⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

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United States v. Osuegbu — 7th Cir. (Sep 15, 2026)

No. 25-2106 Argued September 15, 2026 Published September 28, 2026

The Seventh Circuit hears Evette Osuegbu's appeal from fifteen convictions tied to insurance fraud and arson. Trial testimony described an East St. Louis house insured in another person's name and burned by Osuegbu's nephew to support an insurance claim. Prosecutors also connected her to fires at a Missouri home and a St. Louis apartment. After the jury convicted her, the district judge denied her request for a new trial. Her appeal focuses on the judge's intervention during jury deliberations and on investigators who gave both factual testimony and expert opinions. An Allen charge urges a deadlocked jury to keep working without abandoning honest views; Osuegbu's lawyer compares the judge's remarks to one, while the government rejects that comparison. The other issue is whether jurors could tell when an investigator was relating firsthand facts and when offering an expert opinion. Jane Ruemmele of Hayes Ruemmele will seek a new trial for Osuegbu; Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Burke will defend the conviction.

United States v. Osuegbu (No. 25-2106) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, argued September 15, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — Seventh Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/sound/external/ch.25-2106.25-2106_09_15_2026.mp3
Argument listing and date — Seventh Circuit:https://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/oralArguments/oar.jsp?amonth=09%2F2026&aMonth=List+case%28s%29
Post-trial order and trial evidence — Southern District of Illinois:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ilsd-3_23-cr-30138/pdf/USCOURTS-ilsd-3_23-cr-30138-2.pdf
Verdict and case background — U.S. Attorney's Office:https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/leader-insurance-fraud-and-arson-scheme-sentenced-15-years
Appeal docket and counsel — Seventh Circuit, mirrored by Justia:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca7/25-2106
Jane Ruemmele biography — Hayes Ruemmele:https://chjrlaw.com/jane-ruemmele
Allen v. United States — Supreme Court opinion, mirrored by Justia:https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/164/492/
United States v. Jett — Seventh Circuit opinion, mirrored by Justia:https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca7/17-2051/17-2051-2018-11-07.html

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