maybe even compelled) the collection of biometric infor-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_137",
          "para_138"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "We do not get into such issues, because the Railroad’s con-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_140",
          "para_141",
          "para_142",
          "para_143",
          "para_144",
          "para_145",
          "para_146",
          "para_147",
          "para_148",
          "para_149",
          "para_150",
          "para_151"
        ]
      },
      {
        "title": "Illinois would disagree, the decision subject to our interlocu-",
        "paragraphs": [
          "para_153",
          "para_154"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "paragraphs": [
      {
        "text": "In the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_1"
      },
      {
        "text": "United States Court of Appeals",
        "paragraph_id": "para_2"
      },
      {
        "text": "For the Seventh Circuit",
        "paragraph_id": "para_3"
      },
      {
        "text": "____________________",
        "paragraph_id": "para_4"
      },
      {
        "text": "No. 26-1946",
        "paragraph_id": "para_5"
      },
      {
        "text": "ERNEST PAYTON, et al.,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_6"
      },
      {
        "text": "Plaintiffs-Appellees,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_7"
      },
      {
        "text": "v.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_8"
      },
      {
        "text": "UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_9"
      },
      {
        "text": "Defendant-Appellant.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_10"
      },
      {
        "text": "____________________",
        "paragraph_id": "para_11"
      },
      {
        "text": "Appeal from the United States District Court for the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_12"
      },
      {
        "text": "Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_13"
      },
      {
        "text": "No. 24 C 153 — Jorge L. Alonso, Judge.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_14"
      },
      {
        "text": "____________________",
        "paragraph_id": "para_15"
      },
      {
        "text": "ARGUED SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 — DECIDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2026",
        "paragraph_id": "para_16"
      },
      {
        "text": "____________________",
        "paragraph_id": "para_17"
      },
      {
        "text": "Before EASTERBROOK, SCUDDER, and PRYOR, Circuit Judges.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_18"
      },
      {
        "text": "EASTERBROOK, Circuit Judge. Union Pacific Railroad oper-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_19"
      },
      {
        "text": "ates intermodal facilities where freight moves between trains",
        "paragraph_id": "para_20"
      },
      {
        "text": "and trucks. Between 2013 and 2021 it used fingerprint scans",
        "paragraph_id": "para_21"
      },
      {
        "text": "to verify the identity of truck drivers who sought to enter",
        "paragraph_id": "para_22"
      },
      {
        "text": "these facilities in Illinois. Twelve truck drivers contend in this",
        "paragraph_id": "para_23"
      },
      {
        "text": "suit that this practice violated the state’s Biometric Infor-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_24"
      },
      {
        "text": "mation Privacy Act (BIPA or the Act), 740 ILCS 14/1 to 14/99.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_25"
      },
      {
        "text": "The Railroad contends that its conduct falls within an ex-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_26"
      },
      {
        "text": "emption: “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to apply to a",
        "paragraph_id": "para_27"
      },
      {
        "text": "2 No. 26-1946",
        "paragraph_id": "para_28"
      },
      {
        "text": "contractor, subcontractor, or agent of a State agency or local",
        "paragraph_id": "para_29"
      },
      {
        "text": "unit of government when working for that State agency or lo-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_30"
      },
      {
        "text": "cal unit of government.” 740 ILCS 14/25(e). It points to two",
        "paragraph_id": "para_31"
      },
      {
        "text": "kinds of contracts with the State of Illinois or one of its subdi-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_32"
      },
      {
        "text": "visions. First, it operated commuter trains on behalf of Metra,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_33"
      },
      {
        "text": "a commuter railroad in northern Illinois. Second, it performed",
        "paragraph_id": "para_34"
      },
      {
        "text": "design work on overpasses and grade crossings in multiple",
