Court of Appeals upholds Miller estate decision
The Indiana Court of Appeals has sided with former Columbus, Ind., banker Will Miller in an estate battle launched by his older brother, Hugh.
Civil Case
Articles
Vested employer-provided health-insurance premiums are an asset
The Indiana Supreme Court held that employer-provided health-insurance benefits constitute an asset once they have vested in a party to the marriage, and addressed for the first time the possible methods of valuing these benefits in marriage dissolution. This conclusion led one justice to dissent because it disrupts existing dissolution property division law.
Court: team-building activity not under insured conditions
The Indiana Court of Appeals today affirmed summary judgment in favor of an insurance company, noting a soccer team’s accident while traveling to an activity outside of the trip’s purpose was not covered.
Mental-health facility report not same as charging instrument
The due process protections applicable to a charging instrument in a criminal case aren’t applicable to a report filed after someone is detained in a mental-health facility, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
Lawyers can’t appeal termination without parent’s authorization
The Indiana Supreme Court held Tuesday that although parents have a statutory right to appellate counsel to appeal an order ending their parental rights, a parent’s trial lawyer cannot pursue an appeal without the parent’s authorization.
Appellate court finds lawsuit brought in bad faith
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today for a fifth time on a contentious family dispute over the estate of deceased parents, affirming a small claims court judgment in favor of two of the siblings for damages and fees against their brother and his wife.
Justices: BMV can require names to match SSA records
The trial court was correct to find that the public interest in preventing fraudulent use of driver’s licenses trumps some people’s desire to have their commonly used names on their licenses, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled today.
Justices rule against POA on joint-account funds issue
The Indiana Supreme Court ruled against a woman who was made power of attorney by the man she worked for as a caretaker and opened bank accounts in both their names. The presumption is that the woman’s use of her power of attorney to benefit herself made those accounts invalid, and she failed to overcome that presumption to allow her to inherit the money from those accounts.
Judges split on district’s need to pay for new water main
The Indiana Court of Appeals split today on whether a school district was required to pay for the installation of a new water main as opposed to privately putting in its own water service line to connect to a new school.
Defendants in will contest must timely answer
In an issue of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals has held that a will contest is a civil action and a defendant in this type of action is required to file an answer or plead to a complaint as provided by the state’s trial rules.
COA reverses judgment on contract-rescission claim against lottery
The Indiana Court of Appeals will allow lottery scratch-off game players’ claim of contract rescission against the state’s lottery commission to proceed to trial, but the court affirmed summary judgment in favor of the lottery on the other claims filed by the players in a class-action suit.
7th Circuit rules on attorney fee issues in brownfield case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has mostly upheld an Indiana federal judge who’d ruled on the litigation costs and
attorney fees involved in a Shell gas station brownfield case.
COA: variance for residential wind turbine allowed
The Court of Appeals today affirmed a decision from the Warrick Superior Court that found the Board of Zoning Appeals of the
Area Plan Commission of Warrick County was right in allowing a 20-foot variance for the construction of a residential wind
turbine.
High court remands Medicaid case to lower court
The Indiana Supreme Court ordered a Marion Superior Court to let Medicaid recipients involved in a decades-long lawsuit present
evidence to demonstrate the transportation they may be entitled to by law and if they have been or will be denied services
because of lower pay rates to Medicaid transportation providers.
7th Circuit upholds Indiana’s judicial canons
At a time when the legal community is caught up in controversies about how judges are selected and whether they can remain
impartial, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in on that national debate and ruled that states have the authority
to self-regulate on those issues as it relates to judicial canons.
Child must show she is born out of wedlock to inherit
Ruling on the issue for the first time, the Indiana Court of Appeals held that the plain language of Indiana Code Section
29-1-2-7 requires a child to show she is born out of wedlock for inheritance purposes.
Court rules on first impression FLSA issue
In denying summary judgment for either party in a dispute involving the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. District judge
noted the issue appears to be one of first impression in the 7th Circuit.
7th Circuit upholds Indiana judicial canons
A three-judge federal appellate panel says that Indiana’s judicial canons are not unconstitutionally restrictive of
free speech and should stand.
COA addresses inverse condemnation issues
Inverse condemnation was the issue of the day for two Indiana Court of Appeals panels, with one case raising issues regarding
fraudulent concealment and the statute of limitations.
COA: attorney’s statement binding
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed partial summary judgment for Noble Roman’s Inc. in-store franchisees’ claim
for constructive fraud because the franchisees’ then-attorney admitted that they were only pleading actual fraud against
the company and that admission is binding.