The United States Supreme Court waited exactly three years to reject the appeal petition of a defendant sentenced to life without parole for a murder he committed near Ball State University 27 years ago when he was 17.
Default judgment against a man claiming to be the victim of identity theft in a criminal case was properly set aside, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The court held that the man was not required to provide a factual basis for his defense in the initial stages of the proceeding.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Service Steel Warehouse Co., L.P. v. United States Steel Corp.
20A-CC-1643
Civil collection. Reverses the entry of partial summary judgment in favor of United States Steel Corp. on Service Steel Warehouse Co.’s mechanic’s lien foreclosure claim. Finds Indiana’s mechanic’s lien statute does not require on-site labor for subcontractor status, and the essential feature making one a subcontractor, rather than a material supplier, is the performance of a definite and substantial portion of the project’s prime contract. Also finds Service Steel’s mechanic’s lien is not barred by the supplier-to-supplier prohibition. Finally, finds the Lake Superior Court erred in granting summary judgment on favor of U.S. Steel. Remands for further proceedings.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
USA v. David Gibson and Jerry Harris
20-1236 & 20-2234
Appeals from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division. Judge Jon E. DeGuilio.
Criminal. Affirms the Northern District Court’s denial of Jerry Harris and David Gibson’s motion to suppress evidence collected from cellphone tracking that revealed a heroin drug-trafficking scheme, as well as their respective sentences for conviction of conspiring to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
An unusual coalition of Supreme Court justices joined Thursday to rule in favor of an immigrant fighting deportation in a case that the court said turned on the meaning of the shortest word, “a.”
Indiana Court of Appeals
Nancy S. Allsup v. Josie Swalls-Thompson
20A-MI-2333
Miscellaneous. Affirms the denial of a post-election contest petition filed by Nancy S. Allsup, the incumbent candidate for the office of Vigo County treasurer, against the winning candidate, Jose Swalls-Thompson. Finds the Vigo Circuit Court’s findings support its conclusion that “the evidence is undisputed that Swalls-Thompson moved back to Vigo County after her marriage in August 2017 and has resided here ever since with her husband in his house.” Also finds the trial court’s denial of Allsup’s post-election contest petition was not clearly erroneous.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Rebecca Minser and Tina Zion v. DeKalb County Plan Commission
20A-PL-2408
Civil plenary. Affirms the grant of summary judgment to the DeKalb County Plan Commission on its complaint alleging Rebecca Minser and Tina Zion constructed a pond in violation of the DeKalb County Unified Development Ordinance, as well as the finding that Minser and Zion can be ordered to fill in the pond. Reverses the award of attorney fees to the commission. Finds the DeKalb Superior Court did not err when it awarded summary judgment to the commission and ordered a fine of $1,000. Also finds the trial court did err in awarding attorney fees to the commission. Remands with instructions to vacate the attorney fee award.
In reviewing Evan Miller’s case, the U.S. Supreme Court banned mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles — saying judges and juries should consider the special factors of youth — a decision that eventually led to inmates across the country getting a chance at release. But Miller will not get that chance.
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
The following 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion was posted after IL deadline on Monday:
USA v. Rex Hammond
19-2357
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division. Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.
Criminal. Affirms Rex Hammond’s 47-year sentence for conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and two counts of brandishing a weapon during a crime of violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). Finds that none of the evidence stemming from Hammond’s Oct.31, 2017 arrest must be suppressed, finding that the collection of his real-time CSLI was not a search; the resulting traffic stop was valid under Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996); officers read Hammond his Miranda rights prior to his verbal statements; and the physical evidence recovered from the car was discovered pursuant to a valid search warrant. Also finds that the district court did not err in instructing the jury regarding the felon-in-possession charge under Rehaif v. United States, 139 S. Ct. 2191 (2019). Lastly, finds his sentence should not be vacated under the guidelines.
