Lawsuits by 3 men allege sex abuse by former Indiana priest
Three men are suing the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, alleging that a priest molested them as children and that the diocese covered up the abuse.
Civil Case
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A more skeptical high court to hear redistricting challenge
Last year, proponents of limiting partisan politics in the creation of electoral districts needed to win over Justice Anthony Kennedy. They couldn’t.
Parents suing Bartholomew County campground, police in child molestation case
The parents of a boy allegedly molested by a reserve sheriff’s deputy at a southern Indiana campground are suing the campground, police and their reserve program. The lawsuit alleges Larry L. Scott molested a 12-year-old boy while volunteering as a night-time security supervisor at Ceraland Park and Campground.
Web Exclusive: Litigation continues over PACER fees
A group of retired federal judges has learned life after the bench comes with PACER fees, and they are lending their voice to those questioning fees for public access to online federal court records.
Teenager hit by train gets no relief in appeal to 7th Circuit
A 17-year-old who was found to be more than 50 percent at fault for the injuries he sustained from running in front of a moving train was unable to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that he had no warning the locomotive was coming down the tracks.
Reversal: Former St. Mary’s employee loses claims against her termination
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the denial of a hospital’s motion for judgment against a former employee terminated for unethical behavior when it found the hospital was entitled to judgement due to the lack of genuine issues of material fact.
Southern District case challenges reduction of U.S. Social Security benefits for Canadians
A Canadian woman with careers in both Canada and the United States has experienced those complications firsthand and is seeking legal redress for what she says are wrongly withheld benefits. Lorraine Beeler has sued the Social Security Administration in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, alleging her U.S. retirement benefits were wrongly reduced based on similar benefits she receives from Canada.
Families not immune from vaccination debate
Arguments for and against vaccinations have grown in the national conversation as 12 states are currently battling an outbreak of measles. A recent Indiana trial court decision in a custody dispute demonstrated that disagreements over vaccinations also happen within families.
Trump again proposes elimination of Legal Services Corp.
Proponents of providing Americans equal access to justice through civil legal aid have once again found themselves defending that cause against the Trump administration, which proposes for the third time eliminating federal funding for civil legal aid.
Law exempting Bloomington, W. Lafayette from rental fee cap struck down
Rental property owners in Bloomington and West Lafayette may be getting a reduction in their registration fees after the Indiana Supreme Court struck down the exemption that allowed the college towns to charge more to landlords than the $5 mandated in state statute.
Rush again urges $1 million boost to civil legal aid
The Indiana Supreme Court made its case to the Legislature again this week for an additional $1 million in the state’s next biennial budget to support Hoosier civil legal aid.
Venue transfer arguments face justices’ scrutiny
In back-to-back oral arguments, the Indiana Supreme Court considered whether to grant transfer in two medical malpractice cases seemingly in conflict with each other. The debate: whether Indiana Code § 23-0.5-4-12 is a validly enacted statute or a nullity under the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Trial Rule 75(A)(4) regarding venue.
Bank’s arbitration award reversed for abuse of discretion
A small claims court’s confirmation of an arbitration award to a bank after its ‘dilatory conduct’ was reversed Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals, which found an abuse of discretion occurred in granting the bank relief several years after the case should have been dismissed with prejudice.
1 case settled in Missouri duck boat sinking that killed 17
The company that owned a tourist boat that sank in a Missouri lake and killed 17 people has reached a settlement with relatives of two brothers who were among the victims.
Ex-Hamilton County addiction doctor loses suit against DEA, Carmel
Law enforcement officials who unsuccessfully brought charges against a Hamilton County addiction treatment doctor accused of overprescribing opiates have been cleared in a civil lawsuit the doctor filed against them.
Rent-to-buy contract argued before Indiana Supreme Court
A dispute that could have a far-reaching impact on the sizable rent-to-own housing market in the Hoosier state was presented to the Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday morning with attorneys arguing over the nature of the rent-to-own contract.
COA to travel for three arguments next week
Three Appeals on Wheels oral arguments will be heard next week, involving wrongful termination of a hospital employee, suppression of evidence from a pat-down search and a hotel’s appeal of granted possession.
Judge sanctions lawyer, ex-DOC nurse in inmate abuse case
After declaring her trust in the statements submitted by defendants in prisoner litigation cases “shattered,” a federal judge imposed sanctions — some as as severe as default judgment — on a former prison nurse and her attorney accused of misconduct as serious as perjury.
Indiana leads 20-state coalition’s whistleblower brief
A scheme to award a multi-million-dollar no-bid subcontract to provide security in Iraq during the cleanup of munitions has put the spotlight on the federal False Claims Act and raised concerns among states, including Indiana, that a narrower interpretation of the long-standing statute could impact their ability to recover in whistleblower complaints.
Charlestown residents challenging sale of water utility
A group of residents from Charlestown is challenging the sale of the local water utility to Indiana-American Water, a transaction that comes with a $13.4 million price tag. Charlestown officials say the sale will improve the local water quality in the long run while mitigating rate increases, but the challenging residents claim the opposite.