Attorney suspended for practicing without a license, renegotiating fees
An Indianapolis attorney has been suspended for at least 180 days after he practiced law with a suspended license and modified fee agreements to work in his favor.
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BMV intentionally overcharged, lawyer says after fresh settlement
The Indiana Bureau of Motor vehicles intentionally overcharged some 5.5 million Hoosiers for years, even after its misconduct was pointed out, said an attorney whose firm announced the second settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the agency.
COA: Trial courts can waive right to be at commitment hearing
State statute allows trial courts to waive respondents’ right to be present at their mental health commitment hearings, though the use of such statute should be limited only to cases where the evidence shows respondents’ presence would be injurious to their mental health, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday in a precedent-setting case.
COA affirms GPS monitoring after violation of protective order
A Hendricks County man will remain on GPS monitoring after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday his estranged wife presented sufficient evidence of his violation of a protective order and that he had notice of the possibility that he could be put on a GPS tracker.
COA affirms escapee’s convictions, consecutive sentences
A man who escaped in handcuffs from a police vehicle will remain in prison on escape and drug charges after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined Thursday the trial court did not err in instructing the jury or imposing his sentence.
7th Circuit affirms denial of disability benefits
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a woman’s application for disability benefits after finding an administrative law judge properly determined the woman’s medical impairments did not prevent her from working certain jobs.
7th Circuit denies rehearing, allows case to proceed to evidentiary hearing
A man convicted as a teenager in a 2008 Elkhart murder will still be given a federal evidentiary hearing on his claim of ineffective assistance of post-conviction counsel after a majority of 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judges denied the state’s petition for a panel or en banc rehearing.
Tax Court rules in favor of exemptions for trucking company
The Indiana Tax Court has ruled in favor of a northern Indiana trucking company protesting a proposed tax assessment of nearly $500,000, finding the company’s use of its trucks were predominately related to public transportation during the years at issue.
Lawsuit settlement means more refunds for motorists
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has agreed to repay motorists more than $62 million it collected in excessive fees to settle a class-action lawsuit.
15-year-old Indiana girl charged with murder in mom’s death
Prosecutors have charged a 15-year-old Indiana girl with murder in the fatal stabbing of her mother.
Appellate court finds man’s conduct constituted just 1 instance of contempt
A man originally sentenced to one year in prison for disrupting court proceedings will instead serve only six months after the Indiana Court of Appeals found his contempt citation stemmed from a single incident.
COA: Group voir dire did not violate right to impartial jury
An Indianapolis man who attempted to rob a pharmacy in a city more than an hour away was not denied his right to an impartial jury by the use of group voir dire, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday.
Justices allow strict enforcement of Trump refugee ban
The U.S. Supreme Court is granting the Trump administration's request to more strictly enforce its ban on refugees, at least until a federal appeals court weighs in.
Deputy prosecutor appointed to Pulaski bench
Pulaski County chief deputy prosecutor Crystal A. Brucker Kocher has been appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb to fill a vacancy on the Superior Court bench in the northern Indiana courthouse in Winamac.
Council panel OKs $20M in planning expenses for new justice center
An Indianapolis City-County Council committee on Tuesday night unanimously approved a resolution to issue $20 million in notes to pay for planning and design costs associated with building the new criminal justice center.
Debt collector must face suit for accessing credit report
A debt collection company failed to convince a federal judge that it had a right to access the credit report of a person whose debt it was assigned to collect in a dispute over a default on a lease.
Young, Donnelly indicate support for legal-aid funding
With the budget looming on the agenda of the U.S. Senate, Indiana’s two senators are both supportive of federal funding for legal aid, but neither are putting any dollar amount to their support.
3 condemned Ohio inmates ask high court to delay executions
Three condemned killers with upcoming execution dates asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday for a delay while they continue challenging Ohio’s new lethal injection method.
Russian lawyer at Trump Tower meeting drew U.S. scrutiny
Even before that now-famous encounter, the Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr. last year had drawn attention from U.S. government officials for her work fighting U.S. sanctions that had angered the Kremlin.
Court edits supervised release alcohol use restriction
Though the language of a district court order prohibiting a man’s “excessive” use of alcohol was “loose and indeterminate,” the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the order Monday after adding modifying language to the order that eliminated the vagueness concerns.