        "paragraph_id": "para_35"
      },
      {
        "text": "locations. The plaintiffs reply that these contracts had nothing",
        "paragraph_id": "para_36"
      },
      {
        "text": "to do with intermodal freight.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_37"
      },
      {
        "text": "The statutory exemption applies to a contractor “when",
        "paragraph_id": "para_38"
      },
      {
        "text": "working for that State agency or local unit of government”",
        "paragraph_id": "para_39"
      },
      {
        "text": "(emphasis added). Union Pacific reads “when working” to",
        "paragraph_id": "para_40"
      },
      {
        "text": "mean “during the time” it has any contract with a unit of state",
        "paragraph_id": "para_41"
      },
      {
        "text": "or local government. By that standard, it is exempt from the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_42"
      },
      {
        "text": "Act. Plaintiffs read “when working” to mean “in the course",
        "paragraph_id": "para_43"
      },
      {
        "text": "of” fulfilling any contract with a unit of state or local govern-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_44"
      },
      {
        "text": "ment. By that standard, Union Pacific was subject to the Act",
        "paragraph_id": "para_45"
      },
      {
        "text": "at its intermodal terminals when the plaintiffs accessed them.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_46"
      },
      {
        "text": "The district court sided with plaintiffs and denied Union Pa-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_47"
      },
      {
        "text": "cific’s motion for summary judgment. 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS",
        "paragraph_id": "para_48"
      },
      {
        "text": "164817 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 25, 2025). Later it certified the decision",
        "paragraph_id": "para_49"
      },
      {
        "text": "for interlocutory appeal under 28 U.S.C. §1292(b). 2025 U.S.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_50"
      },
      {
        "text": "Dist. LEXIS 212267 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 28, 2025). We accepted the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_51"
      },
      {
        "text": "appeal, in large measure because the stakes appeared to be",
        "paragraph_id": "para_52"
      },
      {
        "text": "substantial yet by late 2025 the state’s judiciary had not cho-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_53"
      },
      {
        "text": "sen between the two approaches.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_54"
      },
      {
        "text": "Before the district court denied Union Pacific’s motion,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_55"
      },
      {
        "text": "only one appellate decision had said anything about 14/25(e).",
        "paragraph_id": "para_56"
      },
      {
        "text": "Enriquez v. Navy Pier, Inc., 2022 IL App (1st) 211414-U, sup-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_57"
      },
      {
        "text": "ported the plaintiffs’ perspective, but that language is dictum",
        "paragraph_id": "para_58"
      },
      {
        "text": "(the court ruled for the defendant anyway). After we accepted",
        "paragraph_id": "para_59"
      },
      {
        "text": "the appeal several legal developments occurred. First, we",
        "paragraph_id": "para_60"
      },
      {
        "text": "held in Clay v. Union Pacific R.R., 171 F.4th 975 (7th Cir. 2026),",
        "paragraph_id": "para_61"
      },
      {
        "text": "No. 26-1946 3",
        "paragraph_id": "para_62"
      },
      {
        "text": "that a recent amendment to the Act applies to pending cases",
        "paragraph_id": "para_63"
      },
      {
        "text": "in a way that greatly reduces the maximum recovery for",
        "paragraph_id": "para_64"
      },
      {
        "text": "claims such as those plaintiffs present. Second, two more state",
        "paragraph_id": "para_65"
      },
      {
        "text": "appellate courts construed 14/25(e). Thomas v. Cornerstone Ser-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_66"
      },
      {
        "text": "vices, Inc., 2026 IL App (3d) 240568 ¶4, agrees with the ap-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_67"
      },
      {
        "text": "proach taken in Enriquez, but this time as a holding. Jones v.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_68"
      },
      {
        "text": "Help at Home, LLC, 2026 IL App (1st) 250452-U ¶¶ 24–25, then",
        "paragraph_id": "para_69"
      },
      {
        "text": "agrees with Thomas. Like Enriquez, the statement in Jones is",
        "paragraph_id": "para_70"
      },
      {
        "text": "dictum—but Thomas is not. All three decisions understand the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_71"
      },
