Justices to hear murderer’s PCR case Thursday
Indiana Supreme Court justices have agreed to hear a man’s petition after an appellate panel reversed a grant of relief from his 141-year prison sentence for murder.
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Elkhart judge rejects fatal crash plea, surprising victim’s parents
A northern Indiana judge has rejected a man’s plea agreement in a fatal 2015 car crash, frustrating the victim’s parents, who say they want the long-running case behind them.
CHINS statutory deadline overridden by trial rule
In a case of first impression, the Indiana Supreme Court found a trial rule trumped the CHINS statutory deadline after a mother was first granted a continuance, then moved to have the case dismissed because the court took longer than 120 days to complete the factfinding.
Lawyer’s lie on jury questionnaire prompts retrial in murder case
A lawyer who lied about her criminal history on a jury questionnaire in a murder case has divided an Indiana Court of Appeals panel, which ultimately vacated the murderer’s case for a retrial.
Reversal: Consecutive sentences inappropriate in drug-dealing conspiracy case
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed a man’s consecutive sentences for his conspiracy to commit dealing convictions after determining they were inappropriate.
Justices: Seized evidence must be suppressed in GPS tracker case
Though the ruling may result in a drug crime going unpunished, the Indiana Supreme Court has reversed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence, finding a lack of probable cause to support the underlying search warrants.
Justices return for season of big decisions, amid campaign
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to issue campaign-season decisions in the full bloom of spring in cases dealing with President Donald Trump’s tax and other financial records, abortion, LGBT rights, immigration, guns, church-state relations and the environment.
Appeals panel upholds South Bend murder conviction
A man convicted of murdering the person he believed was responsible for killing his sister failed to convince a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals that his conviction was in any way flawed.
Reversal: Ministry’s re-entry program excepted from landlord-tenant statutes
A South Bend ministry that provides transitional housing and job training for people re-entering society after incarceration won an appeal against a man who was awarded damages after claiming he was wrongly barred from the property and forced to come up with money to stay at a hotel.
Reversal: Driver at fault in wreck liable for repaired truck’s diminished value
A woman whose vehicle rear-ended a pickup truck in a Bloomington wreck is liable for the truck’s diminished value after it was repaired, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in a reversal.
COA rejects separation-of-powers argument in probation revocation appeal
A man contesting the revocation of his probation did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that an Indiana statute violates the separation-of-powers provisions of the Indiana Constitution. The appellate court instead found, based on its own precedent, that the statute is not unconstitutional.
Reversal: Burglary conspiracy expungement petition wrongly dismissed
A man’s petition for expungement of his criminal record for his involvement as a lookout during a residential burglary almost 20 years ago has been reinstated after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that a southeast Indiana trial court erred in dismissing it.
7th Circuit rejects ineffective-assistance claim on direct appeal
A federal inmate who chose to raise an ineffective-assistance claim on direct appeal has lost his bid to overturn his guilty plea, with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals finding that his strategic decision to raise the issue on direct appeal led to a lack of sufficient evidence.
Warehouse owner wins cost of removing property in appeal after lease default
The owner of a Westfield warehouse is entitled to recover the costs of removing abandoned property in addition to unpaid rent after a tenant defaulted on lease payments, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in a partial reversal. The cost of removal is twice the unpaid rent, according to the ruling.
Marion Superior retention interviews to be held in March
The second iteration of retention interviews for Marion Superior judges will begin in less than a month. The Marion County Judicial Selection Committee set aside March 9 to interview the 13 Marion Superior Court judges seeking retention while also opening the window for applicants seeking to fill one of three pending vacancies on the trial court bench in Indianapolis.
Edinburgh antique store can stay put as COA dismisses realty fight
The Indiana Court of Appeals has vacated an order requiring an Edinburgh antique store to leave its place of business, finding an agreement between the store and the real estate’s owner was a land sale contract and not a lease subject to an eviction proceeding.
Expungement wait-time case set for Thursday oral arguments
The Indiana Supreme Court will hear oral argument this week in a criminal expungement case that has previously divided the Indiana Court of Appeals about when the trigger date for five-year expungement waiting periods should begin.
Appellate judges rule for hospital in medical malpractice case
A man who filed a medical malpractice claim against a doctor and hospital following his surgery for a herniated disc could not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that he should be permitted to amend his complaint and add a federal claim.
Property owned by husband’s parents are not marital assets, COA affirms
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the exclusion of real estate and an internet service provider company from the marital assets of a couple in their divorce proceedings, agreeing with a trial court that the challenged assets were actually the property of the husband’s parents.
Ruling in Arkansas case creates hurdle for Indiana’s Medicaid work mandates
Indiana’s attempt to impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients likely suffered a setback Feb. 14 when an appellate court ruled that similar mandates in Arkansas fell outside the core objective of the federal health care program.