Shakman v. Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County

Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Appellate Jurisdiction
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 19-2772
Decision Date: 
August 12, 2020
Federal District: 
N.D. Ill., E. Div.
Holding: 
Appeal dismissed

Ct. of Appeals lacked jurisdiction to consider union’s appeal of Magistrate Judge’s order that granted plaintiff’s request for declaratory judgment to allow special master to observe union grievance meetings, where special master had previously been appointed to monitor defendant’s compliance with 1972 consent decree and 1983 judgment order precluding defendant from continuing to favor political allies in employment decisions. While union filed memorandum in opposition to plaintiff’s request for declaratory judgment, union could not appeal Magistrate Judge’s grant of plaintiff’s motion, since union was not party in instant lawsuit. Ct. rejected union’s argument that it should be treated as party because it is bound by Magistrate Judge’s order that allowed special master’s presence at union’s grievance meetings. Moreover, Ct. noted that union could have sought to intervene at Dist. Ct. level to gain requisite party status to file any appeal.