Husband who wasn’t notified of dissolution decree wins COA reversal
A man who was never given notice of the final dissolution decree ending his marriage secured a reversal from the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday.
Courts
Articles
Towed car lawsuit crashes into emergency exception
A driver who wheeled into an empty parking lot on a Saturday afternoon in Bloomington only to return an hour later and find his ride had been towed won the sympathy of the Indiana Court of Appeals, but his argument that his car was taken in violation of state statutes failed to gain any traction.
COA: Dispatch centers can withhold 911 calls under APRA exception
A local news station that successfully sought recorded 911 calls from an ongoing investigation into a deadly Carroll County house fire was handed a reversal Wednesday. The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the dispatch center was entitled to withhold the calls as investigatory records of law enforcement agencies.
Reversal: Trial court erred by transferring preferred venue in homebuilder’s dispute
A custom homebuilder has secured a reversal from the Indiana Court of Appeals in a preferred venue dispute after successfully arguing that the case was wrongly transferred to another county.
Asylee not entitled to state credit for time served under federal authority, COA rules
A would-be asylee convicted of a state sex crime was not entitled to credit for time he served in a county jail at the request of the federal government pending his state sentencing, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Virtually empty: Courts try to keep dockets moving amid pandemic
Like the rest of the world, the judiciary has been walking a tightrope for the last six weeks, trying to keep courts open while protecting judges, staff, lawyers, litigants and the public from COVID-19 exposure.
COA partially reverses for financial adviser in Marion development dispute
The Indiana Court of Appeals has partially reversed in favor of a financial adviser in a dispute with the city of Marion after years were wasted on a construction project that was projected to cost millions of dollars.
Judge orders return of seized Land Rover that led to SCOTUS civil forfeiture case
After seven years, two appearances before the Indiana Supreme Court and a trip to the United States Supreme Court, a Marion man fighting for the return of his seized vehicle has won his battle, with a trial court judge ordering the “immediate” return of his SUV. But a pending appeal means the case is not over yet.
Defendant in judges shooting case seeks jurists’ cellphone, JQC communications
The man charged with shooting two Indiana judges is seeking to bolster his self-defense claim by asking for four judges’ cellphone records and their communications with the Indiana Judicial Qualifications Commission related to the incident for which three judges were briefly suspended after the commission investigated and filed disciplinary charges against them.
Spring 2020 Indiana bar admission ceremony to be held online amid COVID-19
New lawyers prepared to take their oaths during the Spring 2020 Indiana Supreme Court Admission Ceremony will have to do so virtually, the high court announced Tuesday. The admission ceremony will not be held in a traditional brick-and-mortar location, but will instead be livestreamed at 10 a.m. May 5.
Cass County clamps down with big jump in virus cases
A northern Indiana county where a coronavirus outbreak prompted the closure of a Tyson Foods meatpacking plant imposed tighter restrictions Monday on who can enter retail businesses.
Court tosses NY case that could have expanded gun rights
The Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision on gun rights Monday in a dispute over New York City’s former ban on transporting guns.
Supreme Court rules against Georgia in copyright dispute
The Supreme Court ruled Monday against the state of Georgia in a copyright lawsuit over annotations to its legal code, finding they cannot be copyrighted.
Lawmakers support additional funding for legal aid as ILS receives $1M
Indiana Legal Services will be receiving a booster shot of just over $1 million as part of the additional $50 million in funding Congress allotted to legal aid providers across the country during the COVID-19 emergency. Meanwhile, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers are pushing for another appropriation.
Justices extend trial court relief through May 17, require transition plans by May 15
The Indiana Supreme Court is extending through May 17 the previously approved emergency relief orders issued to trial courts due to COVID-19. Justices are also setting a May 15 deadline for courts to submit transition plans for expanded operations.
Case against Indy attorney to proceed after client wins reversal
An Indianapolis attorney being sued by a former client in a post-conviction relief case faced a reversal Monday after the Indiana Court of Appeals found that the client’s complaint alleging violations of certain canons of the Rules of Professional Conduct did not deprive the trial court of jurisdiction over the case.
Reversal: Indianapolis not indemnified against wrongful-death suit
A landscaping contractor for the city of Indianapolis does not have to defend the city in a citizen’s wrongful-death lawsuit, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday, reversing in favor of the tree-services company.
COA affirms award of custody to non-surrogate mother, against father
A father fighting against the award of custody of his child to his ex-wife did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that a mistake had been made.
Indiana man guilty of threatening, sending dead rat to ex-wife in Florida
An Indiana man faces up to five years in federal prison for threatening his ex-wife over several years and mailing a dead rat to her Florida home. Romney Christopher Ellis, 55, of Indianapolis, pleaded guilty Thursday in Tampa federal court to making interstate threats and mailing injurious articles, according to court records.
Michigan wins appeal over out-of-state liquor shipments after suit from Indiana retailer
Retailers outside Michigan can’t send alcohol directly to the state’s consumers, a federal appeals court said, a ruling that impacts at least one Indiana alcohol retailer.