Milwaukee, Towing Contractor Dodge Scrap Metal Antitrust Lawsuit

The city of Milwaukee and its main auto towing contractor persuaded a federal appeals court in Chicago to uphold their victory against antitrust claims over an alleged scheme to push other private companies out of the scrap metal market, including through police intimidation.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for Seventh Circuit affirmed a ruling by Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph, who dismissed the case in October from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. She found “neither direct nor circumstantial evidence” of any agreement between the city and its contractor.

Judge Joel Flaum, writing for the appeals court, ...