Murder charges dropped against Gary woman after years in jail
Charges have been dropped against a Gary woman who has been in jail for more than four years accused of arranging the death of a business associate.
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Indiana man accused of spreading HIV sentenced to prison
A Terre Haute man accused of spreading HIV has been ordered to serve 20 years in prison.
ACLU suing state of Indiana in Lawrenceburg discrimination case
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is suing the Hoosier state for disability discrimination, the most recent piece of litigation in a lawsuit stemming from a donated piece of land in Lawrenceburg.
CASA Day at Statehouse set for Monday
About 400 Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers will gather Monday at the Indiana Statehouse joined by Justice Steven David to highlight the program’s efforts and talk with lawmakers about issues facing children involved in the child welfare system.
Justices uphold St. Joseph County foreclosure
The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a mortgage company that foreclosed on a St. Joseph County couple’s home, holding that although the couple’s personal liability was discharged under Chapter 7 liquidation, the lien on the property was still an enforceable action.
COA orders post-conviction court to reduce criminal confinement sentence
A man who pleaded guilty to criminal confinement will have his sentence reduced by eight years after the Indiana Court of Appeals held Tuesday that his trial attorney’s erroneous counsel led the man to make the decision to reject a previous plea agreement.
Trial court must reconsider convicted murderer’s PCR petition
A convicted murderer facing life without parole in Franklin County is getting a second chance at post-conviction relief after the Indiana Court of Appeals found Tuesday the trial court did not consider all the post-conviction claims properly before it.
Obama’s final year: US spent $36 million in records lawsuits
The Obama administration in its final year in office spent a record $36.2 million on legal costs defending its refusal to turn over federal records under the Freedom of Information Act, according to an Associated Press analysis of new U.S. data that also showed poor performance in other categories measuring transparency in government.
City sues drugmaker for letting OxyContin flood black market
As deaths from painkillers and heroin abuse spiked and street crimes increased, the mayor of Everett, Washington, took major steps to tackle the opioid epidemic devastating this working-class city north of Seattle. He sued the maker of OxyContin.
Tight budgets could complicate Sessions’ vow to fight crime
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is promising his Justice Department will lead the charge in helping cities fight violent crime, and police chiefs are ready with their wish lists. But the federal law-enforcement agencies could receive less funding in a budget plan to be introduced Thursday.
Few clues on how Gorsuch would vote on immigration
If Neil Gorsuch wins confirmation to the Supreme Court, he could cast the deciding vote on President Donald Trump’s travel ban against immigrants from certain countries. But it's far from certain how he would vote.
District court tosses transgender man’s name-change suit
A district court judge has dismissed a suit brought against former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and other state officials by a transgender man who claims his non-citizen status prohibits him from legally changing his name to match his gender identity.
COA reinstates father’s parental rights, terminates mother’s
The Indiana Court of Appeals has allowed a Huntington County father to retain his parental rights to his son but terminated the mother’s parental rights after finding that she has not remedied the circumstances that led to her son’s removal from her home.
Court must reconsider sanction for probation violations
An Indiana trial court must revisit the sanction it imposed pursuant to an agreement on a Washington County woman who violated her probation. The Indiana Court of Appeals held Monday that the trial court had discretion to determine what the appropriate sanction should be.
COA upholds child molesting convictions
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a Marion County man’s various convictions for child molesting Monday, finding that the testimony of a pediatrician who examined the victim did not constitute vouching testimony.
Capp praised for work in U.S. Attorney’s Office
David Capp, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana over the weekend, is being remembered as a lawyer’s lawyer who was loyal and had a clear sense of right and wrong.
7th Circuit rules for CSX in landowner suit
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against a Roachdale couple’s claims against CSX Transportation Company after finding that CSX has not lost its easement to a portion of its railroad track adjacent to the couple’s property.
Gorsuch might be tough to predict on criminal justice cases
During a decade on the federal appeals court in Denver, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch has raised concerns about intrusive government searches and seizures that he found to violate constitutional rights. He generally has ruled against defendants appealing their convictions and those who claim they received unfair trials. But he also has warned in writings and speeches about the danger of having too many criminal laws on the books.
Strip club operator accused of exploiting dancers
A Colorado company that owns over a dozen strip clubs around the country, including in Indianapolis, is facing a federal lawsuit over allegations that it exploited its dancers by requiring them to pay fees in order to work.
Floyd County seeks to settle jail lawsuit for $1.23M
A southern Indiana county has proposed settling a federal class action lawsuit alleging inhuman conditions at its jail for $1.23 million.