Court officials, media preparing for Delphi double-murder trial
Nearly two years after his arrest, the man accused of the February 2017 murders of 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams in Delphi is set to go to trial.
Maura Johnson
Articles
Counsel for convicted murderer given until Nov. 1 to file clemency request
Counsel for Benjamin Ritchie, a man convicted in 2002 of murdering Beech Grove Police Officer William Toney, have until Nov. 1 to file a clemency request in response to the state’s motion to set an execution date, Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush wrote in an Oct. 3 order.
Indianapolis-based ag company sues JPMorgan Chase over freeze of $3M
Agricultural Chemical Solutions Inc. and the wife of the company’s president are suing the bank for fees incurred because they allegedly were unnecessarily denied access to more than $3 million. A representative for JP Morgan Chase did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As expected, judge denies cameras in courtroom for Delphi double-murder trial
Richard Allen’s trial once held the promise of being the most high-profile court proceeding in Indiana history to be allowed to be captured live by television and streaming service cameras. But Judge Frances Gull ultimately decided to deny access.
New limits proposed on eviction records
Two years after enactment of a law that shields certain eviction records, the Justice Project and students at the University of Notre Dame Law School are looking at how the statute can be improved, both to protect tenants’ right to privacy and maintain transparency with the public.
Bar foundation’s mock election program expands statewide
The Indiana Kids Election kicked off in 2022 as a pilot program, but this year, the program is available to K-12 students in all districts across the state through the Indiana Bar Foundation.
Hendricks County agrees to pay $300K to settle zoning discrimination claims from Muslim group
The agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice would settle allegations that the county violated federal laws by denying zoning approval for an Islamic seminary, K-12 school and accompanying housing.
Volunteers celebrate Constitution Week at Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Members of the public gathered at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Monday to celebrate Constitution Week in Indiana.
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ACLU files new lawsuit over SEA 202, citing policies at Purdue, IU
The ACLU of Indiana filed a new lawsuit over SEA 202, a law requiring professors to be disciplined for not fostering “a culture of free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity,” citing policies recently enacted at Purdue University and Indiana University.
Local organizations supporting social workers in the Hoosier state
Indiana social work leaders say that while the need for more professionals isn’t dire, additional work still needs to be done to keep the profession well-staffed and supported.
Innocence Project seeks to support wrongfully convicted Hoosiers
Roosevelt Glenn’s children were 2, 7, and 8 years old when he left for prison after being wrongfully convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in Gary in December 1989.
Web Exclusive: ACC offers toolkit on handling stress as in-house counsel
According to a 2022 survey of 300 U.S.-based in-house counsel by the legal talent provider Axiom, 47 percent of surveyed lawyers reported feeling very or extremely stressed or burned out in their jobs.
Murder case takes center stage during oral arguments on Fever practice court
The Indiana Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Friday in the case of a man sentenced for murdering his girlfriend, with judges weighing whether the man’s cell phone was legally seized for evidence.
Web Exclusive: New law permits students to leave class for religious instruction
A new law enacted on July 1 across the state requires principals to allow students to be dismissed from class during the week to attend religious instruction.
Indiana schools respond to new law limiting cell phones in the classroom
Senate Bill 185, which became law on July 1, requires school corporations and charter schools to adopt a policy that prohibits students from using cellphones in the classroom. For students who haven’t known a world without the handheld device, the change is just that: a change, but one that many say is warranted and necessary for student learning and cooperation.
Student loan repayments left in limbo
Student loan borrowers across the country have been left in limbo after a federal court issued an injunction on President Joe Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan.
Judicial community celebrates retirement of Court of Appeals Judge Riley
Judges, colleagues, and loved ones from across the state and beyond gathered in the Indiana Statehouse on Friday to celebrate the career of Court of Appeals Judge Patricia Riley.
U.S. District Court dismisses ACLU lawsuit over new tenure law
The U.S. District Court for Southern Indiana granted a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the trustees of Purdue University and Indiana University over a new law requiring trustees to implement policies regarding faculty tenure.
Web exclusive: Federal DEFIANCE Act passes through Senate, awaits House approval
A bipartisan bill aimed to hold creators and distributors of sexually explicit “deepfakes” accountable unanimously passed in the United States Senate last month, seen as a crucial step in protecting victims of pornography by artificial intelligence.
Protests test free speech policies
An independent review of Indiana University’s response to encampment protests at the school’s Bloomington campus determined that while the university was permitted by legal standards and university policies to call off the protests when it did.