Rush’s debut State of the Judiciary address set
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush will deliver her first State of the Judiciary address before a joint session of the General Assembly next week.
Courts
Articles
Bill seeks to give Indiana appellate judges more time on the bench
Sen. James Buck is again pushing to increase the mandatory retirement age for Indiana appellate judges.
Competency could be key for death penalty in Indiana case
Indiana law experts say the mental health of a northwestern Indiana man charged with strangling two women and suspected of killing five others could complicate the case but shouldn't prevent the state from seeking the death penalty.
7th Circuit dismisses case because dispute arose after lawsuit was filed
A man who claimed State Farm Insurance Co. owed him a higher rate of interest and attorney fees had his case dismissed because the controversy did not exist when the lawsuit began.
Tax Court: Alleged puppy mill owner wrongly denied refund
The Indiana Department of Revenue improperly denied a refund of the value of 240 dogs seized by the state from an alleged Harrison County puppy mill, the Indiana Tax Court ruled Dec. 31.
COA affirms neighbor’s notice to court about survey is sufficient
The Indiana Court of Appeals rejected a man’s challenge to the denial of his motion to correct error regarding the introduction of a survey reflecting a property line by his neighbor. The case was the result of a boundary dispute.
Indiana diocese wants ex-teacher’s jury award cut
A northern Indiana Roman Catholic diocese wants to reduce a jury's nearly $2 million award to a former teacher fired by church officials for trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization.
Company owed no duty to woman injured by employee after work
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Wednesday that a northwest Indiana steel producer did not owe a duty to a woman injured in a car accident caused by an employee as he drove home from his shift.
Fewer cases filed in 2013 in state courts
There were 1,152,052 new cases filed in state courts in 2013, a decrease of 7.3 percent over the previous year, according to data released Tuesday by the Indiana Supreme Court and the Division of State Court Administration. The data continues to show the trend of a drop in filings over recent years.
Bell damaged by 2009 courthouse fire gets new home
A 150-year-old bell that survived a fire that heavily damaged a historic southern Indiana courthouse has a new home on the courthouse's lawn.
Driver’s lack of appellee brief reinstates license revocation
A motorist who won a trial court judgment vacating the suspension of his driver’s license didn’t file a brief when the Bureau of Motor Vehicles appealed the decision and, therefore, lost his challenge of the BMV action.
COA affirms judgment for seller in voided land deal
Sellers of property that had been designated as the second phase of a Gatorade distribution facility in Hendricks County were properly awarded specific performance of a contract to sell the land after the buyer backed out, the Court of Appeals held.
Pulling a switcheroo leads to felony conviction
A man who switched seats to help a friend failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that he unknowingly put himself in the hot seat.
Insurer owes no duty in dispute between sibling ex-law partners
A dispute between a brother and sister as their law firm partnership was dissolving was an employment-related matter covered by an insurer’s exclusionary clause, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Tuesday, reversing a trial court order.
Principal fired for relationship with teacher wins appeal
A Westfield elementary school principal fired in 2011 for a consensual sexual relationship with a teacher he supervised won an appeal of his lawsuit against the school corporation, which had been granted summary judgment by the trial court.
Clark County prosecutor stepping down after 25 years
After serving as the Clark County prosecutor for 25 years — the longest term of a prosecutor in the county's history — Steve Stewart is moving on to new challenges.
2014 Year in Review
This year could be described as a historic one for Indiana. The state's ban on gay marriage was overturned by the courts, and, for the first time, a woman was chosen as chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. In fact, women are leading most of the courts in Indiana. In 2014, we saw changes in the law schools, a new criminal code implemented, and attorneys in trouble with the court and the law. (Remember the attorney who doesn't like to wear socks?)
Right-to-work court battle may not be over
Despite a series of court rulings upholding Indiana’s right-to-work law, unions are not stopping their efforts to have the law overturned. Some opponents are considering petitioning for a review by the Supreme Court of the United States as well as filing another lawsuit in Indiana state court.
State Fair stage collapse appeal puts tort caps on trial
While the lone victim of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse who declined to settle with the state aims to prove caps on its liability are unconstitutional, judges who heard the appeal focused on why she was denied her day in court.
Disciplinary Actions – 12/31/14
Read whose discipline was recently postponed by the Indiana Supreme Court.