Kavanaugh to hear first Supreme Court arguments
A Supreme Court with a new conservative majority takes the bench as Brett Kavanaugh, narrowly confirmed after a bitter Senate battle, joins his new colleagues to hear his first arguments as a justice.
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Justices won’t disturb conviction in triple killing
The Supreme Court of the United States is rejecting an appeal from a man convicted of joining a New Orleans police officer in the killing of her fellow officer and two other people during a 1995 robbery.
Elkhart police K-9 excessive force case to continue
An Elkhart police officer accused of using excessive force when he deployed a K-9 officer on a suspect lying in a cornfield has lost his bid for summary judgment and qualified immunity in federal court.
SCOTUS asked to take Lake Michigan beach privatization case
Arguing the Indiana Supreme Court “asserted a novel public right to access the entire beach” of Lake Michigan, private lakeshore landowners Friday asked the Supreme Court of the United States to rule that the public was entitled to use no part of the beach above the water itself.
Appeals on wheels heads east for OWI argument
The Indiana Court of Appeals will travel east this week to hear argument in a case involving a woman convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The case will be heard Tuesday at Winchester Community High School.
Ex-superintendent of Gary schools faces misconduct charges
The former Gary Community Schools superintendent has been charged with double-billing the district for about $1,200 in expenses. Lake County prosecutors filed felony theft and official misconduct charges on Friday against Cheryl Pruitt, who resigned as superintendent in February after a state-appointed emergency manager took over the district as it faced more than $100 million in debt.
Portage mayor’s federal bribery trial delayed until January
A federal judge has push backed the trial of a northwestern Indiana mayor facing bribery charges of accepting money in exchange for towing contracts. The trial against Republican Portage Mayor James Snyder had been scheduled to begin Tuesday, but will now begin in January.
Bitter fight over Kavanaugh shadows a conservative court
The moment conservatives have dreamed about for decades has arrived with Brett Kavanaugh joining the Supreme Court. But with it comes the shadow of a bitter confirmation fight that is likely to hang over the court as it takes on divisive issues, especially those dealing with politics and women’s rights.
State’s request for stay rebuffed in voter registration case
An attempt by the state of Indiana to squash discovery into its practice of maintaining voter rolls has been stopped by the Southern Indiana District Court, which pointed out to both parties that it has “extremely broad discretion in controlling discovery.” Judge Tanya Walton Pratt issued the order Friday in Common Cause Indiana v. Connie Lawson, et al., denying the state’s request to stay proceedings and discovery while the case is on interlocutory appeal.
Indiana man charged in 1988 slaying wants trial moved
An Indiana man charged in the 1988 abduction, rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl wants his trial moved to another county. John D. Miller, who is charged with the murder and molestation of April Tinsley, filed a motion Thursday seeking a change of venue.
Immigrant’s guilty plea withdrawal denied despite ineffective counsel
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reaffirmed the denial of a man’s petition to withdraw his guilty plea after determining the man failed to establish he was prejudiced by his counsel’s failure to adequately warn him of the threat of deportation before entering into a guilty plea.
Justices reinstate child molesting convictions under attenuation doctrine
Four Level 1 felony child molesting convictions will be reinstated against a Blackford County man after the Indiana Supreme Court found the man’s incriminating statements to police were sufficiently attenuated from an illegal search and seizure of his apartment. The court’s ruling also more broadly holds that the federal attenuation doctrine can be applied under the Indiana Constitution.
Indy attorney ordered to pay $500 for practicing while suspended
An Indianapolis attorney who has been suspended from the practice of law since 2009 has been ordered to pay a $500 fine for continuing to offer legal services despite her suspension.
Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh clears crucial Senate hurdle
A deeply divided Senate pushed Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination past a key procedural hurdle Friday, setting up a likely final showdown this weekend in a battle that’s seen claims of long-ago sexual assault by the nominee threaten President Donald Trump’s effort to tip the court rightward for decades. The Senate voted 51-49 to limit debate, effectively defeating Democratic efforts to scuttle the nomination with endless delays.
Mueller shedding more attorneys in Russia investigation
Special counsel Robert Mueller is trimming more attorneys from his office, another sign his team of prosecutors is winding down parts of their investigation into potential ties between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign.
Kavanaugh says he ‘might have been too emotional’ at hearing
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh acknowledged Thursday he “might have been too emotional” when testifying about sexual misconduct allegations as he made a final bid to win over wavering GOP senators on the eve of a crucial vote to advance his confirmation. Three GOP senators and one Democrat remain undecided about elevating Kavanaugh to the high court.
Justices: No rights advisement needed before drug exam
The Indiana Supreme Court reinstated a woman’s conviction that the Indiana Court of Appeals had vacated because she did not receive an advisement of her rights before police administered a drug recognition exam after a traffic stop.
GOP, Dems battle over secret FBI report on Kavanaugh
A high-stakes partisan row quickly broke out Thursday over a confidential FBI report about allegations that Brett Kavanaugh sexually abused women three decades ago, with Republicans claiming investigators found “no hint of misconduct” and Democrats accusing the White House of slapping crippling constraints on the probe.
COA: Fired deputy marshal wrongly denied hearing
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a decision that found a deputy town marshal was not entitled to a hearing following his employment termination. The deputy had been fired after taking leave for a medical condition.
Indiana gets more anti-violent crime funding
Nearly $657,000 has been allocated to the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana this year to continue efforts to reduce violent crime in the state and nationwide.