Articles

Volunteers needed for Talk to a Lawyer

The Indiana State Bar Association needs attorneys to volunteer for the Pro Bono Committee's annual "Talk to a Lawyer Today" effort on Jan. 19, which is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

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Lawrence sworn in as District Judge

Just days after being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Judge William T. Lawrence took the oath Tuesday to become a judge in the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana. Chief Judge David F. Hamilton administered the oath in Judge Lawrence’s courtroom in the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Indianapolis.Judge Lawrence had served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana since November 2002, and is the first magistrate judge in the…

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Courthouse preservation bill, others now law

Bills relating to a courthouse preservation advisory commission, inmate issues, probate, foreclosure notices, domestic violence, and invasion of privacy concerns have been signed into law in the last week.Among the bills that are of interest to the legal community are:SEA 78, regarding probate and trust matters, signed today; HEA 1379, regarding viatical settlements, signed today; SEA 227, regarding the renamed sexual assault victim advocate standards and certification board, signed today; SEA 62, regarding posting notice of foreclosure sales, signed today; SEA…

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High court’s e-ticket wins first place award

The Indiana Supreme Court's electronic Citation and Warning System won first place in the Cygnus 2008 Innovation Award for Software at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in San Diego earlier this month, the court announced today.

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Clark Circuit judge appointed

Abraham Navarro will succeed Judge Daniel F. Donahue as judge of the Clark Circuit Court. Judge Donahue is stepping down later this week. Navarro has served as a deputy prosecutor in the Floyd County Prosecutor’s Office since 2002. Prior to working in the prosecutor’s office, Navarro was an Allen Superior Court judicial law clerk from 2001 to 2002. Navarro was admitted to the bar in November 2002. He’s a member of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and the Indiana Criminal Justice…

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Going green topic of First Wednesday

The ACLU of Indiana's First Wednesday topic for Oct. 1 is "Going Green: Is Indianapolis doing enough?" Panelists for the event are Terry Black, owner of Greenway Supply; Linda Broadfoot, vice president of development and public relations for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful; and Jesse Kharbanda, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council. Matthew Tully, political columnist at the Indianapolis Star, will serve as the moderator.

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Firm launches nanotechnology practice group

Indianapolis law firm Barnes & Thornburg has established what the firm believes is the first nanotechnology practice group in Indiana. The firm started the practice group in anticipation of the impact of nanotechnology upon society, business, and industry in the near future. Nanotechnology refers to a field of applied science and technology relating to the control of matter on the atomic or molecular scale. The technology’s applications enter many fields including biotechnology, electrical engineering, and environmental.The practice group is co-chaired by…

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COA travels to Lafayette, IU campuses

The Indiana Court of Appeals will visit three Indiana colleges April 8 and 9 to hear arguments in cases regarding child molestation, defamatory statements, and ineffective counsel.Judges will visit Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette Tuesday to hear arguments regarding a case on appeal from Lake Superior Court. Arguments for Victor Vega Torres v. State of Indiana, 45A03-0708-CR-385, begin at 10 a.m. in Ivy Hall. Judges Ezra Friedlander, Margret Robb, and Cale Bradford will have to decide whether Torres’ maximum sentence of eight years…

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Luncheon to discuss women’s health, law

The Sagamore Institute for Policy Research is hosting a luncheon Friday to examine how to improve the health of women in contemporary society.The event, “Improving Women’s Health through Law and Policy,” features Linda Chezem, professor at Indiana University and Purdue University, and former Indiana Court of Appeals judge; Krieg DeVault attorney Leah Mannweiler; Dr. Kathy D. Miller, associate director for clinical research at IU Simon Cancer Center; and Tanya Parrish, director of the Office of Women’s Health in the Indiana State…

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County gets public defense reimbursement

For the first time in six years, Union County will receive reimbursement from the Public Defender Commission. The county will get a little more than $7,000 from the commission, which is 40 percent of the county’s first quarter costs for public defense. Union County has been eligible for reimbursements since 1999, but until this year only requested reimbursement for the years 1999-2002. The Public Defender Commission was created in 1989 by the General Assembly and distributes money to qualifying counties. Qualifying…

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COA travels to Terre Haute

An Indiana Court of Appeals panel of judges travels to Terre Haute Thursday for arguments in a robbery case out of Vanderburgh County.

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COA to travel to French Lick

The Indiana Court of Appeals travels to French Lick Tuesday to hear arguments in a case involving the validity of a search warrant.In James H. Helton v. State of Indiana, 20A04-0710-PC-00589, the judges are asked to determine whether an invalid search warrant was used to obtain evidence against James H. Helton. Also, if the search warrant was invalid, the court must decide whether Helton was denied effective assistance by his trial counsel when they did not move to suppress that evidence….

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Prison program graduation Monday

After spending a semester together learning about social action in a class led by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 12 Indiana Women’s Prison inmates and 12 IUPUI students will celebrate what they learned at a graduation ceremony Monday morning in Indianapolis. The 24 students were part of a collaborative effort between the university and the Indiana Women’s Prison entitled Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, which first began in Indiana last year. The 12 IUPUI students attended the class inside the Women’s Prison. The…

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Tax Court in Bloomington March 17

The Indiana Tax Court hits the road March 17 to hear arguments in a case regarding how to properly value a Meijer store for property tax purposes. The arguments will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the Moot Courtroom at Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington.In Meijer Stores Limited Partnership v. Betty Smith, Wayne Township Assessor, Michael Statzer, Wayne County Assessor, et al., No. 49T10-0609-TA-89, Meijer and Wayne County don’t see eye-to-eye on the assessed value of land owned by…

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COA to conduct arguments in Syracuse

The Indiana Court of Appeals travels north to a Syracuse high school Thursday to hear arguments in a case involving the search and discovery of drugs in a car. In Jerald J. Womack v. State of Indiana, 43A03-0706-CR-251, Womack appealed his convictions and sentence for Class D felony marijuana possession and for being a habitual controlled-substance offender. The Court of Appeals will determine whether the police search of Womack’s car violated his rights under the U.S. and Indiana constitutions and if…

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New DOC commissioner named

The superintendent of the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City has been named the new Department of Corrections commissioner. Edwin Buss will succeed Dave Donahue Aug. 1. Donahue announced his resignation as commissioner earlier this week. Buss, a LaPorte native, has been superintendent of the Michigan City facility since 2005 and was superintendent at the Westville Correctional Facility from 2002 to 2005. He began his career as a correctional officer in 1987 at the Indiana State Prison. Donahue announced his resignation…

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