Lake County judge appointed; finalists named for second vacancy
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has appointed a magistrate judge as the newest judge of the Lake Superior Court and will soon begin the process of filling another Lake County court vacancy.
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Indiana Supreme Court calls for review of bar exam
Amid slumping passage rates, the Indiana Supreme Court has created a special commission to review the state’s bar exam and make recommendations for changes in format or content, including whether to modify what is considered a passing score.
COA affirms dismissal of annexation fiscal plan challenge
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of a Dayton resident’s complaint for declaratory judgment against the town when it found meritless her assertions that a fiscal plan for a proposed annexation was “inadequate.”
Pat down search at overdose scene not improper, COA says
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a man’s conviction and sentence for dealing in a narcotic drug after it concluded his Fourth Amendments rights were not violated, nor was his sentence inappropriate.
Citing lackluster briefing, court gives trooper another chance in panhandler’s suit
Lamenting the “limited utility” of the parties’ briefing on cross-motions for summary judgment, a district court judge has denied summary judgment to an Indiana State Police trooper sued after arresting a man for a form of panhandling but is giving him another chance to defeat a summary judgment ruling in favor of the arrestee.
Indiana man gets $47K in excessive force lawsuit
A man who alleged that a Gary police officer attacked him during a traffic stop because he was having an affair with the officer's wife has reached a settlement with the city.
Indianapolis police testing mental illness screening tool
Indianapolis police are testing a new screening tool that’s intended to divert people suffering from mental illness to treatment and care, rather than sending them to jail.
Twelve states sue Indiana medical firm over data breach
Indiana is among a dozen states suing a Fort Wayne health records company over a data breach that compromised information of more than 3.9 million people.
Justices reject environmentalists’ appeal over border wall
The United States Supreme Court is rejecting an appeal from environmental groups trying to stop President Donald Trump from building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, even as other legal action against the wall is ongoing.
7th Circuit upholds child porn prison sentence
A Bedford man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child porn has failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to order a resentencing, with the court finding that the terms of the man’s plea agreement were not breached.
COA to hear post-conviction, attempted murder cases
The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear arguments this week in a murder case and on two post-conviction petitions.
Judge: Woman can’t keep pet pigs in Anderson
A judge has ruled that a woman can’t keep her three miniature pigs within the city limits of her central Indiana community. Madison Circuit Court Judge George Pancol rejected Lily Harsh’s appeal of a 2017 decision by the Anderson Board of Zoning Appeals to deny her a zoning variance to keep the pet pigs.
High court rejects request to reinstate murderer Baer’s death sentence
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a request by Indiana’s attorney general’s office to reinstate the death sentence of a man convicted of killing a central Indiana woman and her 4-year-old daughter. Monday’s decision leaves in place a federal appeals court ruling that threw out Frederick Baer’s death sentence because he had ineffective legal counsel. He’ll now be resentenced by an Indiana court.
Supreme Court sends bar fees case back for further look
The U.S. Supreme Court is telling a lower court to take another look at a case challenging mandatory fees lawyers pay to a state bar association. The case sent back Monday involves a North Dakota attorney who sued after learning that bar fees were being used to oppose a ballot measure he supported. The justices said the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals should reconsider the case in light of a recent ruling about fees paid to unions, Janus v. AFSCME.
Judgment affirmed for Ellettsville land owner in easement suit
The Indiana Supreme Court affirmed a trial court’s entry of summary judgment for a landowner against the owner of the property’s adjacent lot when it found that Indiana’s common-law rule prohibited the unilateral relocation of fixed easements.
Man convicted in 2017 Indianapolis crash that killed 2
A man has been convicted of criminal recklessness and other charges in a 2017 highway rollover crash that killed two Indianapolis teenagers.
Mueller considers new charges for ex-Trump campaign chairman
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort may face additional charges after lawyers in the special counsel’s Russia investigation said he lied to them and broke his plea agreement, prosecutors said Friday.
Drug convictions tossed over suspicionless search
Although caught by Tippecanoe County Community Corrections with his ex-wife in the attic and drugs in the basement, a man had his convictions overturned after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined his consent to warrantless searches did not include suspicionless searches.
7th Circuit revives Indiana wine retailer’s challenge to Illinois liquor laws
Finding the arguments needed to be allowed to ferment a little while longer, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has returned a dispute involving an Indiana wine retailer and Illinois’ liquor laws back to the district court for further proceedings. The case, Lebamoff Enterprises, Inc., et al. v. Bruce V. Rauner, et al. and Wine & Spirits Distributors of Illinois, 17-2495, raises the oft-asked question of how far states can go under the 21st Amendment in regulating alcohol within their borders.
Carmel spine surgeon wins $112M verdict in royalty battle with Medtronic
Dr. Rick C. Sasso, an Indiana spine surgeon and inventor, has won a sweeping, five-year legal battle against medical-device giant Medtronic, with a jury this week awarding him $112 million in damages. Sasso, president of Indiana Spine Group, claimed Medtronic had violated a contract by not paying royalties he was due for spinal implants and screw-implant systems he had invented and licensed to the company more than a decade ago.