Anderson lawyer pleads guilty in estate misappropriation case
Suspended Anderson attorney Stephen Schuyler has pleaded guilty in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds from six estates totaling more than $700,000.
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COA: Indiana death penalty protocol ‘void’
Indiana’s means of carrying out the death penalty through lethal injection “is void and without effect,” the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, reversing a death row inmate’s challenge to the Indiana Department of Correction’s execution protocol.
Title VII sexual orientation cases bubbling in federal courts
As the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana continues with its first case allowing a Title VII claim on the basis of sexual orientation, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals is preparing for an en banc rehearing to consider whether Title VII prohibitions include sexual orientation discrimination.
ACLU, solicitor general argue to justices over DCS caseloads
Opposing counsel and the justices of the Indiana Supreme Court were agreed on one issue during oral arguments Thursday in a case involving the Department of Child Services – family case managers are the “backbone” of the work DCS does for Hoosier children.
7th Circuit: Officer had reasonable suspicion to prolong traffic stop
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a northern Indiana man’s conviction of possession more than 15 doctored gift cards, finding the police officer who stopped the man had reasonable suspicion to prolong the traffic stop that led to the discovery of the fraudulent gift cards.
DUI refusal requires retest after insufficient sample
Indiana law requires law enforcement officers to administer a second chemical breath test if the first test produces an insufficient sample, unless the person taking the test demonstrates a clear unwillingness to cooperate, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in an opinion reinstating a woman’s driving privileges.
Court: Indiana death penalty protocol ‘void’
Indiana’s means of carrying out the death penalty through lethal injection “is void and without effect,” the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, reversing a death row inmate’s challenge to the Department of Correction’s execution protocol.
Indictment: 35 trafficked cigarettes, synthetic drugs
Federal prosecutors in St. Louis say three dozen people from Indiana and five other states have been indicted on felony charges related to money laundering and the trafficking of cigarettes and synthetic drugs.
Man charged in Elkhart slaying says he met victim online
A 22-year-old man charged with murder in the slaying of a former northern Indiana city councilman told detectives he met the victim after responding to an online advertisement for casual encounters, court documents say.
COA affirms denial of reinstatement petition for lack of good cause
A special trial court judge properly denied a Vigo County woman’s petition to reinstate her previously dismissed case, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday, finding the woman failed to establish good cause for reinstating her case.
Appellate panel dismisses case already pending in another trial court
A Marion Superior court erred in denying a man’s motion to dismiss a transfer action against him after police seized nearly $50,000 in suspected drug money from him because an active case related to the transfer was already pending in another court, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Court affirms denial of PCR for drug offender
The Indiana Supreme Court has affirmed the denial of an Elkhart woman’s petition for post-conviction relief, finding her ineffective assistance of counsel argument cannot prevail under Indiana law.
COA dismisses sex offender’s ‘premature’ appeal
A convicted sex offender who has not yet received treatment in a state-mandated Department of Correction program cannot move forward with his appeal of the dismissal of his complaints against the DOC and its contracted health services provider because the appeal is premature, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday.
Judgment for law firm in malpractice case reversed
A law firm must face a malpractice suit for failing to file a tort claim notice on behalf of a woman who was seriously injured by an attacker and whose daughter was killed. The assailant was the subject of an active protective order that authorities failed to find before releasing him from jail.
Lawsuit targets local rent-to-own housing operator
An Indianapolis-based company that has purchased and rented out hundreds of houses in the city is being sued by a not-for-profit housing group and four former customers over what they are calling a “predatory and unlawful rent-to-own scheme.”
Judge awards no damages to worker burned inside heated tank
A lawsuit filed by an eastern Indiana man seriously burned inside a heated chemical tank has ended without any damages being awarded.
Long Beach seawall dispute goes back to boards
A complaint brought by Indiana residents seeking to build seawalls along their lakefront property will not proceed after the Indiana Court of Appeals decided Tuesday the residents must first exhaust their administrative remedies before litigating their complaint.
Right of first refusal splits Court of Appeals
A dispute over contract language divided the Indiana Court of Appeals to the point where judges could not agree whether the case was one of first impression.
COA: Mom cannot show lead cause of boy’s autism
A grandmother failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals her grandson’s developmental disabilities were caused by the lead paint in her rented house rather than by his birth mother’s use of methamphetamine.
COA allows nurse practitioner to testify as expert
An Evansville nurse practitioner who has training and licensure beyond that of a nurse, may testify as an expert as to whether a patient’s injuries are consistent with injuries sustained in an automobile accident, but not as to whether the accident caused the injuries, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.