COA reverses forfeiture against drug offender
The state must return funds seized from a man convicted of possession of marijuana after the Indiana Court of Appeals found no proof linking the cash to any drug crimes.
Court opinions
Articles
7th Circuit orders Lilly to reinstate ex-employee’s disability benefits
Eli Lilly and Co. must reinstate disability benefits to its former human resources director after a divided 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found insufficient evidence to support the company’s argument that the former director could still work despite her fibromyalgia symptoms.
7th Circuit allows inmate’s due process claim to continue
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed summary judgment against a federal inmate on his constitutional due process claims, finding that the reviews of his prolonged stay in solitary confinement may not pass constitutional muster.
Relying on video evidence that contradicts trial court is not ‘reweighing,’ justices rule
An appellate court’s decision to rely on video evidence to reverse a trial court’s findings does not constitute impermissible reweighing of the evidence if the video indisputably contradicts the trial court, the Indiana Supreme Court held Thursday while simultaneously affirming a man’s resisting law enforcement and battery against a law enforcement animal convictions.
Appeals court vacates multiple domestic violence convictions
Multiple domestic violence convictions against a man accused of repeatedly beating and choking his wife were vacated Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals, along with his adjudication as a habitual offender.
COA affirms $2.13M award against trucking firm in crash
A Tippecanoe County jury’s award of $2.13 million in damages to a woman permanently injured in a crash that killed her fiancé was affirmed Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
COA: Expert should have testified about personal medical practices
In a case of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled a patient in a medical malpractice case should have been able to cross-examine the medical expert about his personal medical practices.
Supreme Court: ‘remoteness’ of prior conviction doesn’t affect admissibility
Determining that the “remoteness” of a prior offense does not affect the admissibility of evidence at trial, the Indiana Supreme Court has affirmed the award of roughly $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages to a man injured by a drunk driver.
New Jersey man to get attorney fees, interest in failed real estate deal
After affirming the denial of summary judgment to northern Indiana landowners who misrepresented a property zoning to a potential buyer, the Indiana Court of Appeals also reversed the denial of attorney fees and prejudgment and post-judgment interest to the buyer.
COA reverses woman’s conviction for violation of protective order
A woman who sent an email to the board of elders of her former church did not violate the church pastor’s protective order against her because the email was intended for the elders, not the pastor, a divided Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.
Supreme Court reverses denial of motion to suppress in gun-tip case
Evidence of a man’s illegal possession of a handgun must be suppressed at his trial on remand after the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday the evidence was obtained in violation of constitutional protections.
Appeals court affirms denial of workers’ comp benefits
A divided Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board’s decision to deny workers’ compensation benefits to a man after determining that his medical problems were not related to an on-the-job injury in 2010.
COA corrects erroneous conclusion in footnote in post-conviction case
After granting rehearing to correct an error in a footnote of an earlier opinion, the Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed its March decision to give a Franklin County man a second chance at post-conviction relief.
Supreme Court remands 1995 murder case for new trial
A man convicted of murder more than 20 years ago will have a new trial after the Indiana Supreme Court held Friday that his trial counsel performed deficiently and his appeal was not barred by the doctrine of laches.
COA rejects self-defense claim against battery charge
A man who punched a racer at a southern Indiana racing track cannot claim self-defense to rebut his battery charge because the facts show that the man was the initial aggressor against the racer, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Friday.
7th Circuit affirms tax fraud convictions
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the convictions and sentence of a man convicted on three tax fraud charges, finding that the district court properly excluded evidence of his corporate “meeting minutes.”
Justices create framework for determining admissibility of immigration status
After reversing a trial court’s decision to admit a plaintiff’s unauthorized immigrant status as evidence in his case for decreased earning capacity damages, the Indiana Supreme Court laid out a new framework Thursday for determining when immigration status can be admissible.
COA recommends judge’s recusal in remand of motion to contest adoption
In a 41-page opinion handed down Thursday, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a putative father’s motion to contest adoption, finding that the adoptive parents had caused delays in the court proceedings and also noting that the judge in the case should have recused himself to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
COA affirms summary judgment to parents in family land dispute
After a yearslong dispute between northern Indiana parents and their daughter and son-in-law, the Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the grant of partial summary judgment to the parents, finding that a real estate contract between the two couples was unenforceable.
Justices rule police may get cell location data without warrant
A criminal suspect had no expectation of privacy regarding the cellphone location information police obtained without a warrant before his arrest, a divided Indiana Supreme Court ruled in a 3-2 opinion issued Thursday.