A Hoosier man caught after leading a string of armed robberies in the Midwest could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that both his conviction and sentence should be overturned and vacated.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Aaron James Kearney v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
20A-CR-02117
Criminal. Affirms Aaron James Kearney’s aggregate two-year sentence in community corrections for conviction of Level 6 felony pointing a firearm and Class A misdemeanor intimidation. Finds sufficient evidence to support Kearney’s conviction for intimidation. Also finds the Lake Superior Court did not abuse its discretion by failing to instruct the jury on the defense of property.
A defendant sentenced to home detention waived his rights protecting him against searches and seizures even without reasonable suspicion, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Friday, overturning the suppression of evidence found during a home-detention search.
The following opinions were posted after IL deadline Thursday:
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Rexing Quality Eggs v. Rembrandt Enterprises, Inc. v. Joseph L. Rexing, et al.
20-1726, -1727
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Evansville Division. Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Civil. Affirms the award of $1,522,302.61 in damages for Rembrandt Enterprises Inc. in its contract repudiation dispute with Rexing Quality Eggs, but reverses the district court’s denial of Rembrandt’s request for interest and fees. Finds the district court properly concluded that the resale remedy under Iowa’s version of the Uniform Commercial Code was the appropriate mechanism for calculating Rembrandt’s damages. Also finds Rexing waived its arguments challenging the jury’s damages award by not presenting them to the district court in a postverdict motion. Finally, finds the parties’ agreement fell within the Business Credit Exception to Iowa’s usury statute. Remands for further proceedings.
Despite a buyer’s ruffled feathers, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld judgment for an egg supplier in a contractual dispute. Further, the appellate panel remanded for the calculation of interest and fees resulting from the cracked relationship.
The Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday struck down lower court rulings in favor of an unpaid contractor that performed work for a South Bend business, finding that because the business’s assets are now owned by a bank rather than the prior company, the new bank-owned business is not liable for the bill.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Sarah Swingley v. City of Muncie, Ball State University, and Board of Trustees of Ball State University (mem. dec.)
20A-PL-1797
Civil plenary. Affirms the grant of summary judgment to Ball State University, its board of trustees and the city of Muncie on Sarah Swingley’s complaint filed after she was struck and run over by a pickup truck near the BSU campus. Finds the designated evidence does not reveal a genuine issue of material fact as to whether a duty was owed to Swingley by either BSU or by the city under applicable Indiana law. Also finds neither owed Swingley any duty recognized in Indiana. Finally, finds BSU and the city are entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and the Delaware Circuit Court did not err in granting summary judgment.
U.S. Supreme Court justices want Indiana to justify its absentee voting restrictions and have formally requested the Indiana Attorney General’s Office to respond to a constitutional challenge after the state previously waived its right to reply.
Indiana Court of Appeals
In the Matter of the Guardianship of Donnell Lee Roberts, an Adult (now deceased), James Wesley Frady v. Patrick Hart
20A-GU-1837
Guardianship. Affirms the Hancock Superior Court’s denial of James Frady’s petition to exercise estate planning over the Estate of Donnell Roberts but reverses the trial court’s decision to sustain the state’s objection to Frady depositing a check as instructed after Roberts’ death. Finds that after termination of guardianship, Indiana Code § 29-3-12-1(e) permitted Frady to deposit a check as instructed. Also finds the trial court was not required to hold a hearing regarding estate planning before dismissing the petitions.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Blind Hunting Club, LLC and Brian Lane v. David Martini and Theresa Farrell
20A-PL-1868
Civil plenary. Affirms the grant of summary judgment to David Martini and Theresa Farrell on their complaint for declaratory judgment against Blind Hunting Club LLC and Brian Lane regarding the scope of an easement. Finds the agreement as a whole and the parties’ course of conduct demonstrate that BHC can use the easement either to access the property for a farm purpose and/or to access no more than two residences. Also finds BHC’s fee-based hunting operation is not a “farm” and is therefore not permitted by the agreement. Finally, finds the Dearborn Circuit Court did not err when it concluded that a fee-based hunting operation is not a business contemplated by the easement.