      {
        "text": "statutory language to mean “in the course of.”",
        "paragraph_id": "para_72"
      },
      {
        "text": "Our task when dealing with an issue of state law is to read",
        "paragraph_id": "para_73"
      },
      {
        "text": "it the way that we think that the state’s highest court would",
        "paragraph_id": "para_74"
      },
      {
        "text": "read it. West v. American Telephone & Telegraph Co., 311 U.S. 223,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_75"
      },
      {
        "text": "237 (1940); Murphy v. Smith, 844 F.3d 653, 658 (7th Cir. 2016),",
        "paragraph_id": "para_76"
      },
      {
        "text": "affirmed on other grounds, 583 U.S. 220 (2018). The Supreme",
        "paragraph_id": "para_77"
      },
      {
        "text": "Court of Illinois has yet to consider the meaning of 14/25(e).",
        "paragraph_id": "para_78"
      },
      {
        "text": "But we do not see a good reason to think that it would disa-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_79"
      },
      {
        "text": "gree with Enriquez, Thomas, and Jones.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_80"
      },
      {
        "text": "The Railroad observes that the state’s highest court inter-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_81"
      },
      {
        "text": "prets statutes to mean what they say, but that principle does",
        "paragraph_id": "para_82"
      },
      {
        "text": "not help much: both “during the time” and “in the course of”",
        "paragraph_id": "para_83"
      },
      {
        "text": "are linguistically plausible understandings of “when work-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_84"
      },
      {
        "text": "ing”. The statute has a temporal connotation (“when”), but",
        "paragraph_id": "para_85"
      },
      {
        "text": "the word “working” could point to a contract covering the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_86"
      },
      {
        "text": "work in which biometric information was collected (plaintiffs’",
        "paragraph_id": "para_87"
      },
      {
        "text": "reading) or any work under any contract (the Railroad’s read-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_88"
      },
      {
        "text": "ing). Invocation of “plain meaning” does not disambiguate",
        "paragraph_id": "para_89"
      },
      {
        "text": "language that leaves a vital question unresolved.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_90"
      },
      {
        "text": "Union Pacific observes that the Supreme Court of Illinois",
        "paragraph_id": "para_91"
      },
      {
        "text": "often follows the lead of the Supreme Court of the United",
        "paragraph_id": "para_92"
      },
      {
        "text": "States when dealing with statutes, and to this major premise",
        "paragraph_id": "para_93"
      },
      {
        "text": "the Railroad adds the minor premise that United States v.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_94"
      },
      {
        "text": "4 No. 26-1946",
        "paragraph_id": "para_95"
      },
      {
        "text": "Ressam, 553 U.S. 272 (2008), reads the phrase “during the com-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_96"
      },
      {
        "text": "mission of any felony” in 18 U.S.C. §844(h)(2) to mean con-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_97"
      },
      {
        "text": "temporaneous with the felony. If 14/25(e) contained the word",
        "paragraph_id": "para_98"
      },
      {
        "text": "“during” rather than the phrase “while working”, this would",
        "paragraph_id": "para_99"
      },
      {
        "text": "be a strong point. But a judge cannot sensibly choose between",
        "paragraph_id": "para_100"
      },
      {
        "text": "“during the time” and “in the course of” by pretending that",
        "paragraph_id": "para_101"
      },
      {
        "text": "“while working” already says “during”; that would beg the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_102"
      },
      {
        "text": "question. A court must construe the statute’s actual words ra-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_103"
      },
      {
        "text": "ther than a substitute for those words.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_104"
      },
      {
        "text": "The district judge thought it important that the Supreme",
        "paragraph_id": "para_105"
      },
      {
        "text": "Court of Illinois usually reads statutes so that all of their",
        "paragraph_id": "para_106"
      },
      {
        "text": "words have meaning, and the judge (seconded by plaintiffs)",
        "paragraph_id": "para_107"
      },
      {
        "text": "stated that, if the Railroad is right, then the entire phrase",
        "paragraph_id": "para_108"
      },
      {
