Supreme Court rules for car dealerships in overtime case
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that car dealerships’ service advisers, like car salesmen and mechanics, are exempt under federal law from overtime pay requirements.
Court opinions
Articles
Islamic State references lead court to overturn conviction
Indiana’s Court of Appeals has overturned a man’s battery conviction after finding that a prosecutor committed misconduct by linking him during his trial to the Islamic State terror group.
Racial discrimination claim will proceed against Purdue coach
The Indiana Northern District Court has allowed a racial discrimination claim to continue against a Purdue University baseball coach after finding one of his player’s adequately alleged the coach treated him differently because of his Mexican heritage.
Former phone sex operator loses summary judgment in National Guard case
A former phone sex operator who was terminated from an AmeriCorps program has lost her bid for partial summary judgment based on an alleged First Amendment violation.
COA upholds judgment for DOC correctional officer
An Indiana correctional officer is entitled to summary judgment on an offender’s small claims complaint, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled after determining the correctional officer properly confiscated “prohibited property” from the offender.
Divided Supreme Court finds clerk liable for released bail proceeds
The Vanderburgh County Clerk is liable for a $5,000 cash bond she released in a criminal case while a related civil proceeding’s supplemental was pending, a ruling two dissenting Indiana Supreme Court justices fear could put clerks in a tight spot.
COA upholds man’s convictions for molesting teenage relative
A northern Indiana man convicted of molesting a teenage relative has lost his appeal of his two felony convictions after the Indiana Court of Appeals found neither the trial court nor the man’s trial counsel erred.
COA upholds school district’s protective order against parent
A Jackson County father may only enter Seymour Community Schools property for the limited purpose of dropping off and picking up his daughter from school after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the school district’s protective order against the father is valid.
Supreme Court reverses breach judgment against heart hospital
A longstanding dispute between a cardiologist and his former employer has ended with the Indiana Supreme Court overturning a $470,000 judgment against a heart hospital.
Divided Supreme Court: Mother was justified in not communicating with child for a year
Despite her failure to significantly communicate with her child for a one-year period, a Greene County mother’s consent to the child’s adoption was required because she spent that year working toward recovery from a drug addiction, a majority of Indiana Supreme Court justices have ruled.
7th Circuit affirms judgment for Walgreens in slip-and-fall case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed summary judgment for a national drugstore chain after finding that an woman who fell in a Walgreens store in Hebron failed to prove the store had knowledge of a hazard on its premises.
Despite ‘role of Grinch,’ 7th Circuit won’t stop Christmas show
An Elkhart high school’s traditional “Christmas Spectacular” production that was canceled by a northern Indiana federal court because of its overt religiosity, then passed muster when Christian elements no longer took a leading role in a revival, won the reluctant blessing of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
COA tosses drug evidence after arrest lacking probable cause
Indianapolis police who approached a vehicle with guns drawn after a man exited lacked probable cause, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, suppressing evidence of drugs found in the vehicle.
Neighbor lacks case despite ‘havoc’ after home built on higher land
While agreeing that water flowing from a neighbor’s property after construction of a new home on higher ground “wreaks havoc” on the property below, a trial court’s decision that the owner of the lower ground has no right of action was affirmed Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
7th Circuit upholds summary judgment for debt collector
A debt collection agency that reported an Indiana woman’s disputed debt to two national credit reporting agencies did not violate federal law relating to debt collection and credit reporting actions, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed.
Supreme Court limits reach of tax crime statute
The Supreme Court is making it harder for the federal government to use a section of the tax law to convict someone of a crime. The court Wednesday limited the application of a statute that the government had interpreted to give it a broad ability to charge someone with obstructing or impeding the work of the Internal Revenue Service.
COA remands for clarification of vague probation conditions
The Vigo Superior Court must provide a man convicted of resisting and spitting on local law enforcement officers with a written list of his specific probation conditions after the Indiana Court of Appeals found discrepancies and vagueness in the conditions provided.
Judge denies attorney’s motion to exclude in copyright infringement case
A retired Indiana attorney has lost his motion to exclude a defendant’s expert testimony in his copyright infringement case, with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana finding the plaintiff was not prejudice by the defendant’s failure to file an expert report.
Appellate court upholds conviction in killing of man’s girlfriend, unborn baby
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a murder conviction against a man who killed his girlfriend and unborn child, finding the warrantless search of his girlfriend’s apartment did not violate his state or federal constitutional rights.
COA upholds murder, neglect convictions in 3-year-old’s death
A woman convicted of neglecting and murdering her boyfriend’s 3-year-old son has lost her appeal before the Indiana Court of Appeals, which found sufficient evidence to support her conviction for the “horrific” crime.