Man pleads guilty to 2 murder counts in 1998 triple-murder
A northern Indiana man has pleaded guilty to two counts of murder on the same day jury selection was set to begin in his third trial in a triple-murder case.
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Indiana man gets life for sexually exploiting 3 children
Federal prosecutors in Indiana say a man has received a life sentence for sexually exploiting three children, including a young girl in Ireland. U.S. prosecutors said Thursday that 37-year-old Ricky Dean Clark was sentenced to a life term without a chance for parole for offenses involving sexual exploitation, coercion and enticement of a child and child pornography.
Divided COA upholds summary judgment denial in contract dispute between developer, laborers
A divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the denial of cross-motions for summary judgment in a Lawrenceburg contract dispute, finding genuine issues of material fact as to whether a land developer breached its contract with the city and whether a class of laborers was entitled to prevailing wages under Indiana’s wage laws.
Taco food truck explosion not foreseeable, divided COA says
A man injured while waiting for his taco lunch lost his appeal that he was owed a duty of care from a salvage yard, with a majority of an Indiana Court of Appeals panel finding a food truck explosion at the salvage yard was not reasonably foreseeable.
COA: Juror with family drunk driving history not biased in OWI case
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a woman’s drunken driving conviction after finding that she failed to provide sufficient evidence that one of the jurors hearing her case withheld potentially prejudicial information.
Five more senior judges certified, re-certified for 2019
The Indiana Supreme Court has certified and re-certified an additional five judicial officers as senior judges for 2019.
Medicaid thief loses appeal of ‘vulnerable victim’ convictions
A woman who defrauded a technology illiterate physician out of more than $80,000 lost her appeal Thursday when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found the woman took advantage of the doctor’s "remarkable" computer illiteracy for personal financial gain.
Wave of concussion lawsuits to test NCAA’s liability
The Indianapolis-based NCAA is facing more than 300 lawsuits from former college football players who claim their concussions were mistreated, leading to medical problems spanning from headaches to depression and, in some cases, early onset Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.
Man arrested for breaking into Mellencamp’s Indiana home
An Indianapolis man has been arrested after ramming his SUV through a security gate at the home of rocker John Mellencamp and kicking in a door. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said 48-year-old Robert P. Carter was arrested about 6 a.m. Thursday by officers responding to an alarm at Mellencamp’s home outside Bloomington.
Northern District nominees sent to Senate floor after judiciary committee votes
Holly Brady and Damon Leichty, nominees to the Northern Indiana District Court, are a step closer to confirmation after the US. Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted in favor of their nominations Thursday and sent their names to the Senate floor.
Indiana, Ohio leading 6th Circuit appeal supporting law regulating Kentucky abortion clinics
The Hoosier state has filed its second abortion-related appeal this week, this time urging a federal appeals court to uphold states’ authority to regulate abortion clinics. Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill joined forces with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to lead a 16-state coalition in favor of a Kentucky law requiring abortion clinics to maintain transfer-and-transportation agreements with local hospitals and ambulance services.
7th Circuit dismisses ex-bank worker’s appeal of district court remand to state court
A former bank employee lost his appeal of a remand order that moved his lawsuit from federal to state court and imposed sanctions for wrongful removal, with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals finding there was no abuse of discretion and that the untimeliness of the initial removal to federal court was not made in ignorance.
Retired driver Derek Daly seeks at least $25M from WISH-TV in defamation suit
Retired race car driver and former motorsports broadcaster Derek Daly on Thursday filed a defamation lawsuit in Hamilton County seeking at least $25 million from his former employer, WISH-TV Channel 8, and its parent company, Irving, Texas-based Nexstar Media Group Inc.
Judicial clerkship pilot to expose Maurer 1Ls to rural practice
The Indiana University Maurer School of Law and the Indiana Supreme Court have announced a pilot program in which up to five 1L students committed to public service will work with judges throughout the state.
Holcomb appoints prosecutor as newest Lake County judge
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has appointed a prosecuting attorney with violent crimes experience to fill a judicial vacancy on the Lake County bench. Holcomb announced Wednesday that Aleksandra Dimitrijevic will succeed Lake Superior Judge Jesse M. Villalpando.
Officers recognize, arrest woman who barked at police dog
An Indiana woman who barked at a police dog attracted the attention of officers, who then arrested her on outstanding warrants. Lafayette police say officers were conducting a traffic stop Monday when 20-year-old Kiana Champagne Fletcher, who was standing in front of her home, began barking at a police dog sniffing the stopped car.
Prosecutors: Hoosier man, ex-girlfriend plotted to kill ex-wife in New Jersey
Authorities say an Indiana man and his former girlfriend plotted to have his ex-wife killed in New Jersey. Federal prosecutors say Narsan Lingala, a 55-year-old Middlesex County, New Jersey, resident, and 52-year-old Sandya Reddy, both of Noblesville, are each charged with murder-for-hire.
Bill: Public servants who steal would repay from pensions
The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code on Wednesday unanimously stripped a proposed bill of language that would have required Indiana public officials to serve prison time for theft of taxpayer dollars. In its place, the committee added a provision to recoup any monetary losses from the pension funds of officials convicted of theft.
State, national groups support Indiana public defense reform
Leaders of state and national criminal justice organizations are declaring their support for the Indiana Public Defender Commission’s reform initiative, which the commission is presenting to the Indiana General Assembly this year in an effort to secure additional funds to expand and improve indigent defense services statewide.
Suit seeks to require counsel for kids in CHINS cases
A national child advocacy organization filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Indianapolis asserting that Indiana is violating the rights of abused and neglected children by failing to provide them legal counsel in children in need of services and termination of parental rights hearings.