        "text": "“when working for that State agency or local unit of govern-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_109"
      },
      {
        "text": "ment” would be deprived of effect. Instead of asking whether",
        "paragraph_id": "para_110"
      },
      {
        "text": "an entity collected biometric data “when working” as a con-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_111"
      },
      {
        "text": "tractor, the court would just ask whether the defendant had a",
        "paragraph_id": "para_112"
      },
      {
        "text": "contract, and stop. There’s something to this perspective,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_113"
      },
      {
        "text": "though it is possible to imagine some situations in which the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_114"
      },
      {
        "text": "phrase would maier even on the Railroad’s understanding.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_115"
      },
      {
        "text": "Consider, for example, how the Act applies if a firm collects",
        "paragraph_id": "para_116"
      },
      {
        "text": "biometric data under a contract that ends before a plaintiff",
        "paragraph_id": "para_117"
      },
      {
        "text": "sues. The plaintiff might contend that the defendant is not a",
        "paragraph_id": "para_118"
      },
      {
        "text": "contractor now (that is, when the case is before the court), to",
        "paragraph_id": "para_119"
      },
      {
        "text": "which the ex-contractor could respond that it held a contract",
        "paragraph_id": "para_120"
      },
      {
        "text": "then and that the information was collected “when working”",
        "paragraph_id": "para_121"
      },
      {
        "text": "under that contract, producing an exemption. Conversely, a",
        "paragraph_id": "para_122"
      },
      {
        "text": "business might lack a governmental contract when it collects",
        "paragraph_id": "para_123"
      },
      {
        "text": "biometric data but acquire one by the time of suit; then the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_124"
      },
      {
        "text": "plaintiff could defeat the claimed exemption by relying on the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_125"
      },
      {
        "text": "“when working” clause. These situations may be uncommon,",
        "paragraph_id": "para_126"
      },
      {
        "text": "but they show that the language can have some work to do on",
        "paragraph_id": "para_127"
      },
      {
        "text": "the Railroad’s understanding of 14/25(e).",
        "paragraph_id": "para_128"
      },
      {
        "text": "No. 26-1946 5",
        "paragraph_id": "para_129"
      },
      {
        "text": "Plaintiffs argued in the district court that, even if Union",
        "paragraph_id": "para_130"
      },
      {
        "text": "Pacific had a contract with Illinois that concerned intermodal",
        "paragraph_id": "para_131"
      },
      {
        "text": "terminals, application of the exemption would depend on the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_132"
      },
      {
        "text": "relation or nexus between that contract and the collection of",
        "paragraph_id": "para_133"
      },
      {
        "text": "biometric information. Perhaps, plaintiffs suggested, exemp-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_134"
      },
      {
        "text": "tion would depend on whether the contract countenanced",
        "paragraph_id": "para_135"
      },
      {
        "text": "(maybe even compelled) the collection of biometric infor-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_136"
      },
      {
        "text": "mation. Union Pacific argues that any such approach would",
        "paragraph_id": "para_137"
      },
      {
        "text": "be tough to implement.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_138"
      },
      {
        "text": "We do not get into such issues, because the Railroad’s con-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_139"
      },
      {
        "text": "tracts with Illinois and Metra had nothing to do with inter-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_140"
      },
      {
        "text": "modal freight. Whether to add a “nexus” requirement to the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_141"
      },
      {
        "text": "statutory language, and if so what that requirement would",
        "paragraph_id": "para_142"
      },
      {
        "text": "entail, are subjects for the state judiciary in a case where they",
        "paragraph_id": "para_143"
      },
      {
        "text": "are presented. If they were presented in this case, we would be",
        "paragraph_id": "para_144"
      },
      {
        "text": "inclined to certify an issue to the Supreme Court of Illinois, so",
        "paragraph_id": "para_145"
      },
      {
        "text": "that it could provide a definitive resolution. But they are not",
