Indiana county OKs ‘recall’ for failure to appear warrants
A northwest Indiana county is giving thousands of people facing outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court a chance to surrender on their own terms.
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Judge dismisses 54 potential jurors in house explosion trial
Jury selection in the trial of an Indianapolis man charged in a deadly 2012 house explosion got off to a rocky start Thursday when a judge dismissed the first 54 potential jurors following a defense attorney's revelation that the suspect is also accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill a witness.
COA upholds termination of mother’s parental rights
The Indiana Court of Appeals found no abuse of discretion by a trial court when it denied a mother’s request to continue her termination of parental rights hearing for several months, when she expected to be released from incarceration. The mother was unable to prove that she would definitely be out of jail at that time.
Court erred in concluding vested title severed by tax sales
The Indiana Court of Appeals ordered judgment entered in favor of two families on their claim for adverse possession over a disputed tract of land in Pulaski County. The judges found the trial court erred when it found two tax sales involving the disputed property divested the adverse holders of their title to the real property.
Man’s Indiana conviction for stealing car barred by Kentucky conviction
A man who stole a car in Vanderburgh County, fled into Kentucky and then was arrested and charged with similar crimes of auto theft and fleeing police in both states had his Indiana auto theft conviction reversed by the Court of Appeals Thursday.
US House chops legal aid budget
Budget cuts to legal aid funding approved June 3 by the U.S. House of Representatives could mean layoffs and office closures nationwide.
Panel splits over interpretation of corrupt business influence statute
The majority on a Court of Appeals panel tossed out a man’s corrupt business influence conviction after finding his criminal activity did not pose a threat of future criminal conduct. But the dissenting judge noted the majority was inserting a new element into the Indiana statute that does not exist.
Judge to allow recordings from Indy blast at trial
The judge hearing the trial of a man charged in an Indianapolis house explosion says he'll allow prosecutors to present an audio recording of the screams of a man who initially survived the blast before dying.
Developer proposes revised plan for Indy criminal justice center
The partnership that wants to develop a criminal justice center in Indianapolis has proposed a slightly scaled-down version in hopes of resurrecting the project.
Whitestown likely to appeal Zionsville case to Supreme Court
A ruling from the Indiana Court of Appeals allowing Zionsville to merge with Perry Township is likely to be challenged before the state Supreme Court.
Tax Court orders more proceedings on sale of racetrack and card club
The Indiana Department of State Revenue scored a partial victory in Tax Court on Wednesday when the court granted the agency’s motion for summary judgment regarding whether I.C. 6-3-2-2.2 applied in its taxing of a portion of the gain generated by a Las Vegas-based corporation’s sale of a horse racetrack and card club to an out-of-state company. But there are issues of genuine material fact as to whether the department correctly classified Pinnacle Entertainment’s gain as business income.
Inconsistency by trial court leads to partial reversal
Because a trial court hearing a child support matter at first declined to impute the income of the stepfather to the child’s mother, but later treated their income as the same when it came to the cost of her child’s health insurance, the Indiana Court of Appeals partially reversed a Hamilton Superior Court’s 2014 ruling.
Legislature continues support of We the People program
Indiana’s We the People program, a civics education curriculum that teaches elementary, middle and high school students about U.S. history and government, has received another round of funding from the Statehouse.
Justices: Adoption agency didn’t breach duty to couple
The Indiana Supreme Court ruled 4-1 in favor of an adoption agency that it did not have any duties with respect to the putative father registry in excess of statutory requirements. A couple who adopted a baby through the agency – only later to have her removed from their care after the biological father contested the adoption – sued the agency alleging negligence.
AG may appeal death penalty reversal in deputy’s slaying
The state is considering whether it will appeal a federal court ruling Tuesday that reversed the death penalty imposed on a man convicted of killing a Morgan County deputy sheriff nearly 14 years ago.
Appeals court sides with EPA on air pollution limits
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency complied with the law in deciding which areas of the country failed to meet federal limits on smog-forming pollution that can cause asthma and respiratory illness.
NCAA’s top lawyer ready to keep fighting in O’Bannon case
Donald Remy has an answer for those who believe the NCAA is waging a losing battle against Ed O'Bannon: Think again.
Injured man fails to convince COA he was mentally incompetent
A split Indiana Court of Appeals found that affidavits from an injured man’s family members as to his mental competency were not sufficient to overcome his failure to file a complaint before the statute of limitations had expired.
Plan to establish commercial courts in Indiana moves forward
The move to create commercial courts in Indiana, first mentioned by Chief Justice Loretta Rush during her State of the Judiciary address in January, is a step closer to becoming a reality. The Indiana Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it has named a working group to recommend policies and procedures for the courts, which could be hearing cases as early as 2016.
Death sentence reversed in 2001 slaying of Morgan deputy
The death sentence imposed on a man for the killing Morgan County Deputy Sheriff Daniel Starnes in 2001 has been reversed by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.