Former office manager gets nearly 5 years in prison for fraud
A bookkeeper who pleaded guilty to defrauding a small Franklin construction company out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison.
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Hill reinforces opposition to individual mandate as state collects $95 million from Obamacare lawsuit
As Indiana prepares to collect nearly $100 million from a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill held a meeting Wednesday with ACA proponents who are urging him to drop a second lawsuit challenging a controversial portion of the health care law. Though both parties said they were pleased with the dialogue, Hill also reinforced his opposition to the Obamacare individual mandate.
Former Elkhart resident accused of supporting ISIS
A former Elkhart resident has been charged in federal court with providing and conspiring to provide material support to foreign terror organization the Islamic State or Iraq and al-Sham.
COA reverses regular commitment for lack of evidence
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed and remanded a trial court’s decision to order a mentally ill woman to regular commitment at Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital, finding there was not clear and convincing evidence to prove commitment was necessary.
Father of 2 boys who died in Indiana river may face charges
The father of two Indiana boys who died after being pulled from a river was acting strangely before his sons were found in the waterway and could face criminal charges in their deaths, a sheriff said Wednesday.
Attorney who neglected med mal case suspended for year
An Indianapolis attorney currently under an indefinite suspension for failing to cooperate with a disciplinary investigation has now been suspended for one year after neglecting an elderly client’s medical malpractice case, leading to its dismissal.
Artist donates truth-inspired sculpture to COA
A new reminder of truth hangs permanently in the Indiana Court of Appeals office, after Broad Ripple artist Biagio Azzarelli donated his contemporary sculpture entitled “The Truth” to the appellate court on Wednesday.
Orleans man guilty in Bedford drive-thru shooting
A jury in Lawrence County has convicted a southern Indiana man of fatally shooting another man in a McDonald’s drive-thru lane last year.
Indictments? Impeachment? A look at Trump’s legal woes
A bad day in court for his former associates could foreshadow hard days ahead for President Donald Trump. But it’s unlikely he’ll find himself in a courtroom facing criminal charges, at least while he’s president.
COA: Sex offender registration is mandatory collateral consequence
Despite arguing his guilty plea did not include a sex offense, a Steuben County man will have to remain on the state’s sex offender registry after the Indiana Court of Appeals found registering was a collateral consequence for his conviction.
Smartphone privacy first impression case splits COA
Law enforcement cannot force a Hamilton County woman to unlock her smartphone as part of criminal investigation because doing so would violate Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, a divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals held on an issue of first impression that combined constitutional law with technological advancements.
Retaliation, discrimination, wage claims keep pace with hot economy
Claims of workers being harassed or denied opportunities because of their race, national origin, gender, age or sexual orientation are continuing despite diversity in the workforce and employers’ heightened need for labor amid low unemployment.
Applications open to succeed retiring Allen Judge Levine
The Allen Superior Court Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications from candidates who wish to fill a second pending vacancy in the county’s superior court. Applications to succeed retiring Judge Stanley Levine will be accepted through Sept. 14.
Crown Point man gets 15-year prison term in terror-related case
A Crown Point man who pleaded guilty to terror-related charges has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on Monday also sentenced Marlonn Hicks of Crown Point to three years of supervised release, to be served after his prison term.
Indiana Court decisions – Aug. 2–15, 2018
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Elkhart wrongful conviction case latest in county’s justice system
An effort to exonerate a man with limited mental capacity who was convicted of murder 13 years ago is the latest in a string of criminal cases that have put a spotlight on the extraordinary number of wrongful convictions in Elkhart County.
Fighting fear, stigma of impairment due to mental health issues
Legal employers interested in helping colleagues impaired by issues such as substance abuse, depression or cognitive degeneration now have a versatile toolkit they can customize to meet the needs of their attorney and the organization.
Hill enduring backlash in voting lawsuits
Even as the office of embattled Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is pleading for more time to challenge a ruling that found changes to the state's voter registration statute violated federal law, it's taking another election dispute to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
7th Circuit vacates denial of benefits to man with shooting pain and numbness
Finding an administrative law judge did not evaluate the credibility of a claimant and instead relied on the testimony of a physician who had not even examined the patient, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the denial of Social Security benefits to an Indiana man.
7th Circuit says vacated Fourth Amendment case was ‘close call’
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated and remanded a motion to suppress two firearms from a vehicle search after it determined the search was unwarranted due to a lack of reasonable suspicion after an anonymous tip was made.