7th Circuit: cousins conspired to sell heroin; another gets new trial
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said two cousins conspired to distribute heroin, despite the claim from the defendants they were running separate heroin businesses.
Courts
Articles
Judge’s sentencing process does not violate due process
The United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a judge’s process to sentence a man who pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine did not violate the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause, and may even be a process to be emulated by other judges in the future.
State appealing ruling in Syrian refugee lawsuit
The state of Indiana officially filed notice Tuesday that it intends to appeal the ruling by a federal judge last month that blocked Gov. Mike Pence’s order barring state agencies from helping Syrian refugees resettle in Indiana.
Jury awards Erin Andrews $55M in lawsuit over nude video
A jury awarded Erin Andrews $55 million in her lawsuit against a stalker who bought a hotel room next to her and secretly recorded a nude video, finding that the hotel companies and the stalker shared in the blame.
Mother of severely malnourished twins reaches plea deal
An Anderson woman who allowed her 2-year-old twins to become so malnourished they couldn't walk, crawl or talk has agreed to plead guilty to child neglect charges.
E-filing underway in Shelby County
Shelby County joins Hamilton and Clark counties in the growing list of jurisdictions where electronic filing of court documents is now available, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Monday.
Marion County Bar Association opposes judicial selection bill
Lawmakers are working to craft an 11th-hour agreement on how judges should be chosen in Marion County after they were unable to reach a compromise Monday. Meanwhile, Indianapolis’ historically black bar association called for direct election of judges instead of a proposed merit-selection system.
COA: Anonymous tipster’s information enough for conviction
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a man’s conviction of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon after it found an anonymous tipster’s information constituted reasonable suspicion.
Indiana and other states choking on EPA’s new Clean Power Plan
The Clean Power Plan, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gases by imposing caps on states regarding carbon dioxide emissions, has incited a backlash that began before the rule was even published in the Federal Register. A coalition of states, including Indiana, is seeking review of the plan in federal court, claiming the rule exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency’s statutory authority.
Willfulness test sets high bar for IP treble damages
A patent infringement fight involving Indiana’s Zimmer Inc. has sparked a judicial debate over how much leeway District Court judges should have when deciding how intentional an infringer’s actions were.
Hostetler, Kincaid, Slaughter picked as Indiana Supreme Court finalists
Two judges with extensive business litigation backgrounds and an Indianapolis appellate litigator were named finalists to succeed retiring Justice Brent Dickson on the Indiana Supreme Court.
Bill giving longer sentences to drug dealers headed to governor
A bill imposing mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders has been approved by the Indiana Legislature and is expected to be signed by Gov. Mike Pence.
Man, IRS win split Tax Court decisions
The Indiana Tax Court ruled Nick Popovich should get $24,963 for successfully prosecuting his first motion to compel against the Indiana Department of Revenue, but ruled the Department of Revenue should get $5,175.25 in court fees for successfully defending Popovich’s second motion to compel.
Texas lawyers sued for allegedly bankrolling BP spill scam
Two high-profile Texas attorneys were sued by a fishing boat captain who said they were involved in a scam to cheat BP Plc out of millions of dollars with false compensation claims for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Justices take 3 new cases, split on others
The Indiana Supreme Court approved transfer to three cases last week involving duties of social hosts, compensation for teachers’ ancillary duties and jury instructions in a drunken-driving case. Justices were split 3-2 on four other petitions for transfer.
Female judges recognized for women’s history month
The United States Court System is celebrating Women’s History Month with a series of videos on women in the federal courts throughout March, including 7th Circuit Court Judge Ann Claire Williams.
High court rejects appeal in Batmobile copyright case
The U.S. Supreme Court is staying out of a copyright dispute involving a California man who produced replicas of the Batmobile for car-collecting fans of the caped crusader.
Supreme Court rejects Apple appeal over electronic books
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Apple Inc. Monday and left in place a ruling that the company conspired with publishers to raise electronic book prices when it sought to challenge Amazon.com’s dominance of the market.
High court voids Alabama ruling against lesbian adoption
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Monday that Alabama's top court went too far when it tried to upend a lesbian mother's adoption of her partner's children.
3 Supreme Court finalists selected
The Judicial Nominating Commission has selected the three finalists to succeed retiring Justice Brent Dickson on the Indiana Supreme Court.