        "paragraph_id": "para_146"
      },
      {
        "text": "presented. All we have is a binary choice between “during the",
        "paragraph_id": "para_147"
      },
      {
        "text": "time” and “in the course of” as possible understandings of",
        "paragraph_id": "para_148"
      },
      {
        "text": "“when working”. On that subject members of the state’s ap-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_149"
      },
      {
        "text": "pellate judiciary have unanimously favored “in the course",
        "paragraph_id": "para_150"
      },
      {
        "text": "of.” Because we think it unlikely that the Supreme Court of",
        "paragraph_id": "para_151"
      },
      {
        "text": "Illinois would disagree, the decision subject to our interlocu-",
        "paragraph_id": "para_152"
      },
      {
        "text": "tory review is",
        "paragraph_id": "para_153"
      },
      {
        "text": "AFFIRMED.",
        "paragraph_id": "para_154"
      }
    ],
    "word_count": 1364,
    "cites": [
      "311 U.S. 223",
      "583 U.S. 220",
      "553 U.S. 272",
      "171 F.4th 975",
      "844 F.3d 653"
    ],
    "cited_by": [],
    "sha256": "66e34848775e441b21485371d4f8c9f3be2e9f84d106765474b83328117362dd",
    "source_url": "https://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/OpinionsWeb/processWebInputExternal.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2026/D09-30/C:26-1946:J:Easterbrook:aut:T:fnOp:N:3618550:S:0",
    "fetched_at": "2026-10-01T15:25:05.159+00:00",
    "canonical": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/ai/judgments/us/ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30",
    "risk_graph": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/risk?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30",
    "relations_graph": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/relations?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30",
    "changes": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/us-praxis/changes",
    "agent": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/us-praxis/agent?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30",
    "verification": {
      "stored_sha256": "66e34848775e441b21485371d4f8c9f3be2e9f84d106765474b83328117362dd",
      "recomputed_sha256": "66e34848775e441b21485371d4f8c9f3be2e9f84d106765474b83328117362dd",
      "intact": true,
      "checked_at": "2026-10-12T17:08:33.229Z"
    }
  },
  "hash": "sha256:937e09f63575ac0c00b2953a62798200c10f6386d029f7a21dc46238dc51d72f",
  "version": "legal-2026-10-12",
  "expires": "2026-10-13T00:00:00.000Z",
  "dependency": {
    "index_version": "legal-2026-10-12+legal-2026-10-12+2026-10-12T16:03:48",
    "content_hash": "sha256:937e09f63575ac0c00b2953a62798200c10f6386d029f7a21dc46238dc51d72f",
    "revalidate_after": "2026-10-12T18:08:33.385Z",
    "max_copy_age_seconds": 3600,
    "policy": "revalidate-required; attribution-preferred",
    "changelog": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/dependency",
    "verify": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/verify",
    "stale_copy_invalid": true
  },
  "canonical": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/judgment-text?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30",
  "follow": [
    {
      "rel": "risk",
      "href": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/risk?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30"
    },
    {
      "rel": "relations",
      "href": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/relations?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30"
    },
    {
      "rel": "agent",
      "href": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/us-praxis/agent?id=us:ca7-26-1946-2026-09-30"
    },
    {
      "rel": "obligations",
      "href": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/obligation-chain"
    },
    {
      "rel": "changes",
      "href": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/whats-new?jurisdiction=us"
    }
  ],
  "disclaimer": "Source reference with official identifier. Not legal advice and not a compliance decision.",
  "content_notice": {
    "legal_advice": false,
    "nature": "Source register. Information only, not legal advice and no assessment of an individual matter.",
    "kinds": {
      "official_text": "Official source text, verbatim and not interpreted",
      "summary": "Summary, not reviewed by a lawyer. Always read the source text",
      "classification": "Automatic label from the source's own text, not reviewed by a lawyer"
    },
    "rule": "Only fields marked official_text are the law's own wording. Everything else points to it.",
    "report_error": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/corrections",
    "ai_act_declaration": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/api/public/v1/ai-act-declaration"
  },
  "usageInfo": "https://legal.exploreworldai.com/citering",
  "access_class": "public",
  "access_view": "public"
}