State prisoner charged with 4 Indianapolis murders in 2015
Prosecutors have charged a state prisoner with four counts of murder in connection with the shooting deaths of four people inside an Indianapolis home nearly four years ago.
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Divided 7th Circuit: Business owner may seek discharge of back pay debt
A divided panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed an Indiana business owner to seek to discharge back pay debt in bankruptcy proceedings, rejecting the National Labor Relations Board’s argument that the debt was not dischargeable because the employees to whom the back pay was owed were “maliciously” fired.
COA reinstates Hammond zoning suit against landlord
The city of Hammond may proceed with an ordinance violation act against a local landlord after the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected a trial court’s finding that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case in a trial de novo.
COA: Expungement petitioners can’t cross-examine victims
Expungement petitioners do not have the right to cross-examine the victims of their crimes who submit victim impact statements, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Tuesday decision upholding the denial of a Marion County expungement petition.
Judgment for mesh implant makers upheld after woman’s death
The estate of a woman who died after a surgical mesh patch was implanted in her body will not be able to proceed with a lawsuit against the patch’s manufacturer and patent holder after the 7th Circuit Court of Appels upheld summary judgment for the defendants Tuesday.
Applications open for Kosciusko, Posey judgeships
Lawyers interested in trial court judgeships in two Indiana counties have three weeks left to apply for vacancies to be filled by appointment by Gov. Eric Holcomb. The vacancies will exist in Kosciusko and Posey Counties, and applications are being accepted until 5 p.m. Feb. 13.
Woman gets 2 years in prison for death of boy hit by SUV
A northern Indiana woman has been sentenced to two years in prison in the death of a 7-year-old boy who was run over with her sport utility vehicle.
DCS reform bill passes House
The Indiana House of Representatives has unanimously signed off on a bill implementing reforms in the Indiana Department of Child Services – a bill that is just one of several designed to assist the troubled state agency.
Supreme Court releases censored appeal by foreign government
An unidentified foreign government is asking the Supreme Court to get involved in a case that may be part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. The appeal doesn’t identify the country, a company it controls or even the lawyers who are representing it, but it says the justices should make clear that a federal law that generally protects foreign governments from civil lawsuits in the U.S. also shields them in criminal cases.
Justices to hear ‘piecemeal’ CHINS litigation, auto part supply cases
Indiana Supreme Court justices will hear oral argument in two cases this week, including a dispute over “piecemeal” litigation in a children in need of services case and an auto assembly supply dispute coming before the court on petition to transfer.
Legislature takes first step toward regional public defender offices
The Indiana General Assembly has taken the first step toward allowing Indiana counties to create regional public defenders’ offices, a change that has been championed as a means of reducing public defender caseloads and eliminating the appearance of judicial impropriety when appointing indigent defense.
Reversal: CHINS adjudication unsupported by future safety concerns
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the adjudication of a baby found to be a child in need of services after finding that the Department of Child Services failed to prove the parents’ mental health issues seriously endangered the baby.
Justices agree to hear Rainbow Realty rent-to-own dispute
The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer to two cases last week, including a rent-to-own contract dispute that Indiana Legal Services claims could adversely impact Hoosier tenants across the state if not reviewed by the high court.
Indiana Court Decisions — Jan. 3-17, 2019
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
DCS still drawing numerous reform bills in Legislature
Legislators in 2018 introduced a slew of bills trying to bring more collaboration and modest adjustments to the Department of Child Services. Lawmakers this year have introduced at least 25 bills impacting CHINS, foster parents and DCS caseloads, among other things.
Indiana case shines spotlight on solitary confinement
No one denies that Aaron Isby-Israel made bad, even criminal, choices that landed him in the Indiana Department of Correction. What is disputed is whether Isby should have remained in solitary confinement for a total of 28 years.
High court lets military implement transgender restrictions
The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to go ahead with its plan to restrict military service by transgender people while court challenges continue. The high court split 5-4 in allowing the plan to take effect, with the court’s five conservatives greenlighting it and its four liberal members saying they would not have.
Notre Dame law students help women, children seeking asylum
Students and faculty from Notre Dame Law School and local immigration advocates volunteered over the holidays with the Dilley Pro Bono Project in Texas, which helps women and their children seeking asylum in the United States.
Sexual harassment bills target public official misconduct
After sexual misconduct and harassment allegations were leveled at Attorney General Curtis Hill and House Speaker Brian Bosma, harassment-related legislation is again being considered by the General Assembly, this year taking specific aim at accused elected officials.
Rush stresses ‘customer service’ during 2019 State of the Judiciary
With a theme of “Addressing the Needs of our Customers,” Indiana courts plan to emphasize quality customer service in 2019, Chief Justice Loretta Rush said in her State of the Judiciary address.