‘Historic’ opioid trial raises questions, possible answers
What’s being called a historic trial is underway in Oklahoma — the first against a drugmaker accused of contributing to the opioid crisis.
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Anniversary of equality: LGBTQ community reflects 5 years after state legalized same-sex marriage
In the five years since same-sex marriage became legal in Indiana, married same-sex couples say acceptance has grown, but some are concerned about pushback and the potential rollback of hard-won rights.
Gary’s gun lawsuit gets revived with COA ruling
Nearly 20 years after it was originally filed, the city of Gary’s lawsuit against firearm manufacturers and dealers is again moving forward after being revived for a third time on appeal, this time focusing on potential unlawful conduct.
Web Exclusive: Johnson County Prosecutor still on job despite felony guilty pleas
Johnson County Prosecutor Bradley Cooper pleaded guilty nearly two months ago to three felony charges and a misdemeanor domestic battery count. But Cooper is still in his elected office after he allegedly battered and confined his fiancée, to the dismay of some in the county south of Indianapolis.
Court rejects challenge to regulation of gun silencers
The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to federal regulation of gun silencers Monday, just days after a gunman used one in a shooting rampage that killed 12 people in Virginia.
ALJ’s denial of disability finding for man remanded
A man who suffers from severe weekly seizures that leaves him confused and disoriented will have another chance to make his case for disability benefits after the Northern District Court found an administrative law judge’s denial warranted remand.
Justices hear 3 transfer cases, split over 3 more
Out of 25 cases, the Indiana Supreme Court chose only to hear three on petition to transfer, all of which the justices decided last week. Justices unanimously agreed to deny transfer in most of the cases but split over three cases it ultimately rejected to hear.
Judge orders insurance CEO to attend settlement conference
Despite repeated objections, an insurance company’s CEO has been ordered to personally attend an upcoming settlement conference in a contractor’s defamation suit against the insurer. Nationwide Insurance CEO Stephen R. Rasmussen failed to persuade either a magistrate judge or the presiding judge that his presence was unnecessary at a settlement conference in a lawsuit brought by ARAC Roof it Forward.
Lawyer suspended for alleged trust thefts faces new charges
A suspended lawyer already accused in three counties of stealing money from ex-clients’ special needs trusts has been charged in Indianapolis with allegedly stealing from another victim. The latest charges against Kenneth Shane Service include a count of racketeering.
Free legal advice to be offered through IndyBar Legal Line
Members of the public will have an opportunity to ask for legal help Tuesday without worrying about how to pay for it during the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Legal Line program.
COA to hear wrongful death appeal at Indy community center
Whether claims from a deceased man’s estate allege facts that fall under Indiana’s Medical Malpractice Act after he died from a leg injury will be argued during an Appeals on Wheels oral argument Wednesday at the Indianapolis Jewish Community Center.
Judge denies police defamation claims in Indiana wiretapping
A northern Indiana judge has ruled that a former South Bend councilman did not defame four police officers targeted in a long-running wiretapping case when he sought a federal probe of potential racial bias in the police department.
Judge: School district violated transgender students’ rights
A federal judge has found that an Indiana school district violated a transgender student’s civil rights by not allowing him to use male bathrooms at school.
COA remands case to clarify who should set sliding scale fees
The Indiana Court of Appeals has remanded a case after finding no clarification from the trial court as to whether Marion County Community Corrections was intended to evaluate a man on a sliding scale of fees for his home detention costs.
DNA testing developing, strengthening wrongful conviction cases
The science of DNA testing is evolving, and that’s a good thing for wrongful conviction reform advocates like Fran Watson. She talked about the changes Friday before a session of the Indiana State Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Conference in French Lick.
COA affirms BZA’s denial of fire department’s residential property use
A Southern Indiana volunteer fire department faced the heat after the Indiana Court of Appeals sided with a local board of zoning appeals to deny the department’s application to use a residential home as an emergency sub-station.
Lawmaker: Recording at famed Indiana farm politically driven
Video exposing alleged animal abuse at a famous northwestern Indiana dairy farm is politically motivated, said an Indiana lawmaker who drafted legislation in 2013 that would have barred undercover video filming at the state’s agricultural operations.
Judgment for IndyCar upheld in Panther Racing suit
The Indiana Court of Appeals on Thursday affirmed that a sponsorship agreement between IndyCar and a now-defunct racing team did not prevent IndyCar from providing another team access to space in the Fan Village at races on the circuit.
Man’s conviction for harassing DCS case manager stands
A man convicted of harassing his Department of Child Services case manager to the point that she quit her job and moved to another county lost an appeal of his conviction Thursday, failing to convince the appellate court that the offense didn’t occur in Indiana.
Resentencing ordered in former Lake County sheriff’s wire-fraud case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered for resentencing for a former Lake County sheriff convicted last year on bribery and wire fraud charges, vacating some of his counts for insufficient evidence.