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Elkhart inmate files wrongful conviction petition claiming Elkhart Police coerced his statement

Nearly 13 years after he was found guilty of a murder he claims he did not commit and following a subsequent series of failed attempts at appellate and post-conviction relief, a developmentally disabled man has petitioned the Elkhart Circuit Court to overturn his conviction on the basis of new evidence he says proves his confession was coerced and his counsel was ineffective. Andrew Royer filed a petition to vacate the judgment against him on Wednesday.

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Mueller worries Russia could use court case to spy on probe

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is worried that Russian intelligence services will use a criminal case in Washington, D.C., to gather information about its investigation and U.S. intelligence-gathering methods. In court papers filed Tuesday, prosecutors asked a federal judge in D.C. to impose limits on the information that can be shared by attorneys in the first criminal case directly related to Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

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Muncie pain clinic doc convicted of forgery, Rx offenses

A jury has convicted a Muncie pain clinic doctor on three counts each of forgery and prescription-related registration offenses. The Delaware Circuit Court jury deliberated less than an hour before finding William Hedrick of Fort Wayne guilty of the six counts.

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Lack of inmate program recommendation no issue on appeal, COA rules

A man sentenced to six years in prison for battering his father lost his argument on appeal that the trial court failed to recommend him for participation in a substance abuse treatment program. Placement in such programs are left to the discretion of the Department of Correction, the court noted.

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Prison doctor must face inmate suit as judge seeks counsel

A prison doctor must face a lawsuit from an inmate who claims the physician didn’t follow a surgeon’s orders for pain medication and physical therapy after the inmate’s back surgery. The judge in the case also said he would solicit counsel to represent the inmate going forward.

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Federal judge approves AT&T-Time Warner merger

A federal judge in Washington approved the $85 billion mega-merger of AT&T and Time Warner on Tuesday, potentially ushering in a wave of media consolidation while shaping how much consumers pay for streaming TV and movies.

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Crown Point couple charged with neglect after boy shoots self

A Crown Point couple has been charged with neglect after a young boy they were babysitting found a gun in a bedroom and fatally shot himself. Rachel Lynn Griffin, 24, and Brett A. Beatty, 29, were charged Tuesday in Lake Superior Court with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent related to the death of 4-year-old Eric Cole.

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Court orders former Cracker Barrel manager to arbitration

A former Indiana Cracker Barrel manager who sued the restaurant chain for disability discrimination and retaliation must arbitrate her claims against the restaurant after a federal judge compelled the employee to comply with an arbitration agreement she claims she never signed.

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AG Hill praises DOJ decision not to defend Obamacare in federal suit

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is commending the U.S. Department of Justice’s announcement that it will refrain from defending significant portions of the Affordable Care Act in court, saying the move shows the strength of a 20-state lawsuit challenging the controversial individual mandate.

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Gary man facing death in slayings of wife, 2 kids loses PCR bid

A Gary man sentenced to death for killing his wife and two teenage stepchildren has lost his latest attempt to overturn his conviction – a post-conviction relief petition. Lake Superior Judge Samuel Cappas and Magistrate Judge Natalie Bokota determined in a ruling issued Friday that Kevin Isom of Gary failed to establish he had ineffective counsel at his murder trial or during the appeals process.

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Foreseeability rulings change negligence analyses in premises liability cases

In just 30 pages, the Indiana Supreme Court “redrew (Indiana’s) premises liability landscape,” an appellate court judge recently noted. The October 2016 rulings redefined the parameters courts — not juries — must use when determining whether the harm alleged in a negligence case was was foreseeable, giving rise to a duty.

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Appeals court hears suit from owner of dog killed by DNR trap

While walking her dogs through Versailles State Park one unseasonably warm afternoon in December 2011, Melodie Liddle heard her 9-year-old beagle, Copper, yelping after becoming caught in a hidden raccoon trap. The Court of Appeals is weighing the state’s liability in the case and whether Liddle’s complaint is time-barred.

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