Like the two previous admission ceremonies, the Tuesday induction for the new admittees to the Indiana bar was held virtually. But this time, along with introducing themselves to the state and federal judiciary, the freshly minted lawyers took a few minutes to thank those who helped them get to this day.
A Boone County murder defendant convicted and sentenced to life without parole failed to convince a majority of the Indiana Supreme Court that the trial court improperly denied his request to proceed pro se. The majority provided an analysis for considering pro se requests in capital and LWOP sentences, but minority justices raised concerns about the majority “till(ing) new constitutional soil.”
When speaking to students at law schools, we repeatedly emphasize that they should never avoid counseling or treatment because they fear it would prevent their admission to the bar. To the contrary, the willingness to seek mental treatment demonstrates that an applicant has the maturity to do the right thing when confronting life’s daily challenges.
All 23 lawyers and judges who applied to succeed Judge James Kirsch on the Indiana Court of Appeals will be interviewed by the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission next month.
Women who aspire to become judges need mentors and role models to help show the way. One longtime Indiana appellate judge shared the value of such encouragement that speaks to the experience of many female jurists: “She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. That caused me to apply.”
The Indiana Supreme Court has granted transfer to two cases, including one case presenting an issue of first impression as to whether law enforcement can establish probable cause for a search warrant based only on the smell of marijuana.
While the COVID-19 pandemic ruled out the traditional State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly in January, Chief Justice Loretta Rush’s address for 2021 released Wednesday takes the form of a video featuring judges and court officers discussing how the judiciary “adapted and innovated.”
When juvenile defendants are tried in adult court, parents who are also witnesses may be excluded from witness-separation orders if their children establish them as “essential” to the presentation of evidence, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled. However, applying that holding to the facts of the case before them, justices concluded an Elkhart County teen failed to establish his mom was “essential” to his attempted murder defense.
An Indianapolis woman who was convicted of murder after her manslaughter plea was rejected when she claimed self-defense could not persuade a majority of the Indiana Supreme Court last week to hear her appeal.
The Indiana Supreme Court on Friday vacated orders of a trial court judge in a case involving a former law firm’s alleged theft from an estate. The case brought by a Jasper County charity that claims it was defrauded of a bequest is proceeding before a new judge.
An Indianapolis lawyer who was suspended more than 20 years ago has been conditionally reinstated to the Indiana bar. The reinstated attorney is permitted to practice on a probationary period.
The Indiana Supreme Court has launched a new online tool providing information about daily dockets for courts in more than 30 Indiana counties. The tool follows court rules requiring courts to make daily calendars public and permitting courts to livestream proceedings due to COVID-19.
The Indiana Supreme Court has evenly split in a long-running dispute over disclosure of records concerning the state’s lethal injection drugs, clearing the way for disclosure of the records and the payment by the state of more than a half-million dollars in legal fees.
A controversial bill that would allow the Indiana attorney general to request a special prosecutor if elected prosecutors become “noncompliant” passed the Indiana Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 200 is now headed to the Indiana House for further consideration.
A dispute over the valuation of shares has been resolved in favor of a company after the Indiana Supreme Court upheld the discounts that were applied to the valuation. The former company partner who sued previously won a Court of Appeals ruling that increased the value of his shares by more than $1 million.
Indiana Supreme Court justices reversed a determination that a guardian was required to arbitrate claims against a screening company arising from an employee’s sexual assault on a resident of a Carmel assisted living facility.
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Innovation Initiative is expanding, with the court creating a third working group to address issues surrounding civil litigation.
The annual State of the Judiciary address will not be delivered in person to the Indiana General Assembly this year due to COVID-19, the Indiana Supreme Court has announced. Instead, Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush will submit a written report and video message.
Given the economic toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on Indiana’s budget, the Indiana Supreme Court is not requesting additional funding in the next biennial budget that will be drafted during the 2021 Legislative session. Instead, the court is asking the General Assembly to keep funding steady and has reverted funds to the state through pandemic-related savings.
Amendments have been made to Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure regarding child paternity cases, as well as e-filing processes and procedures for filing probate and guardianship cases, according to an order from the Indiana Supreme Court.