Lake County judicial interviews rescheduled for March
Interviews for a Lake Superior Court vacancy have been rescheduled for March 11, following a postponement due to weather concerns. The interviews were initially scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31.
Courts
Articles
Trump, Pelosi remain far apart on border wall issue
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has declared that there’ll be no “wall money” in any compromise border security deal as she and President Donald Trump signaled congressional negotiators may never satisfy his demands for his Southwest border proposal.
Prosecutor: New charges possible in Russia probe leak case
New charges and arrests are possible in the prosecution of a U.S. Treasury Department employee accused of giving a journalist confidential banking reports related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Treasury worker Natalie Edwards, 40, is awaiting trial on charges she gave a BuzzFeed journalist reports about wire transfers made by Paul Manafort and other suspects in Mueller’s investigation.
Stone heads to court; Mueller cites potential evidence trove
Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone is due back in court Friday in the special counsel’s Russia investigation as prosecutors say they have recovered “voluminous and complex” potential evidence in the case, including financial records, emails and computer hard drives.
Bid to set aside murder, attempted murder convictions rejected
A man who pleaded guilty at age 15 lost his appeal on a motion to set aside his murder and attempted murder convictions when the Indiana Court of Appeals found he should have filed his argument as a claim for post conviction relief.
IU student accused of sex misconduct denied injunction
A male student accused of sexual misconduct was denied a preliminary injunction to prevent Indiana University Bloomington from suspending him as a sanction from what he called a “fundamentally unfair disciplinary process.”
Pursuit of happiness can’t blunt man’s marijuana conviction
A man arrested for smoking a blunt in Indianapolis failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that his misdemeanor conviction violated his constitutional rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The appeal also raised the issue of the Hoosier State now being among a minority of states that have yet to legalize marijuana in some form.
Split COA: Maintenance not required in divorce of disabled spouse
A woman who receives Social Security Disability was not entitled to spousal maintenance, a divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled, turning back a request on appeal to find that eligibility for SSD should constitute prima facie evidence of incapacity.
Former car dealer ordered to pay $140K for deceptive acts
The former owner of a Mishawaka used car dealership has been ordered to pay about $140,000 for alleged deception, including failing to deliver vehicle titles to customers.
Former Carmel swim coach sentenced for sexual exploitation
A former Carmel swim coach has been sentenced to 16 years and eight months in federal prison for sexually exploiting one of the girls he coached.
Investiture ceremony for Judge Hanlon Friday
Judge James Patrick Hanlon, the newest addition to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, will be formally sworn in at a special ceremony starting at 2 p.m. Friday in the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Southern Indiana Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson will preside over the en banc ceremony in the William E. Steckler Ceremonial Courtroom.
Judge: Exonerated man’s suit against Elkhart police may proceed
A civil rights lawsuit filed by pardoned ex-prisoner Keith Cooper has been allowed to continue, with a federal judge ruling Tuesday that Cooper’s federal malicious prosecution and related claims are not time-barred. However, the judge also raised questions as to whether the relevant statute of limitations should be revised.
Abuse of corpse conviction affirmed in woman’s death
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a man’s abuse of a corpse conviction, finding his confession was admissible without independent evidence because there was independent evidence to support his other confession in the same case.
Senior judge to serve as Lake Superior pro tempore
A retired Porter County judge will begin serving as a judge pro tempore in the Lake Superior Court, Civil Division 4 after the sitting judge transfers next week.
Court improperly considered military service in custody ruling
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a custody order when it found the trial court failed to enter appropriate findings and improperly considered a father’s military service in its determination.
COA reverses judgment against grandparent visitation
Two grandparents won their appeal to petition for visitation rights with their deceased son’s children after the Indiana Court of Appeals found a trial court erred in granting summary judgment to the children’s mothers.
Noblesville school shooter’s parents deny responsibility
The parents of a 13-year-old boy who opened fire in a Noblesville West Middle School classroom last year say they could not foresee his actions and deny any responsibility for them.
Hendricks Judge Freese faces discipline charges
A Hendricks County judge and former leader of the Indiana Judges Association is facing disciplinary charges stemming from allegations that he appointed a friend as trustee of an estate case, then failed to take prompt action upon learning that the man was not fulfilling his duties and was possibly stealing from the trust.
Scotty’s Brewhouse founder faces new investor lawsuit for alleged fraud
Two large shareholders in the company behind local restaurant chain Scotty’s Brewhouse have filed a lawsuit against its founder, Scott M. Wise, alleging that he made false statements and failed to properly register their shares, causing the investors to lose more than $1 million.
Senate Judiciary Democrats hold over federal judicial nominees
In holding over nearly 50 judicial nominees Tuesday, including two renominees for the Northern Indiana District Court, Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee called for a return to the traditions of honoring blue slips and relying on the American Bar Association’s evaluations.