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Legal battle brewing over trans athlete bill
In Indiana, a legal battle is already brewing over legislation that would ban transgender female athletes from competing on K-12 girls’ sports teams. Representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana have promised to file a lawsuit while Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has said his office will defend the bill’s constitutionality.
Court Tech developing jail data management system
With the Odyssey Case Management System now operational in all 92 Indiana counties, a new project aimed at better connecting justice partners is underway in Indiana. The new program, dubbed “INjail,” aims to not only make operations more efficient in sharing records — allowing courts and jails to seamlessly communicate with each other — but also to provide vital data to criminal justice stakeholders and lawmakers.
Kelln and Harrell: Could Title VI force change in IN enviro policies?
Conceptually, environmental justice is the “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.” The concept of environmental justice is not new, but came to the forefront during the Obama administration in the aftermath of the Flint, Michigan, lead-contaminated drinking water crisis. However, environmental justice never became a coherent strategy and was overshadowed by significant rulemakings around climate change. That has changed in the first year of the Biden administration.
10 finalists named for IN Supreme Court vacancy
The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission has selected 10 finalists to advance to the next round of interviews for an upcoming vacancy on the Indiana Supreme Court that will open when Justice Steven David retires.
7th Circuit demands Seymour attorney answer for conduct at appellate court
An appeal of a federal court’s ruling in a dispute with the IRS has a Hoosier attorney facing sanctions after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found he “pressed frivolous arguments” and engaged in conduct contrary to professional standards.
Watered-down vaccine mandate limits clear Senate, return to House for consideration
The Indiana Senate passed a watered-down version of the House Republicans’ bill to limit employer vaccine mandates, sending it back to the House where its future is cloudy.
Despite identity theft, 7th Circuit rules debt collectors didn’t violate federal law in collection action
While the process of remedying a case of credit card identity theft caused “a world of aggravation” for the plaintiff, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the debt collectors’ actions during the investigation didn’t violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act or Fair Credit Reporting Act.
7th Circuit agrees lawyer’s mistake was ‘inexcusable attorney negligence’
Four plaintiffs seeking Cook Medical liable have lost their ability to continue in the multidistrict litigation after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of a motion to reconsider the dismissal of their cases because their attorney missed a filing deadline.
Tax Court affirms, reverses in property tax disputes with ingredient provider
An American multinational ingredient provider that ran into trouble with the Indiana Board of Tax Review has secured a reversal from the Indiana Tax Court for its personal property taxes for the 2012 and 2013 tax years. However, it wasn’t as successful in its request for a refund after finding it overpaid for the 2011 tax year.
Bill allowing Level 6 felons to go to DOC headed to governor’s desk
A bill allowing Level 6 felony offenders to serve their sentences in the Indiana Department of Correction for mental health and addiction treatment is headed for the governor’s desk.
1 week left to submit ’22 Leadership in Law nominations
There’s only one week left to submit your nominations for the 2022 Indiana Lawyer Leadership in Law Awards.
Noblesville High School seeks dismissal of lawsuit filed by pro-life student
Noblesville School District and Noblesville High School are asking a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a freshman who alleged her rights were violated because she was not allowed to start a student pro-life club.
SCOTUS justices wrestle with EPA power to curb carbon emissions
The Supreme Court of the United States wrestled Monday with the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to curb greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants, a case that could hamstring the Biden administration’s plans to combat climate change.
Many Capitol riot cases could hinge on 1st trial’s outcome
The Justice Department launched one of the largest and most complex criminal investigations in its history after a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol over a year ago. Now it’s time for a jury to hear some of the government’s evidence about the unparalleled attack on American democracy.
Indiana GOP lawmaker apologizes for remark on Black students
A top Republican Indiana legislator on education policy has apologized for comments suggesting Black students don’t perform better academically because they lack “respect for learning.”
Indiana House unanimously supports sanctions against Russia
The Indiana House unanimously supported sanctions against Russia, just hours after the commencement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week.
Indiana classroom transparency bill stalls in GOP-run Senate
An Indiana education proposal that drew criticism for originally aiming to place broad restrictions on teaching about racism and political topics took a major blow Monday when Republican state senators did not advance the bill.
7th Circuit finds insurance co. has to defend USA Gymnastics against Nassar-related claims
A split 7th Circuit Court of Appeals panel has affirmed Liberty Insurance Underwriters Inc. must defend USA Gymnastics against the lawsuits filed by the athletes and affiliated gyms arising from Larry Nassar sexually assaulting hundreds of girls and young women over decades.
Indiana Supreme Court reverses ruling on MCS-90 endorsement
A trucking company and its driver involved in a fatal collision will not be able to rely on the insurance company’s MCS-90 endorsement after the Indiana Supreme Court ruled the coverage does not apply to an accident during an intrastate trip where non-hazardous materials were being transported.