3 things to know about the boundaries of closing arguments
Attorneys James Bell and Mike Gaerte discuss the three things that criminal defense attorneys should know about the limits of a prosecutor's closing arguments.
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Past associations with Conour get lawyers named in civil suits
William Conour’s multi-million-dollar fraud has produced an avalanche of state and federal lawsuits naming as defendants several attorneys who used to work with the once-prominent personal-injury and wrongful-death attorney.
Farm smells ignite debate but no consensus reached
Before dinner can be prepared and served at the table, the food has to be raised on a farm. However, Old MacDonald’s Farm with its placid scenes of pigs and cows is a shrinking segment of American farming, being replaced with large industrial agricultural operations with hundreds and thousands of animals.
Ethanol plant emissions suit may be bound for Indiana Supreme Court
Indiana’s ethanol industry faces an uncertain regulatory environment and likely more stringent emissions standards after a recent Indiana Court of Appeals ruling. A state agency will ask the Indiana Supreme Court to hear the case, as several corn-to-fuel plant operators also are expected to do.
Massa stays in Rockport case despite calls for recusal
Indiana Supreme Court Justice Mark Massa on Aug. 14 denied a formal motion arguing that he should recuse himself from a pending case concerning a controversial power plant in Rockport. The project is backed by a longtime friend of Massa and former aide to Gov. Mitch Daniels, whose administration championed the project.
Failure to report
The arm of the Indiana Supreme Court that enforces rules governing the admission and discipline of lawyers has been in violation of one of those rules for several years.
State Fair properly stripped champion sheep title, but penalties merit hearing
The Indiana State Fair Board’s decision to strip a winner of his grand champion sheep prize will stand, but the 4-H’er was entitled to a hearing on penalties, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
7th Circuit reinstates smelly washer class actions
Two class actions claiming Kenmore washing machines sold at Sears stores were defective were reinstated by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday after certification of the suits was vacated in June by the U.S. Supreme Court.
‘The State is the State’ and they share the same fate, Supreme Court rules
The Indiana Department of Correction’s motion to obligate a convicted sex offender to continue registering was blocked by the Indiana Supreme Court on the grounds that “the State is the State.”
Mother may petition for college expenses for emancipated children
Two amendments made by the Indiana General Assembly to the termination of child support and emancipation statute allow for a mother’s college support petition for two emancipated children to stand.
Foreclosure affirmed on transferred mortgage
A couple who stopped making mortgage payments in 2007 and continued to live in their house failed to convince an appeals panel that a trial court erred in determining who holds the note and ruled the mortgage valid despite an allegedly defective acknowledgement.
Open Door violation not worth $8K, COA rules
A group of petitioners who prevailed on an Indiana Open Door Law violation will get reimbursed for attorney fees, but the amount will be reduced by nearly $5,000 after a trial court found the group was requesting money for work unrelated to the claim.
Dissenting judge argues tenants can’t ask drunk, disorderly man outside door to leave
An argument that tenants of an apartment complex may not ask a drunk and threatening man to leave common areas convinced one judge, but the majority of an appeals panel found otherwise, warning that such a holding would “defy logic and lead to an absurd result.”
Convicted Conour wants to keep fees, attorney says
Despite pleading guilty to wire fraud on government charges that he took more than $4.5 million from at least 25 clients, William Conour’s public defender argues the former attorney is entitled to some $2 million in legal fees on cases other attorneys worked.
Mom loses bid to bar DCS child interviews after clean home check
A mother who challenged a court order granting the Department of Child Services’ petitions to interview her minor children lost her appeal Wednesday, despite her argument that a DCS inspection of her home and her screening found no evidence of drug abuse that had been alleged in a complaint.
Threats of violence sufficient to order involuntary commitment
Although an Indianapolis man never harmed another individual, his persistent threats of violence were sufficient to support his involuntary commitment to a mental health facility.
Tinted-window stop yielding pot arrest by precedent-setting cop upheld
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Keith Minch is on a roll in the appellate courts.
Ex-prosecutor candidate’s bar resignation accepted
A southwest Indiana attorney and former Democratic candidate for Gibson County prosecutor has been allowed to resign from the bar, according to an order from the Indiana Supreme Court.
COA affirms probation violation for nonsupport, modifies amount due
A trial court properly revoked probation of a man sentenced for non-support of a dependent child, but the Indiana Court of Appeals ordered the lower court to revise the arrearage.
Justices to hear case in which glove DNA led to conviction
The Indiana Supreme Court will hear a case in which DNA found on a glove was the sole evidence that led to the conviction of a man on a burglary charge in St. Joseph County.