In This Issue of Indiana Lawyer

MARCH 30-APRIL 12, 2012

The death of a St. Joseph County boy has raised questions about the confidentiality of calls placed to the Department of Child Services' call center. Law firms are devoting more resources to their online presence. Former Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard answers questions from Indiana Lawyer on his 27 years as a justice.

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End of an era

Indiana Lawyer sat down with Randall T. Shepard for a Q&A before he retired from the Indiana Supreme Court March 23.

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Debating the merits of mandatory seat belts on school buses

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in larger buses, the spacing and height of the seats offer crash protection for children through “compartmentalization.” But opinions remain divided about whether compartmentalization does enough to protect students and whether school bus seat belts should be required by law.

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Supreme Court rules Charlie White was eligible to assume office

The Indiana Supreme Court has held that Charlie White was eligible to assume the office of secretary of state after being elected to that post in the 2010 general election. The justices point out the average voter was aware of concerns surrounding White’s voter registration history and they will not, on the basis of the petition before them, “judicially disenfranchise voters who went to the polls.”

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Justices asked to take feticide case

On March 14, the one-year anniversary of Bei Bei Shuai’s imprisonment on attempted feticide and murder charges, attorney Linda Pence notified media that Pence Hensel and attorneys from the National Advocates for Pregnant Women filed a petition on March 9 for the Indiana Supreme Court to grant transfer in the case.

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Appellate court split on ordering new trial for mom

The Indiana Court of Appeals has ordered a woman convicted of killing her son by setting fire to their home in 1996 receive a new trial, although one judge believed she did not meet her burden to prevail on appeal from the denial of her petition for post-conviction relief.

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Justices reprimand former Marion County prosecutor

The Indiana Supreme Court has publicly reprimanded former Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi for statements he made about a high-profile murder case, and in doing so the state’s justices have set a new standard and issued a warning for prosecutors statewide: Be careful what you say.

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State bar, southern Indiana lawyers offer aid to tornado victims

The Indiana State Bar Association has established a toll-free legal aid line for victims of the March 2 tornadoes in Southeast Indiana. Victims who call for legal information will be matched with local lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal consultations on matters such as insurance claims, home repair contracts, landlord issues and replacing legal documents.

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DTCI: Errata sheets and the deposition hallows

Certainly, a deposition can be a powerful tool. But what if the completed deposition transcript is delivered to the examining attorney along with an errata sheet that substantively alters material deposition responses?

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