Welcome to First Impressions, a place for sharing your thought about legal news and issues in Indiana and beyond. I'm your host, Jennifer Nelson, Web editor for Indiana Lawyer. Just like in the courtroom, we encourage everyone to interact with civility.
Recent Blog Posts
A victim’s view on death penalty for rape
June 26, 2008
Comments(2)The media and the general public are still buzzing about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Wednesday to overturn a death sentence
for a Louisiana man convicted of raping his 8-year-old stepdaughter. News reports have discussed whether someone can be put
to...
MoreAccelerated law degree
June 26, 2008
Comments(0)Northwestern University School of Law just announced it’s creating a two-year law program in addition to offering the traditional
three-year term. The school – which is only the third in the country to offer an accelerated law degree – believes the...
MoreJudicial nominations and political war games
June 25, 2008
Comment(1)Today's post is from IL reporter Michael Hoskins: Indiana hasn’t gotten any news this week so far in the arena of federal
judicial nominations. But what’s happened is worth taking a look at. The full U.S. Senate Tuesday evening confirmed a...
MoreGeorge Carlin’s legal legacy
June 24, 2008
Comments(0)George Carlin, 71, who died Sunday of heart failure, was a legend in the comedy world, but he also made his mark in the legal
world. Carlin’s “seven words” routine is arguably what made him an icon and was the impetus...
MoreWhat’s the point of law firm rankings?
June 23, 2008
Comment(1)We get a lot of e-mails from law firms touting their ranking on a list of “outstanding” firms by a publication or naming them
third-largest overall according to some survey. We don’t publish the rankings in our paper because we...
MoreHigher gas prices, fewer court appearances?
June 20, 2008
Comments(0)You can’t turn on the television or read a newspaper these days without seeing a story about how the increased cost of oil
is affecting people. People are making a more concerted effort to carpool, cut back on extraneous driving, or...
MoreFamiliar names in opinions
June 19, 2008
Comments(0)As a part of our job duties here at Indiana Lawyer, we read a lot of court opinions. From time to time, a familiar name will
catch our attention on an opinion that we may otherwise have skipped. Curious if...
MoreMore law schools, fewer jobs
June 18, 2008
Comments(0)According to a recent news story, there are now 200 ABA-accredited law schools in the United States, with some states looking
to add even more schools. Indiana currently has four, and just a few years ago, two Indiana colleges were looking...
MoreShorter and not so sweet?
June 17, 2008
Comment(1)Short and straight to the point. That describes a not-for-publication opinion from the Court of Appeals Monday, in Evan Erby
v. State of Indiana , No. 18A02-0711-CR-977. Two sentences sum up this case, referring to an Indiana Supreme Court ruling
last...
MoreCheers lead to arrests
June 16, 2008
Comments(0)Graduation season is wrapping up this month but not without a few arrests. Police near Columbia , S.C. , arrested and charged
six people with disorderly conduct for cheering after a student’s name was called during a high school graduation....
MoreWhen a spanking is OK
June 13, 2008
Comments(0)When I acted up as a child, I would be threatened with a spanking. Lucky for me, my parents only delivered on the threat a
couple times in my life. A stern look or grounding seemed to do the trick...
MoreCan’t say “rape” in a rape trial
June 12, 2008
Comments(2)Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you are involved in a trial dealing with an alleged rape, then the word “rape” should come
up in order to describe the purported crime. But one judge in Kansas has made headlines...
MoreLegal sector cuts 1,100 jobs in May
June 11, 2008
Comments(0)Looks like the legal profession is starting to feel the effects of the slowing economy. According to the latest statistics
from the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. legal sector lost 1,100 jobs in May. That’s the third consecutive month...
MoreHate crimes do happen in Indiana
June 10, 2008
Comments(4)A Muncie man was sentenced June 6 by a federal judge to 121 months in prison for a hate crime. The man burned a cross last
year in the lawn of a woman and her three biracial children back in...
MoreJudges and cell phones in court don’t mix
June 9, 2008
Comment(1) Judges have the right to control their courtrooms to maintain civility and safety, but throwing people in jail because
of a ringing cell phone is extreme. That’s what Niagara Falls City Court Judge Robert Restaino did when no one...
MoreScouring the Web for evidence
June 6, 2008
Comment(1)It’s no secret that what you post online can be viewed by anyone – including a judge. A not-for-publication case handed down
by the Court of Appeals Thursday involves a custody dispute, with the father offering evidence he found on...
MoreMore attorneys fail to pay, get CLE credit
June 5, 2008
Comment(1)Is there something in the water that’s causing attorneys to disregard some of the most basic requirements of being a lawyer
in Indiana ? It seems more and more attorneys who practice in Indiana are having trouble meeting continuing legal...
MoreCA court upholds gay marriage ruling
June 4, 2008
Comments(0)Gay marriage will be allowed in California – for now. The California Supreme Court released an order today denying requests
to stay its decision to legalize gay marriages until after the November 2008 election. The split court voted 4-3 to...
MoreDishing out the discipline
June 4, 2008
Comments(0)Written by guest blogger Michael Hoskins, Indiana Lawyer reporter: Disciplinary actions can be like a legal newspaper's police
crime blotter – attorneys say that's what the legal community flips to first to see if anyone they know is in the news....
MoreA sign of the economic times?
June 3, 2008
Comments(0)Baker & Daniels announced Monday the firm has opened an office in downtown Chicago , citing the expansion as way to meet
the growing needs of its Midwest clients. The seven attorneys who make up the new branch in the...
MoreCreative moments in law
June 2, 2008
Comment(1)Valparaiso University School of Law professor Robert Blomquist has written a paper, “Thinking about Law and Creativity: On
the 100 Most Creative Moments in American Law.” Blomquist sent a survey to a bunch of legal historians to find out what...
MoreThis blog is in session
June 2, 2008
Comments(0)Welcome to First Impressions, Indiana Lawyer ’s foray into the world of blogging. There’s a lot of legal news happening in
Indiana and elsewhere, and we want to give our readers a forum to discuss the latest court rulings, trends...
MoreAbout
December 3, 2007
Comment(1)Welcome to First Impressions, Indiana Lawyer’s legal blog. Your host is Jennifer Mehalik, Indiana Lawyer’s Web editor. Mehalik
grew up in Indianapolis and attended Indiana University in Bloomington. After writing for other IBJ Media publications, Mehalik
joined Indiana Lawyer as a...
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Court Calendar
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May 28, 2013 The Estate of Richard A. Mayer and Spangler, Jennings & Dougherty, P.C., v. Lax, Inc., and David Lasco - 5/28/13
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June 12, 2013 Northern Assurance Company of America v. Thomson, Inc., et al. - 6/12/13
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June 18, 2013 State of Indiana v. Robert Owens - 6/18/13
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June 18, 2013 Winston K. Wood v. State of Indiana - 6/18/13
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Never heard of remand to another state. How often does that happen?
I highly recommend Deanna and her team of professionals that serve the legal community. Great information and many thanks for sharing.
they are pushing these cases against lawyers too far. thought-crime.
vagueness cannot challenged, so let's write all laws vaguely and throw the constitution out the window.Even if the court is operating under a particular law, if they don't it they will change it to their liking. What a joke!!!
Two convictions becomes one conviction with exactly the same sentence, only it is not clear wheter or not that sentence will be 18 months, 120 months or 138 months. Actually if the guns were in a home, whether or not they were his, he is protected under the 2nd amendment. Jurors need to learn the law and the constitution before judging others. The cour5ts need to do this as well.