Supreme Court rules against immigrants in detention case
A divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday against a group of immigrants in a case about the government’s power to detain them after they’ve committed crimes but finished their sentences.
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Web Exclusive: Litigation continues over PACER fees
A group of retired federal judges has learned life after the bench comes with PACER fees, and they are lending their voice to those questioning fees for public access to online federal court records.
COA: Probation officers protected under quasi-judicial immunity
An inmate ordered to serve the reminder of his sentence after violating his probation lost his argument against several probation officers involved in his case when the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the officers were protected under quasi-judicial immunity.
Man’s murder conviction upheld in tax preparer slaying
Finding his crime “serious and disturbing,” the Indiana Court of Appeals on Tuesday affirmed the 71-year sentence and robbery conviction in the death of an Indianapolis tax preparer who kept cash in a safe beneath his desk at his west side Indianapolis office.
COA: Would-be land purchaser from New Jersey entitled to attorney fees
A Porter County land-deal-gone-bad has reappeared before the Indiana Court of Appeals for a second time, with the appellate panel finding the would-be purchaser is entitled to attorney fees because he did not repudiate the sales contract.
Teenager hit by train gets no relief in appeal to 7th Circuit
A 17-year-old who was found to be more than 50 percent at fault for the injuries he sustained from running in front of a moving train was unable to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that he had no warning the locomotive was coming down the tracks.
Probation officers entitled to earned PTO payout, panel rules
Holding that probation officers as court employees are entitled to cash payouts of unused paid time off at the time of their separation of employment, the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a judgment in favor of a former Hendricks County probation officer.
Reversal: Former St. Mary’s employee loses claims against her termination
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the denial of a hospital’s motion for judgment against a former employee terminated for unethical behavior when it found the hospital was entitled to judgement due to the lack of genuine issues of material fact.
COA grants ex-wife full equalization payment from farm sale
Despite a man’s assertions that a trial court erred in denying his motion to correct error regarding the split of marital assets, the Indiana Court of Appeals found no such error occurred against him. Rather, it found error occurred against his ex-wife when she did not receive the full equalization payment after selling their farm.
Southern District case challenges reduction of U.S. Social Security benefits for Canadians
A Canadian woman with careers in both Canada and the United States has experienced those complications firsthand and is seeking legal redress for what she says are wrongly withheld benefits. Lorraine Beeler has sued the Social Security Administration in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, alleging her U.S. retirement benefits were wrongly reduced based on similar benefits she receives from Canada.
Hill accusers ‘pleased’ Disciplinary Commission reviewing alleged sexual misconduct
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is facing formal ethics charges from the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission, which filed a complaint against Hill on Tuesday over accusations of sexual misconduct made by four women. The attorney misconduct charges could impact Hill’s legal ability to continue serving as AG.
Justices’ ruling sparks conversation about PCR for noncitizens
Earlier this month, a 3-2 majority of the Indiana Supreme Court granted post-conviction relief to noncitizen Angelo Bobadilla, finding deficient counsel performance and prejudice. But dissenting justices raised concerns about the ruling inappropriately expanding the PCR analysis.
DCS reform bills whittled down but advancing
While the effort to give foster parents standing in cases involving abused and neglected children has stalled in the Statehouse, numerous child welfare and Department of Child Services reforms appear poised to pass the Indiana General Assembly.
Families not immune from vaccination debate
Arguments for and against vaccinations have grown in the national conversation as 12 states are currently battling an outbreak of measles. A recent Indiana trial court decision in a custody dispute demonstrated that disagreements over vaccinations also happen within families.
Justices reject B&B owner who denied room to gay couple
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday left in place Hawaii court rulings that found a bed and breakfast owner violated the state’s anti-discrimination law by refusing to rent a room to a lesbian couple. The justices rejected an appeal from Aloha Bed & Breakfast owner Phyllis Young, who argued she should be allowed to turn away gay couples because of her religious beliefs.
Supreme Court set for case on racial bias in jury selection
Curtis Flowers has been jailed in Mississippi for 22 years, even as prosecutors couldn’t get a murder conviction against him to stick through five trials. This week, the Supreme Court will consider whether his conviction and death sentence in a sixth trial should stand or be overturned for a familiar reason: because prosecutors improperly kept African-Americans off the jury.
Blakeman: Timbs joins key Supreme Court decisions with Hoosier roots
Tyson Timbs, the Marion defendant who challenged the 2015 seizure of his $42,000 Land Rover after selling less than $400 worth of heroin, joins the select group of Hoosier litigants who shaped constitutional law by way of this state.
In heartbreak of death penalty case, attorneys find inspiration
Indianapolis attorneys had spent years — one nearly two decades — trying to secure justice for Domineque Ray, an inmate on Alabama’s death row. Their efforts were defeated Feb. 7, when Ray was executed before their eyes.
Trump again proposes elimination of Legal Services Corp.
Proponents of providing Americans equal access to justice through civil legal aid have once again found themselves defending that cause against the Trump administration, which proposes for the third time eliminating federal funding for civil legal aid.
COA: Trial court not required to order interest on equalization payment
A woman arguing interest should accrue on marital asset payments from her former husband failed to sway an appellate panel, which concluded the trial court was not required to include interest when reducing an equalization payment to a judgment.