Reversal: Facebook post is defamation, merits damages
A southern Indiana woman who lashed out at her late boyfriend’s mother on Facebook must pay the consequences, which the Indiana Court of Appeals said Tuesday include monetary damages.
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COA: Churches aren’t school property; sex offenders can attend
Three convicted Boone County sex offenders can return to their church congregations after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined that churches are not considered “school property,” so state statute cannot prohibit the offenders from going to church, even when children are present.
Divided COA: Workers’ comp insurance policy data confidential
A split panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court ruling that data the state collects on workers’ compensation insurance is confidential, but a dissenting judge called the majority’s decision “an open invitation to erode the transparency of governmental affairs.”
COA reversal: Trial court error would have doubled estate’s obligation
A trial court order in an intergenerational trust dispute was reversed Tuesday by the Indiana Court of Appeals, which held the court clearly erred in a ruling that would have obligated an estate to pay twice the amount it received from a prior trust.
7th Circuit denies relief for man who killed stepmom at 17
A 17-year-old whose jailhouse confession to his mother that he killed his stepmother was secretly recorded by detectives, who testified about the incriminating statement at his trial, lost his federal habeas appeal Monday after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his sentence.
Man sentenced to 55 years in triple slaying
A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison after reaching a plea deal in the stabbing deaths of three people in northwestern Indiana.
COA: No findings needed to deny teen juvenile court
A 17-year-old convicted in adult court of obstruction of justice and carrying a handgun without a license has lost his appeal of the denial of his motion to transfer his case to juvenile court, with the Indiana Court of Appeals ruling the trial court was not required to enter written findings to support its denial.
Federal judge dismisses transportation museum lawsuit
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit between the Indiana Transportation Museum and the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority.
Purdue to host COA argument in courtesy car crash case this week
Purdue University will host a traveling oral argument of the Indiana Court of Appeals this week in a case involving who will pay for damages to a car rented from a car dealership while the driver’s vehicle was being repaired.
Supreme Court: Community Corrections can’t revoke good time credit
Directors of community corrections programs do not have authority to revoke inmates’ good time credit as a disciplinary measure because the Indiana Department of Correction has not yet delegated that authority to community corrections programs, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Friday. The decision reversed rulings in the trial court and Court of Appeals.
Judge rules against workers in ‘popcorn-lung’ lawsuit
A federal judge Wednesday ruled against 27 workers who claimed they suffered respiratory injuries from exposure to a microwave popcorn butter flavor ingredient that has been linked to lung disease in the manufacturing process.
Indiana woman sentenced to 36 years in death of 15-pound boy
An Indiana woman has been sentenced to 36 years in prison for neglect in the death of a 9-year-old blind boy with cerebral palsy who weighed just 15 pounds.
Indiana federal court historical film now available online
A historical documentary on the federal courts in Indiana is now available to view in full online.
Alabama inmate defiant before his execution for killing cop
A convicted cop killer who sued Alabama over its lethal injection method was put to death, but not before he cursed at the state and said: “I hate you.”
More than two-thirds of Indiana counties now e-filing
Indiana courts are closing in on a goal of mandatory e-filing statewide by the end of 2018. Decatur Circuit and Superior Courts switched on e-filing in most cases Wednesday, becoming the sixty-third of Indiana’s 91 circuits to launch electronic filing.
COA: Plea deals can’t waive right to sentence modification
Offenders who enter into plea agreements cannot waive future sentence modification under the plain language of a reform passed in 2014, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Thursday.
Jury convicts ex-Oklahoma police officer in 4th murder trial
A white former Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officer was convicted of first-degree manslaughter late Wednesday in the off-duty fatal shooting of his daughter's black boyfriend after jurors in three previous trials couldn't decide whether to find him guilty of murder.
Tax Court remands denial of pro-life ministry’s exemption
The Indiana Board of Tax Review must reconsider a South Bend pro-life ministry’s appeal of the denial of a tax exemption after the Indiana Tax Court ruled Tuesday the board erred by dismissing the appeal sua sponte.
Justices affirm Evansville SWAT drug arrest that split COA
The Indiana Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously affirmed drug convictions against an Evansville man who challenged a “military-style” SWAT team raid on his house that turned up cocaine, marijuana and prescription painkillers. The convictions previously were reversed in a divided opinion of the Indiana Court of Appeals that was vacated when justices granted transfer.
COA: ‘Horrific nature’ of fatal neglect warrants 40-year sentence
A former Gary woman who starved an infant to death in inhabitable living conditions received no relief Wednesday in her appeal and will serve her 40-year sentence.