Federal magistrate ready for the bench
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana officially has its newest magistrate.
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In his honor…
A ceremony May 11 marked the official renaming and dedication of the Lake Superior court building in East Chicago in honor of recently retired Lake Circuit Judge Lorenzo Arredondo.
Change allows closed-circuit testimony for child victims
On July 1, Indiana will begin allowing the use of closed-circuit testimony in certain court cases. Introduced as House Bill 1215 and signed into law by Gov. Mitch Daniels, the amendment to Indiana Criminal Code 35-37-4-6 may help minimize emotional distress for child victims.
What’s next for Indiana’s death penalty?
Unlike other states, Indiana has not abolished or suspended use of executions.
The evolution of capital punishment
The Indiana Lawyer takes a historical look at how the death penalty system has evolved during the past 40 years and how Indiana has amended its practices and procedures through the decades.
Views shift on use of executions
What if 1976 hadn’t played out the way it did, and some of the jurists on the U.S. Supreme Court had held the view of capital punishment at that juncture that they did at the end of their judicial careers? The death penalty may never have been reinstated.
Proposed rules provide uniformity for parenting coordinators
The use of parenting coordinators is increasing around the state. But depending on where you are in Indiana, the authority of the parenting coordinator – PC – may differ. In an effort to create uniformity, rules are being proposed that would regulate the role and authority of PCs.
7th Circuit: Indiana judge violated man’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel
An appellate court has ruled that a senior judge in the Northern District of Indiana violated a man’s Sixth Amendment rights by not allowing him to proceed to trial with the lawyer of his choosing.
Court rules on medical malpractice excess damages issue
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled on an issue of first impression, adopting recent guidance from the state’s highest court to decide that evidence relating to medical malpractice liability can be introduced in determining damages even after someone enters into a settlement with the healthcare provider on that underlying claim.
Justices take two cases
The Indiana Supreme Court has granted transfer to two cases – a civil case involving a car accident and an appeal from a convicted child molester.
Bankruptcy Court seeks public comment
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana is seeking public comment concerning proposed changes to the court’s local rules. The changes involve the rule, B-2014-1, Employment of Professionals by Debtor-in-Possession.
Justices won’t intervene in secretary of state eligibility case
Ruling on an emergency transfer request, the Indiana Supreme Court today accepted Secretary of State Charlie White’s appeal against the state’s Democratic Party and ruled it won’t put a halt to the case while a recount investigation and criminal voter fraud proceedings are ongoing.
Mother’s rights at issue in COA reversal
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed a paternity ruling from Vanderburgh County, finding that the judge should have taken a second look at the case after a mother wasn’t given a chance to be properly heard on custody of her child.
ISBA responds to fallout from split Supreme Court ruling
The Indiana State Bar Association issued a statement today addressing the outrage being expressed by many people concerning a state Supreme Court decision last week, which held individuals don’t have the right to resist police who enter private residences, even if those entries are illegal.
COA to hear arguments in trademark case at Merrillville High School
The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral argument in An-Hung Yao v. State of Indiana and Yu-Ting Lin v. State of Indiana at 12:30 p.m. (CDT) May 25, 2011, at Merrillville High School in the Freshman Center Lecture Hall. A panel of judges consisting of Chief Judge Margret G. Robb, Judge Michael P. Barnes, and Judge Terry A. Crone will hear the case on appeal from Huntington Circuit Court.
COA: Tractor sale contract not enforceable
The Indiana Court of Appeals says it’s against public policy to uphold any civil contract that’s based on an illegal action, and so the court says it won’t create a rule allowing that transaction agreement to be enforced.
Justices decide golf ball injury case
Taking a swing at an issue of first impression, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled on a golf ball injury case and rejected the concept that a sporting event participant owes no duty of care to protect others from inherent risks of the sport in all situations.
Former Marion County spokesperson given public reprimand
Marietto “Mario” V. Massillamany, an attorney and former spokesperson for then-Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, has been publicly reprimanded by the Indiana Supreme Court for driving drunk.
High court rules man could be retried
The Double Jeopardy Clause of the U.S. Constitution doesn’t prevent the state from retrying a man who was acquitted by a jury in the murder of one person, but in which the jury couldn’t return a verdict on the defendant's attempted murder charge of another man, the Indiana Supreme Court held Wednesday.