Proposed rule bans T-shirts, gum-chewing in courtrooms
A new rule being considered by judges in a southwestern Indiana county would prohibit lawyers, litigants and spectators from wearing T-shirts or shorts or chewing gum in courtrooms.
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More than 300 suspended for CLE, fee or IOLTA violations
More than 300 lawyers have been suspended for failing to pay registration fees, meet their continuing legal education requirements or submit certification of Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts.
Justices reinstate med-mal suit against doctor in stillbirth
The Indiana Supreme Court reinstated a medical malpractice case against a Richmond doctor accused of failing to meet the standard of care in examining a pregnant woman whose child subsequently was stillborn.
Justices affirm stabbing conviction in evidence appeal
An Anderson man convicted of stabbing his son-in-law lost his appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court Tuesday. The man claimed the trial court wrongly excluded evidence that the victim told others that he had struck the man with a two-by-four piece of lumber before the knife attack.
Supreme Court appoints team to look at pro se litigant problems
Less than two years after appointing a commission to expand civil legal services for the indigent, the Indiana Supreme Court has assembled another group to examine the nagging problems caused by pro se litigants.
Legislative Council assigns topics to summer committees
Although a study to determine the appropriate number of courts in Pulaski County was not assigned to a summer interim committee, the Indiana Legislature may not be finished with making reductions in some state courts.
Supreme Court pulls plug on audio-video transcript pilot project
Transcripts generated by video cameras have had their day in court in Indiana. The verdict is in favor of keeping paper records.
Indiana team gets SCOTUS reversal on deportation case
Characterizing the government’s argument as making “scant sense,” the Supreme Court of the United States reversed the deportation order of a lawful permanent resident convicted for carrying a controlled substance in his sock.
Justices reject Arizona no-bail law; OK immunity in prison suicide
The Supreme Court of the United States on Monday rejected an Arizona county’s attempt to reinstate a state law that denies bail to people in the country illegally who are charged with certain crimes.
Indiana Supreme Court to review police search struck down by COA
The Indiana Supreme Court will review a drug-possession conviction reversed by the Court of Appeals in February because a police search lacked reasonable suspicion.
High court throws out conviction for Facebook threats
The Supreme Court of the United States on Monday threw out the conviction of a Pennsylvania man prosecuted for making threats on Facebook but dodged the free-speech issues that had made the case intriguing to First Amendment advocates.
SCOTUS: Bankrupt homeowners can’t void second mortgage
A unanimous Supreme Court of the United States ruled homeowners who declare Chapter 7 bankruptcy can't void a second mortgage even if the home isn't worth what they owe on the first mortgage.
Indiana justices to weigh Lake County small precinct law
The Indiana Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday over a law that requires Lake County officials to study whether to consolidate election precincts with fewer than 500 active voters.
7th Circuit affirms solitary confinement; cautions against it
An Indiana inmate’s 30-day stint in solitary confinement at the Miami Correctional facility didn’t violate his civil rights, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday. But the panel cautioned judges and prison officials against wide use of the practice.
Justices rule for Muslim denied job over hijab
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Monday for a Muslim woman who did not get hired after she showed up to a job interview with clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch wearing a black headscarf.
Trial date set for Indiana man charged with 2 women’s deaths
An Indiana man charged with strangling two women and suspected of killing five others whose bodies were found in abandoned houses last fall faces a June trial unless defense attorneys request a delay.
COA affirms attempted murder conviction, denial of insanity defense
A man convicted of attacking and trying to kill his mother’s boyfriend was not prejudiced when a judge denied his request to pursue an insanity defense, a Court of Appeals majority ruled. But a dissenting judge said the man had good cause and would remand for a new trial.
Judge: Lawyers have responsibility to correct bench errors
A man’s appeal of his sentence for marijuana-related convictions was denied in a memorandum decision Friday, but an appellate judge wrote the case wouldn’t have been there had a prosecutor or defense lawyer spoken up when a judge erred.
Split COA: 1992 Michigan sex offender required to register in Indiana
A man who committed a sex crime in Michigan in 1992 and moved to Indiana in 2012 must put his name in the Indiana Sex Offender Registry created two years after his initial offense, a divided Court of Appeals panel ruled.
Southern District seeks comment on proposed rule changes
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is currently seeking comments on proposed revisions to two local rules dealing with filing records under seal.