Florida to execute man convicted of 2 decades-old murders
Florida is scheduled to execute an inmate on Wednesday who was convicted of slashing one man’s throat and fatally shooting another six times in 1991.
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Response to man’s plea for ‘lawyer dog’ has internet howling
Did the suspect ask for a lawyer dog? Or did he call a detective “dog,” while seeking a lawyer? A Louisiana Supreme Court justice appears to side with the canine lawyer interpretation.
Clerk who denied same-sex marriage permits to run again
The Kentucky county clerk jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples will run for re-election in 2018, facing voters for the first time since her protest against gay marriage launched a national uproar from rural Appalachia.
High Court excludes additional records from public access
The Indiana Supreme Court has added more court records to the list of those that must be excluded from public access in an order amending state administrative rules.
Indiana man convicted in 2013 deaths of his parents
A northwestern Indiana man has been convicted of murder in the 2013 bludgeoning and strangulation deaths of his parents.
Deputy prosecutor suspended 4 years for eavesdropping
A LaPorte County deputy prosecutor who listened in on privileged communication between defense attorneys and their clients has been suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for at least four years.
Supreme Court splits 3-2, denies transfer in custody case
A mother’s appeal arguing that she was wrongly denied an evidentiary hearing on her petition to modify custody of her daughter was rejected last week by a divided Indiana Supreme Court.
Court puts brakes on ordering Kammen to military trial
Indianapolis criminal defense attorney Richard Kammen won a reprieve Friday when the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana halted a military commission’s order that he continue representing a terrorism suspect held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Menendez lawyer assails bribery case in closing to jury
The bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy friend is built on assumptions and speculation and is devoid of evidence of an actual criminal agreement, the Democrat’s attorney told jurors in closing arguments Monday in Newark, New Jersey.
Indiana man accused of stealing, selling railroad bridge
He asked, they told him no, but he did it anyway, authorities say, accusing a scrap-metal dealer of taking apart an abandoned railroad bridge and selling the metal for $18,000.
Court upholds Indianapolis Land Bank fraud convictions
Two men convicted in an elaborate fraud scheme involving the Indianapolis Land Bank have lost their federal appeal, with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Friday there was sufficient evidence to support their multiple fraud convictions.
Supreme Court to hear legal malpractice, marijuana cases
The fate of a legal malpractice claim will be decided by the Indiana Supreme Court next week after the justices hear oral arguments to decide whether the claim can continue. Justices also will hear a case challenging the probable cause that led to a man’s conviction after discovery of a marijuana grow.
Magistrate judge slams ‘troubling trend’: lawyers ignoring orders
Note to lawyers with cases in the Southern District of Indiana: don’t give the overworked judicial officers cause to call you out for missing deadlines or shrugging off orders. Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker did just that in a blistering two-page order issued Friday.
Mueller estimates 3-week trial for Manafort, Gates
Court documents show Special Counsel Robert Mueller thinks it will take three weeks to present a case against ex-Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates.
Suit: Military defense counsel detained for excusing attorney Kammen
Accused terrorist Abd al-Rahim Hussein al-Nashiri has asked a federal court to stop his criminal proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, claiming the federal government is denying his right to qualified counsel during a death penalty case. The suit alleges his lead defender in his military trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been sentenced to to 21 days of confinement.
Woman’s health care fraud, ID misuse convictions upheld
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a woman’s convictions for health care fraud and misusing an identity. The panel determined the district court properly handed down indictments and admitted evidence to allow the government to prove the woman was involved in a plan to defraud Indiana’s Medicaid program.
Barrett confirmation highlights fierce fight over judiciary
The controversy surrounding Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals did not end with the Senate’s confirmation vote Oct. 31.
Supreme Court affirms Land Rover forfeiture in drug case
The state of Indiana can move forward with its plan to seize a Land Rover worth more than $40,000 from a convicted heroin dealer after the Indiana Supreme Court ruled the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause does not bar the state from making such a forfeiture.
Due in court, Manafort attacks Russia probe indictment
Accused of multiple financial crimes, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman on Thursday attacked the strength of the evidence against him, saying the case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller is “embellished.”
Former town marshal gets 50 years in wife’s murder
A central Indiana judge has given a 50-year prison sentence to a former deputy town marshal in the death of his wife who was shot with his police weapon.