The May 2020 Indiana Bar Admission Ceremony was historic in several respects. Aside from taking place during a global pandemic, it was Indiana’s first virtual bar admission and the first where every admittee — all 105 — participated.
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Like the rest of the world, the judiciary has been walking a tightrope for the last six weeks, trying to keep courts open while protecting judges, staff, lawyers, litigants and the public from COVID-19 exposure.
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Did Brandon Kaiser pull the trigger on two Indiana judges only after they attacked him and placed him in fear for his life? He claims in court filings they did. But even as the judges involved in the now-infamous brawl have retaken the bench after brief suspensions, video that could prove conclusive remains under a court seal.
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The importance of community collaboration in the criminal justice system — particularly through ongoing reform and problem-solving courts — was the key message of Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush’s 2020 State of the Judiciary address.
Read MoreThe Indiana Supreme Court on Friday threw out an award of more than $237,000 in attorney fees in a lawsuit over seven billboards outside Utica, Indiana. Justices found the Clark Circuit Court lacked a basis for awarding fees to the parties who sued a regional development entity that sought to restrict billboards along State Road 265 just north of Louisville.
The man accused of shooting two judges during an Indianapolis altercation more than a year ago — and whose attorneys unsuccessfully pressed for the release of surveillance video of the incident they say backs up his self-defense claim — is back behind bars, held without bond after a minor pretrial release violation. The arrest on a warrant appears to conflict with an Indiana Supreme Court order for trial courts to issue arrest warrants only in emergency cases due to concern about the spread of COVID-19 behind bars.
An Indiana State Bar Association online program geared toward newly admitted attorneys is hoping to prepare and equip new lawyers on how to begin their legal careers in the midst of uncertain times posed by COVID-19.
The July bar exam is one example of the Supreme Court’s nimbleness as it moves in a new direction to help recent law school graduates and new lawyers overcome the stress and hardship created by the pandemic. Within the span of roughly two months, the justices moved the May admission ceremony online so those who passed the February bar could begin their legal careers as soon as possible and established the graduate legal intern program to give 2020 graduates the option of getting a limited license.
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush staunchly supports and promotes well-being in the legal profession. When she talks to Indiana judges, lawyers and law students, Rush frequently mentions the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. During her State of the Judiciary speech in January, the first topic Rush mentioned was Indiana’s problem-solving courts, which focus on issues including drugs and mental health.
A man convicted of felony drug dealing will now be able to appeal his 12-year sentence after the Indiana Supreme Court on Friday determined his appellate waiver was not knowing and voluntary.
A joint order from the Indiana Supreme Court and Indiana Court of Appeals extended emergency relief that was previously set to run through May 18. The extension comes as a result of the ongoing public health emergency posed by COVID-19.
The Indiana Supreme Court has denied Gov. Eric Holcomb’s request for clarification on whether now-suspended Attorney General Curtis Hill has temporarily vacated his office due to his suspension. The ruling means, at least for now, Hill’s chief deputy will remain in charge of the legal operations of the Indiana Office of the Attorney General.
Indiana Supreme Court justices have permitted the expansion of remote proceedings until further order amid the coronavirus public-health emergency.
The Indiana Supreme Court will be offering the bar exam in July, but the normal two-day, in-person test will be condensed to a one-day exam that will be given remotely, the court announced.
In unprecedented times, the state’s newest lawyers made history by being admitted to the Indiana Bar Tuesday morning in the first-ever virtual Indiana Supreme Court Admission Ceremony.
A joint Thursday order from the Indiana Supreme Court and Indiana Court of Appeals has announced that an order granting emergency relief through May 4 has been extended due to the ongoing public health emergency posed by COVID-19.
The Indiana Department of Correction will make another attempt at keeping confidential the suppliers of the lethal drugs used in executions when it appears for oral arguments before the Indiana Supreme Court at 11 a.m. May 27. Oral arguments in this case and the others scheduled for May will be done through videoconferencing rather than held in-person.
New lawyers prepared to take their oaths during the Spring 2020 Indiana Supreme Court Admission Ceremony will have to do so virtually, the high court announced Tuesday. The admission ceremony will not be held in a traditional brick-and-mortar location, but will instead be livestreamed at 10 a.m. May 5.
The Indiana Supreme Court is extending through May 17 the previously approved emergency relief orders issued to trial courts due to COVID-19. Justices are also setting a May 15 deadline for courts to submit transition plans for expanded operations.
Candidates seeking to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Indiana Court of Appeals due to Judge John Baker’s pending retirement will now be interviewed in June, the Indiana Supreme Court announced on Friday.
The Indiana Supreme Court has issued an order authorizing livestreaming of court proceedings during the coronavirus emergency. The order relaxes longstanding rules prohibiting the broadcasting of live court sessions to balance the public interest in judicial transparency while access to courts is restricted, justices said.
Though they don’t have all the answers, legal professionals are being looked to for guidance as clients navigate their new realities.
The Indiana Supreme Court announced Tuesday that filing pursuant to Appellate Rule 23(A)(1) by personal delivery to the clerk of courts or the rotunda filing drop box is now suspended through May 4.
Indiana Supreme Court justices have denied a petition from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana inviting the high court to engage in emergency rulemaking to facilitate the release of Hoosier inmates at risk for contracting COVID-19.