Indiana man accused of dismembering girlfriend’s body
A western Indiana man is accused of dismembering his girlfriend with a chain saw and putting her remains in trash bags after she died while they were smoking methamphetamine.
Benton County
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Stretched to serve in ‘legal deserts’
Although there are more than 1.3 million attorneys in the United States, “legal deserts” can be found across vast expanses of the country and all over Indiana, according to a recent report from the American Bar Association.
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Tax Court: Racetrack’s 2020 tax assessment upheld after failure to appear
A man who failed to appear at two telephonic hearings for the appeal of his racetrack’s 2020 property tax assessment did not convince the Indiana Tax Court that a final determination against him should be overturned.
COA: Murder defendant could not call accomplice to witness stand
The Court of Appeals of Indiana has declined to overturn the conviction of a man who claimed he was denied his constitutional right to present a defense at his murder trial when the trial judge prevented him from calling his accomplice and forcing him to either testify or invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.
COA to hear murder, negligence appeals next week
The Court of Appeals of Indiana will be on the road next week, traveling to two Indiana high schools to hear oral arguments in a murder case and a negligence dispute arising from a deadly fire.
Farmworkers awarded $460K in wage theft, labor trafficking judgment
A northern Indiana federal court has ordered a farm in Fowler and its owners to pay more than $460,000 in compensation and damages to nine farmworkers who alleged they were forced to work without pay, housed in abysmal conditions and threatened, among other claims.
Supreme Court honors judicial officers for service, higher education
The Indiana Supreme Court on Tuesday recognized judges and magistrates across the state for their commitment to higher education and longtime service.
Ex-judge, assistant accused of estate fraud, will tampering face escalating claims
The stakes have been raised in a lawsuit against a former northern Indiana judge and an employee of his law office accused of swindling the estate of a deceased client whose will bequeathed more than $700,000 to local charities — money the charities say they never received.
Indiana businesses follow reopening plan; Fauci warns of ‘suffering and death’ if US reopens too soon
As many Indiana restaurants resumed in-person dining and some hair salons began reopening around Indiana on Monday, state officials said most businesses have been following restrictions imposed to slow the coronavirus spread.
2 northwest Indiana men charged with arson killing
Two northwestern Indiana men have been charged with murder and arson in the death of a third man in a house fire, Indiana State Police said Thursday.
Indiana town looks at ordinance after woman is killed by python
The Benton County town of Oxford is considering restrictions on certain snakes after a woman was strangled by an 8-foot-long python in a house full of snakes.
Judgment for trooper in motorcycle crash suit reversed
A motorcyclist injured in a crash after he attempted to evade a head-on collision with an oncoming state police trooper’s vehicle will have his day in court after the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a trial court ruling for the officer.
Officials warn flood victims in the state to be wary of disaster opportunists
Authorities are now warning those reeling from the floods that ravaged northern and southern Indiana against these scammers.
Applications open for coming Court of Appeals vacancy
Northern Indiana judges and lawyers may now apply to succeed long-serving Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Michael Barnes, Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush announced Wednesday.
Courts enter final year of e-filing rollout
The Benton Circuit Court implemented mandatory electronic case filing on Tuesday, the first court to move to a mandatory system in 2018 as the state continues its push to introduce e-filing to all Indiana counties by the end of the year.
7th Circuit rules Duke Energy must pay for wind-generated power
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court decision Tuesday requiring Duke Energy to pay for power generated by a local wind farm only if it passes to a lower grid, deciding instead that the energy company is contractually obligated to pay for any generated power regardless of transmission issues.
A bottleneck is bedeviling Indiana’s mighty wind turbines
Gusts blowing across Interstate 65 north of Lafayette one recent day were powerful enough to shake cars but impotent to budge the blades of the giant wind turbines dotting the sparse landscape. On an ideal day for generating electricity, the colossal pinwheels were eerily still, and for the most unlikely of reasons. They’d been turned off.
COA rules in favor of grandchildren in will dispute
The Indiana Court of Appeals had to interpret a handwritten will from 1917 in a dispute among those who stood to inherit land in Benton County. The appellate court determined that the trial court properly ruled that John and Karen LeFebre could collectively receive a one-third share in the acreage.
Possible end of tax credit leaves future renewable energy sources up in the air
Newton County lawyer Dan Blaney has a blunt reaction to the potential end of a federal subsidy that has enabled the rise of wind energy in his part of the state. “We’re in trouble,” he said.
Board did not abuse discretion in finding assessor’s appraisal more persuasive
Noting that determining the assessed value of a property is not an exact science, the Indiana Tax Court rejected a property owner’s assertion that the county assessor’s appraisal was improperly given greater weight.
COA rules in favor of previous shareholders in dispute with new owners
The Benton Circuit Court erred in denying partial summary judgment to the former shareholders of a garden accessories company, the Indiana Court of Appeals held.