Court opinions

Indiana Supreme Court
Steven Glover, As Personal Representative of the Estate of Shelina M. Glover v. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company
20S-CT-23
Civil tort. Vacates the Marion Superior court’s judgment and remands with instructions to grant the estate of Shelina Glover Robinson’s cross-motion for summary judgment. Holds that Shelina was an “insured person” under the policy and qualified as a “resident relative” because she lived with her parents, and her parents did not need to notify Allstate of her status because she was not an “operator” living within their household. Also finds that the policy’s anti-stacking provision does not limit an insured’s ability to recover under multiple UIM policies and that the policy’s offset provision reduces only the payments made on behalf of those persons directly liable for the injury.

The following 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opinions were posted after IL deadline Tuesday:
Indiana Vote by Mail, Inc. v. Paul Okeson
20-2605
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Judge James P. Hanlon.
Civil Plenary. Affirms the district court’s order denying an injunction against an Indiana election law, which would permit “no-excuse” absentee voting in the Nov. 3 general election. Finds Indiana’s absentee voting limitation do not violate the Equal Protection Clause or the 26th Amendment. Senior Judge Kenneth Ripple concurs.

The following 7^th Circuit opinion was posted after IL deadline Monday:
Lorraine Beeler v. Andrew M. Saul
19-2099
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern Division of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
Civil. Affirms the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana upholding the application of the windfall elimination provision by the Social Security Administration to Lorraine Beeler and the court’s grant of summary judgment to the agency. Finds the agency correctly ruled that plaintiffs’ Canadian employment was noncovered under the Social Security Act, and thus the provision applied to reduce their Social Security benefits. Circuit Judge Amy St. Eve dissents with opinion.

The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Friday.
Dawn Riddle and Matthew Riddle v. Dennis Cress, Haley Wilkerson, and Helen Cress
20S-PL-573
Civil plenary. Grants transfer and affirms the trial court’s decision to set aside the default judgment for Dennis and Helen Cress and the Cresses’ granddaughter, Haley Wilkerson. Finds that “the trial court’s assessments of the parties’ credibility and demeanor are the type of fact-sensitive judgments that may not be second-guessed under the deferential standard of appellate review and, here, are sufficient to establish at least ‘slight evidence’ of excusable neglect.” Remands to Johnson Superior Court for further proceedings consistent with the opinion. Justice Geoffrey Slaughter dissents, believing transfer should be denied.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Carl Lee Hill v. State of Indiana
19A-CR-02083
Criminal. Affirms Carl Hill’s 14-year sentence for convictions in Marion Superior Court of two counts of Level 5 felony reckless homicide and his adjudication as a habitual offender. Finds his convictions are not double jeopardy. Rejects Hill’s challenge to his sentence but remands to correct his sentence to attach the habitual offender sentence to one of his reckless homicide sentences rather than as a separate offense.

The following Indiana Tax Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Wednesday:

Grant County Assessor v. Randy & Sara Ballinger
19T-TA-19
Tax. Affirms the Indiana Board of Tax Review’s final determination that reduced the assessment of Randy and Sara Ballinger’s golf course land for the 2018 tax year. Finds that the Ballingers’ evidence best reflected the market value-in-use of their Walnut Creek golf course land. Thus, finds no basis for reversing the Indiana Board’s conclusion.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Gilley’s Antique Mall, et al. v. Doug Sarver  
20A-EX-00396
Agency. Reverses the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board’s ruling that Gilley’s Antique Mall and co-owner Jeff Hines were secondarily responsible for Doug Sarver’s injuries sustained during a construction accident. Concludes that the Board’s decision to add Gilley’s and Hines as defendants outside the two-year statute of limitations period was erroneous and contrary to the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act.

The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline on Monday:
Brian W. Kinman v. State of Indiana
20S-CR-569
Criminal. Grants transfer to Brian Kinman’s petition and summarily affirms the portion of the Indiana Court of Appeals opinion finding that Kinman’s oral motion to withdraw his guilty plea was procedurally defective. Finds the Fayette Circuit Court did not abuse its discretion in denying Kinman’s motion. However, also finds the trial court failed to include in its summary order any findings or conclusions on the issues Kinman raised in his de facto petition for post-conviction relief. Remands for entry of a revised order that complies with Indiana’s Post-Conviction Rules, including Rule 1(6).