Judge accused of bringing gun into Chicago courthouse
A judge is charged with carrying a concealed weapon in a prohibited area after he was caught on video dropping a gun in a Chicago courthouse.
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Nursing home fraud scheme’s ‘CFO’ gets 5 years in prison; lesser player gets 4 months
A federal judge on Monday sentenced Steven Ganote, a key player in the massive American Senior Communities overbilling and and kickback scheme, to five years in prison and ordered him to pay $7 million in restitution. Judge Tanya Walton Pratt also doled out punishment to Joshua Burkhart, sentencing him to four months in prison and ordering him to pay $420,000 in restitution for his role in the scheme.
7th Circuit splits over plain reading of Indiana law
In a case involving an Indianapolis Metropolitan police officer trying to recoup attorney fees, a split 7th Circuit Court of Appeals illustrated that taking a plain reading of statute does not always make things clear.
ALJ erred by ‘playing doctor’ in head trauma case, 7th Circuit rules
Judges must rely on expert opinions instead of determining the significance of particular medical findings themselves, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a case where it found a judge “played doctor” to review limitations caused by a traumatic brain injury.
Indiana Supreme Court approves Marion County small claims rule amendment
A request from the Marion County Small Claims Courts for amending a local rule regarding court reporter services has been approved. The Indiana Supreme Court found the proposed rule amendment, LR49-AR15-SC-106, complied with the requirements of Indiana Administrative Rule 15.
A look at Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh’s notable opinions
Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, has sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006. Here are summaries of some of his notable opinions:
Supreme Court enjoys relatively high public confidence
The next Supreme Court justice will join the bench at a time when the public has more confidence in the high court than in Congress or the presidency. A Gallup survey in June found 37 percent of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the court, while another 42 percent have “some” confidence. Only 18 percent have little or no confidence in the court.
Indiana Court Decisions — June 21-July 3, 2018
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Judge blocks latest Indiana abortion restriction
For the third consecutive year, an Indiana law that would have raised restrictions on abortion rights was blocked by a federal judge. Abortion rights supporters say they expect more such attempts in the future, while the continuity of those federal rights has suddenly become an open question.
Kavanaugh’s professional life spent in GOP legal circles
Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh is the embodiment of the Republican legal establishment: an Ivy Leaguer who worked for the justice he has been nominated to replace, investigated a Democratic president, served in a Republican White House and now is an influential member of what is often called the second-most powerful court in the country.
Trump taps D.C. Circuit Judge Kavanaugh for SCOTUS
President Donald Trump on Monday night nominated conservative District of Columbia Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Best practices, prevention discussed at upcoming Supreme Court opioid summit
Teams from all 92 Indiana counties will convene in a little more than two weeks to discuss how to best equip the Indiana judiciary when facing cases concerning the state’s growing opioid crisis. The Indiana Supreme Court will host the Statewide Opioid Summit: A Medication Assisted Treatment and Addictions Primer for Justice Professionals from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on July 25 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
Trump enjoys ‘suspense’ before Supreme Court choice
President Donald Trump is going down to the wire as he makes his choice on a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, but he says with his final four options, “you can’t go wrong.”
Hill vows to stay in office, demands investigation into groping allegations
Amid allegations of sexual misconduct against an Indiana lawmaker and growing calls for his resignation, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill vowed again Friday to stay put. Meanwhile, a Statehouse rally is planned for Saturday “to support victims of Curtis Hill.”
Criminal defense attorney charged with drunken driving
A prominent Indianapolis criminal defense attorney has been charged with drunken driving. David Hennessy was formally charged Thursday with Class A misdemeanor operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person and Class C misdemeanor operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration between 0.08 and 0.15.
Judge grants gag order against exoneration attorney
A northern Indiana judge has agreed to enter an injunction against a Chicago attorney accused of making “extrajudicial statements” in defense of a mentally-disabled man currently serving time for an Elkhart murder.
COA: Enhanced sentence not fundamental error
A man who sought a second resentencing after his 2003 murder convictions unsuccessfully argued that he was denied fundamental due process rights 15 years after being sentenced for four counts of murder.
Former nursing home executive handed 57-month prison sentence
Daniel Benson, the former chief operating officer of American Senior Communities, was sentenced Friday to nearly five years in federal prison for his role in a massive kickback scheme at Indiana’s largest chain of nursing homes. Indiana Southern District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Benson to a 57-month sentence as part of a plea agreement.
DCS can’t litigate piecemeal CHINS cases, COA warns
If the Department of Child Services has enough concern to file a child in need of services petition, it should have enough evidence to win the case the first time around, the Court of Appeals warned Friday.
Who are Trump’s top Supreme Court contenders?
President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nomination is expected on Monday, with three federal judges leading the pack. Here's a look at who they are (plus three more who haven’t been completely counted out just yet):