TV drug court raises ethical concerns
Reporter Jenny Montgomery writes about a new TV drug court.
Courts
Articles
Rule revision aims to broaden use of limited scope representation
The Indiana Supreme Court revised the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure to allow pro se litigants and other potential clients to use limited scope representation more often and without some of the restraint they’ve had in the past.
Deadline approaching for criminal justice grant
On Sept. 30, the Bureau of Justice Assistance announced an award of $4,423,859 for the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). The deadline to apply for JAG funds is Oct. 31.
COA affirms jury’s rejection of insanity defense
The Indiana Court of Appeals has sided with a jury in rejecting a man’s insanity plea, holding that even when crimes seem horrific and senseless, that does not mean the perpetrator is legally insane.
‘Best Practices’ will not advance to rulemaking stage
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard signed an order Oct. 7 stating that rather than advance the Mortgage Foreclosure Best Practices to the rulemaking stage, the court will oversee the guidelines, updating them as needed.
Attorney must register as a sex offender
An attorney and former Democratic candidate for Gibson County prosecutor indicted on charges including possession of child pornography and false informing, entered into a plea agreement Tuesday that wouldn’t have required he register as a sex offender. After further review, the trial judge realized Indiana law requires him to do so.
New bankruptcy rules effective Oct. 11
The United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Indiana, issued an order Oct. 5 amending local bankruptcy rules.
COA: Remonstrators didn’t request timely stay of annexation
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of remonstrators’ challenge to annexation of land by the city of Evansville, finding the issue to be moot because the annexation has already been completed.
Deputy owed no duty to warn of icy road
A county sheriff’s department that doesn’t own, maintain or control a county road does not owe a common law duty to warn the public of known hazardous conditions upon the roadway, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
Justices take certified questions
The Indiana Supreme Court has accepted three certified questions stemming from a case in the Southern District of Indiana.
Judges extend due process safeguards regarding interpreters to civil cases
A trial court must take the same steps in a civil action as it does in a criminal action regarding the use of an interpreter in order to address due process concerns, the Indiana Court of Appeals held for the first time Tuesday.
Pro bono award winners announced
An attorney who made significant contributions in pro bono service will receive a posthumous honor on Oct. 21.
Appellate judges will hear arguments in East Chicago
A panel of Indiana Court of Appeals judges will travel to northern Indiana Thursday to hear the appeal of a man convicted of attempted murder.
SCOTUS doesn’t take any Indiana cases
The Supreme Court of the United States has declined to take several Indiana cases, including a criminal appeal about whether a stun belt restraint on a defendant during trial and sentencing is prejudicial.
PACER fee increase begins April 2012
The 2-cent increase per page to access electronic information on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system will take effect April 1, 2012. The Judicial Conference of the United States authorized raising the fee to 10 cents a page to cover maintenance costs as well as to enhance the system.
Judges uphold admission of robbery confession
A trial court did not err in admitting evidence of uncharged misconduct from another incident during a defendant’s trial for robbery, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The evidence contained a letter that helped corroborate the man’s confession to the robbery.
Commission urges discipline for former Marion County prosecutor
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Commission wants the state’s highest court to find former Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi committed misconduct when he made statements about two high-profile cases he handled as prosecutor.
Justices agree subsidiaries are not new employers
Emphasizing its ruling only deals with determining the proper merit rate for unemployment fund contributions, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled a manufacturer did not create employers through its new subsidiaries, so it wasn’t entitled to a lower rate.
Bankruptcy judges relocating
Beginning in October, three of the bankruptcy judges in the Southern District of Indiana will be relocating their courtrooms because of construction at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse.