Allen County offers court staff implicit bias training
Allen Circuit and Superior Courts and Fort Wayne United will collaborate in implicit bias training for court staff at a session Tuesday at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne.
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Appeals court reduces misdemeanor sentence of man first charged at age 64
A man who picked up his first of several criminal charges at age 64 amid signs of undiagnosed mental illness and was subsequently ordered to spend 15 months behind bars on misdemeanor charges received an inappropriate sentence, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
Indiana ordered to reply by Monday to vote-by-mail appeal
The state of Indiana has been ordered to respond by Monday to an appeal in a federal lawsuit seeking no-excuse absentee voting in the Nov. 3 general election, signaling the appellate court in Chicago may fast-track the challenge over mail-in voting just over two months ahead of the election.
Court ruling against Indiana no-excuse absentee voting appealed
A federal appeals court is being asked to take an expedited appeal of a ruling against no-excuse absentee voting in Indiana’s Nov. 3 general election, or to enter an immediate injunction that would permit all Hoosiers to vote by mail due to the pandemic.
Supreme Court upholds dismissal of negligence claim against school district
A man who waited two months to seek reinstatement of a dismissed negligence claim against an Indianapolis school corporation will not be able to pursue his claim further after the Indiana Supreme Court determined his reinstatement bid was actually a collateral attack on a trial court order.
Divided appeals panel upholds termination of dad’s parental rights
A father who disregarded court-mandated drug screens, left his child with a relative and refused to participate in services lost his termination of parental rights appeal Tuesday. One judge, however, would have reversed based on the facts of a case that began with the child’s removal due to mother’s drug use and what the dissenting judge saw as “an effort to punish Father.”
Teacher sues over firing for Facebook posts critical of ‘Leader in Me’ curriculum
A reading teacher fired earlier this year for Facebook posts that criticized a curriculum enhancement program used at her school has sued her former employer, claiming her firing violated her First Amendment rights.
COA affirms man’s child molesting conviction, sentence
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a man’s child molesting conviction and sentence after finding, among other things, that his due process rights were not violated after he was found to be a sexually violent predator pursuant to Indiana Code section 35-38-1-7.5.
COA rules for general contractor in injured worker’s dispute
A general contractor does not owe a duty of care to a construction worker injured on the job, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Monday interlocutory appeal, reversing a grant of summary judgment to the worker as to that issue.
30-year sentence affirmed for teen linked to killing of IU doctor, educator
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a young adult’s decades-long sentence for felony burglary convictions that stemmed from several residential break-ins he committed as a teen, finding that his sentence is not inappropriate.
Past felony prevents Muncie councilman from holding office, COA rules
A Muncie city councilman could not persuade the Indiana Court of Appeals to determine on Friday that he is still eligible for the position after another candidate revealed that the councilman has a felony record.
Attorney juror at center of Supreme Court murder appeal also suing state
As the Indiana Supreme Court takes up the question of whether a man convicted of murder should get a new trial because of misconduct by an attorney who served as jury forewoman at his trial, that attorney also is suing the state over her firing related to her conduct in the case.
Trump appeals as judge OKs Manhattan DA getting tax returns
As President Donald Trump’s lawyers moved swiftly Thursday to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that granted Manhattan’s top prosecutor access to his tax returns, Trump blasted the long-running quest for his financial records as a “continuation of the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country.”
Divided COA panel affirms for Tyson in catastrophic motorcycle crash suit
The guardian of a Wayne County man who sustained catastrophic brain injuries in a motorcycle crash lost an appeal of a judgment against her negligence suit Thursday, but one judge would have permitted her case against a meat plant near the crash scene to proceed.
Justices reinstate attempted murder conviction vacated by COA
A man who fired multiple gunshots into a car in Lafayette after a confrontation was properly convicted of two counts of attempted murder, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled, reinstating one of the charges that had been vacated by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Navajo man on federal death row seeks stay of execution
The only Native American on federal death row is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to put his execution on hold while he seeks review of a lower court decision over potential racial bias in his case.
Young: John Lewis’ legacy shows path forward
A collective approach to evaluate, critique, plan and deconstruct inequities within the legal system is the only way we can improve a legal construct created more than 240 years ago. How do we, in the state of Indiana, synthesize our efforts into a coordinated plan of action that addresses statewide and local issues of inequity?
Plaintiffs seek 10-day deadline for November mail-in ballots
As part of another lawsuit challenging Indiana’s election laws, Common Cause Indiana and the Indiana State Conference of the NAACP are seeking a preliminary injunction to suspend the noon Election Day deadline for county officials to receive completed mail-in ballots.
Pokagon tribe to be featured at domestic violence representation training
Free training for lawyers on modest means and pro bono representation of domestic violence victims will be available next month, sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Indy man loses witness ‘reliability’ argument against attempted murder conviction
An Indianapolis man’s attempted murder conviction was upheld Tuesday after the Indiana Court of Appeals found that the testimony of one of his shooting victims was not incredibly dubious.