Cold Beer Decision on Shelf But Not Necessarily Skunked, Says Brian Paul

It’s now been seven months since the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments for Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, Thornton’s Inc., Ricker Oil Company, Inc., Freedom Oil, Inc. v. David Johnson, a lawsuit challenging state laws that bar convenience stores from selling cold beer, and the judges are yet to release their opinion. As The Indiana Lawyer noted, the 7^th Circuit “takes an average of 3.2 months to render a decision after oral arguments,” but Brian Paul, Faegre Baker Daniels partner, cautioned against reading too much into the delay.

“Some cases take less time, some cases take a lot longer,” Paul said, adding that circuit judges are not bound by any deadline in issuing decisions.