Articles

JNC recertifies 2 senior judges

Two senior judges have been recertified for another year of service in Indiana. Cynthia Amber of Fort Wayne and Carol Jane Orbison of Indianapolis were recertified as senior judges in a Feb. 25 order.

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Casino exec Ratcliff permanently banned from Indiana gambling industry

Longtime Indiana casino executive Rod Ratcliff has been permanently banned from the state’s gambling industry. Ratcliff, who previously served as chairman and CEO of Centaur Gaming and as CEO and chairman of Spectacle Entertainment, has been entangled in a battle with the Indiana Gaming Commission for months, as the state agency has been investigating Ratcliff and his companies.

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ABA urges key reforms on student loan debt

In an effort to address the crushing weight posed by student loan debt, the American Bar Association House of Delegates adopted a resolution penned by a group of young lawyers during its midyear meeting last week. The resolution urges programs to assist law school graduates and law students experiencing financial hardship due to their student loan debt.

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Bill aims to prevent ‘social justice prosecuting’

Under a bill in the Statehouse, a prosecutor who establishes a policy of not charging certain offenses would be considered “noncompliant.” But local prosecutors fear changes that would step on their prosecutorial discretion and give the attorney general, a statewide officeholder, a say over her local decisions.

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McDermott: Lake, St. Joseph judiciary bill raises questions

The undeniable truth is that there is a long legislative history in this nation of powerful majorities diminishing and silencing the voices of minorities. While I have no reason to believe the motive of the current judicial selection legislation for Lake and St. Joseph counties is racial, this law will undoubtedly have a disproportionally negative effect on citizens who happen to be racial minorities.

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