Court: Justice Ginsburg leaves hospital after cancer surgery
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Supreme Court said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital after cancer surgery.
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Split COA affirms admission of dead eyewitness’ video testimony
A split Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a man’s conviction for voluntary manslaughter after he fatally shot his fiancé, finding, among other things, no abuse of discretion in the admission of video testimony from a since-deceased eyewitness.
Public defender Bohdan named Allen Superior Court magistrate
Allen County public defender John C. Bohdan, II, has been named magistrate judge of the Allen Superior Court Misdemeanor and Traffic Division. Bohdan was selected to succeed former Magistrate David Zent, who was recently appointed to succeed retiring Allen Superior Judge John F. Surbeck, Jr. Surbeck will retire Dec. 31.
Indiana man gets 80 years in prison for Fort Wayne girl’s 1988 killing
An Indiana man has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for the 1988 abduction, rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl. An Allen County judge sentenced 59-year-old John D. Miller, of Grabill, on Friday after Miller pleaded guilty to murder and child molestation charges in April Tinsley’s long-unsolved killing.
Prosecutors concede 3 Buncich convictions should be vacated
Federal prosecutors concede there wasn’t enough evidence to convict former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich on three of the five wire fraud counts he was found guilty of and he should be resentenced. Prosecutors say they failed to introduce sufficient evidence of “Federal reserve payroll fund” transfers alleged in three counts of the indictment against Buncich and “the Court should vacate Buncich’s convictions on those counts.”
Former Van Buren town marshal pleads guilty to pain medication theft
A former Indiana town marshal is pleading guilty after authorities alleged he broke into the home of a local elected official and stole pain medication while still wearing his police uniform. Former Van Buren Town Marshal Donald R. Bosley admitted during a hearing on Dec. 19 that he entered the home of Van Buren Town Council President Tony Manry in May and stole the medication.
Year in Review: Top Indiana Lawyer web headlines for 2018
Here are the 50 most-read stories written by the Indiana Lawyer staff and posted online in 2018, based on page views through Dec. 10 provided by Google Analytics. Click the links to read the full stories.
Year in Review: Hill sexual misconduct scandal top legal news story of 2018
Indiana Lawyer’s top story of 2018 began inside an Indianapolis bar in the cool early-morning hours of Thursday, March 15. Attorney General Curtis Hill had had a few drinks. A few too many, several witnesses would later claim.
Indiana Court Decisions — Dec. 5-18, 2018
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Lawyers face scooter liability confusion; bill seeks regulations
As scooter accidents mount, liability has become a significant issue for lawyers representing clients involved in crashes, and at least one lawmaker has proposed statewide regulations.
Admission of evidence in teen’s murder case not an abuse of discretion, COA rules
A man convicted of murder as a teen unsuccessfully argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals that evidence in his case was erroneously admitted, with the appellate court instead finding the trial court did not abuse its discretion.
COA says immigrant’s PCR petition was 12 years too late
An immigrant woman who waited 12 years to seek relief from a forgery conviction has lost the appeal of the denial of her post-conviction relief petition, with the Indiana Court of Appeals finding the woman did not provide a credible explanation for the delay.
‘Meager weight’ of mitigating factors could not overcome attorney’s deficient performance
Although the Indiana Court of Appeals agreed the relationship had broken between a Fort Wayne criminal defense attorney and his client, it did not find that the 130-year sentence handed down would have been significantly less if defense counsel had offered mitigating circumstances.
Divided COA rules against grain farmer in statutory dispute
A Putnam County farmer will only be partially compensated for grain he deposited with a failed grain elevator after a divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected his reading of the relevant compensation statute.
Supreme Court committee seeks comment on amendments to ‘lazy judge’ rules
The Indiana Supreme Court is seeking comment on proposed changes to trial rules that govern what happens if a trial judge fails to timely rule on a motion and that would remove Supreme Court involvement in the appointment of a special judge. The court’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure is considering amendments to Indiana Trial Rules 53.1 and 53.2.
Committee seeks comment on court-administered alcohol, drug program amendments
The Indiana Judicial Conference Board of Directors and Court Alcohol and Drug Program Advisory Committee are seeking public comment on proposed amendments to rules for court-administered alcohol and drug programs. Amendments have been proposed for sections 19, 22, 27, 30 and 31 to the rules, and the creation of a new section concerning chemical testing has also been proposed.
NCSC essay contest on free speech open to students
Indiana students in third grade and up are invited to participate in an essay contest in recognition of National Law Day on May 1. Entrants in each category must pen a 100-word essay in response to this year’s question, “Should there be limits to free speech? Why or why not?”
Competency to be reviewed for man charged in 2 slayings
Competency evaluations will be reviewed for a man charged in the fatal shootings of a woman whose body was found in an abandoned rural central Indiana farmhouse and a man found slain at a nature preserve in Anderson.
Man pleads guilty in death of woman shot through wall
An Evansville man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for the death of a neighbor who was killed when a bullet traveled through an apartment wall.
IMPD officers sued for destroying homeless camp
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two as yet unidentified Indianapolis police officers, alleging they unlawfully seized and destroyed the belongings of five homeless individuals who had been living under a railroad bridge.