7th Circuit remands disability benefits denial
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found an administrative law judge had improperly cherry picked a man’s medical record and reversed the denial of his disability benefits.
Courts
Articles
COA hears arguments in $25M wrongful death verdict
In a wrongful death case argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals Tuesday, the panel considered the questions of when are damages too high and when should an appellate court set aside a jury’s verdict?
COA reduces rapist’s sentence by 10 years
Although an offender was successful in asserting the trial court erred in merging his sentences and applying an enhancement, he failed to respond to the state’s arguments for remedy which provided just a 10-year reduction to his 90-year aggregate sentence.
COA: Needles near bottle cap support drug conviction
A defendant was unable to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that the evidence was insufficient to conclude that he intended to use the two syringe needles found in his clothes to inject heroin.
Man loses appeal over search that led to cocaine charges
A man on trial for Class A felony counts of dealing cocaine and conspiracy to deal cocaine lost his appeal Tuesday seeking to suppress evidence found in a search of his car.
Justices rule State Farm UIM policy ambiguous
A State Farm auto insurance policy’s language regarding uninsured motorist coverage is ambiguous, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, affirming a Lake Superior trial court’s denial of the insurer’s motion for summary judgment in a personal injury case.
Prosecutor to seek death penalty in Indy ‘Purge’ killings
Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said Tuesday he will seek the death penalty in the case of a 19-year-old Indianapolis man charged with fatally shooting three people over four days in May.
Court rules detention of youth who reported drug justified
A probation officer who arrested and detained a middle school student for violating court policy has quasi-judicial immunity against charges of negligence and constitutional violations.
Anti-abortion duo behind Planned Parenthood videos cleared
A Texas judge on Tuesday dismissed the last remaining charge against two California anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos of themselves trying to buy fetal tissue from Planned Parenthood.
Boyfriend gets 55 years for killing woman as kids watched
A judge has sentenced a northern Indiana man to 55 years in prison for fatally shooting his girlfriend as her three children watched.
Caseworker vs. DCS
Despite a caseworker’s lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Child Services, her employer says she’s right: There aren’t enough caseworkers to handle the exploding growth in cases of Indiana children and families in crisis. But that’s where the agreement ends.
Indiana commercial courts open for business
No ribbon-cuttings heralded the opening of Indiana’s six commercial courts around the state June 1, but lawyers with complex business disputes have found their way to the forums the Supreme Court established as a pilot project.
Local Rule 87 FAQ
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has adopted a new pro bono rule which gives the judges the option of assigning cases to attorneys. Here are some frequently asked questions about the rule.
New local rule permits judges to assign cases to attorneys
Chief Judge Richard Young is confident the new mandatory pro bono rule adopted by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will solve problems caused by pro se litigants trying to navigate the federal judiciary.
Documentary marking federal court bicentennial in Indiana focuses on 3 cases
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is preserving stories about three notable cases for an hour-long documentary on the federal courts in Indiana. The film’s release will coincide with the institution’s bicentennial next year.
7th Circuit: Insurer must defend against pill mill lawsuit
An insurance company will have to defend its client pharmaceutical distributor in fending off a West Virginia lawsuit seeking restitution for the epidemic of prescription drug abuse.
Ex-Ovation CFO gets suspended sentence in $600,000 embezzlement scheme
The former chief financial officer of Ovation Audio-Video Solution LLC received a three-year suspended sentence Monday after pleading guilty to securities fraud in connection with a scheme that allowed him to embezzle more than $600,000 from the company.
Lake Michigan property line dispute arguments set
A dispute over whether the public has a right to walk the beach along Lake Michigan or private property extends to the water’s edge will be heard by the Indiana Court of Appeals Sept. 5.
Man’s resisting conviction after domestic violence call reversed
Police responding to a domestic violence call weren’t legally exercising their duties when they entered the alleged perpetrator’s house without his consent, used a Taser on him and charged him with resisting law enforcement, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Farmers win reversal in drainage appeal against town
Montgomery County farmers who claimed work done by a town to improve its stormwater drainage ruined their acreage won reversal Monday of a trial court ruling against them.