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Former recorder’s extortion convictions upheld

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a former Lake County Recorder’s convictions of extortion, but remanded so that his sentence could be revised because the District Court placed too much weight on following the sentencing guidelines.In United States of America v. Morris Carter, No. 06-2412, Morris Carter challenged his three convictions and sentence of 51 months of incarceration on extortion charges. Carter was found guilty of violating the Hobbs Act, 18 U.S.C. Section 1951(a) while he was still county recorder….

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Supreme Court rules on belated appeals

The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer Thursday to two cases dealing with belated appeals. The high court granted transfer with opinion in Demond Hughes v. State of Indiana, No. 49S04-0802-CR-86. At issue was whether Hughes was allowed to file a belated appeal to challenge the appropriateness of his 40-year concurrent sentence. Hughes pleaded guilty to felony murder and Class A misdemeanor reckless possession of a handgun. Initially, the trial court sentenced Hughes to a 50-year concurrent sentence, with five years suspended. Hughes…

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Southern District amends Local Rule

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has amended its Local Rule 65.2 – Motions for Preliminary Injunctions and Temporary Restraining Orders.

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Court agrees with IDEM on ‘public water system’

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management was correct in interpreting a federal safe drinking water act to mean that a public water system can be composed of separate, unconnected wells serving a larger area together, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.In IDEM v. Construction Management Associates L.L.C. and Hilltop Farms, No. 52A02-0711-CV-994, a three-judge panel reversed a Miami Circuit judge’s ruling that the state agency had incorrectly determined that separate, unconnected wells constituted a public water system and required the apartment…

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COA: Insurance policy not contrary to code

A minimum-coverage insurance company’s policy language that excludes coverage for leased vehicles in certain circumstances isn’t contrary to Indiana Code, the Court of Appeals ruled today. In the appeal of Safe Auto Insurance Co. v. Enterprise Leasing Company of Indianapolis, et al., No. 01A02-0712-CV-1120, the Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Enterprise Leasing on Safe Auto Insurance’s complaint for declaratory judgment. Safe Auto filed the complaint arguing its policyholder, Jeffrey Harrison, was not…

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COA: Laser hair removal not ‘health care’

Laser hair removal isn’t considered “health care” within the meaning of the state’s Medical Malpractice Act, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.A unanimous ruling today affirmed a trial court decision in OB-GYN Associates of Northern Indiana P.C. v. Tammy Ransbottom, No. 71A03-0711-CV-503, which involved a St. Joseph County case and the denial of a motion to dismiss a negligence action. In January 2006, Ransbottom had gone to a Mishawaka OB-GYN’s office and underwent the cosmetic laser hair removal treatment. She went…

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High court welcomes Australian, Ukraine jurists

The Indiana Supreme Court is welcoming some of its colleagues from other countries this month, first an Australian justice and then a group of jurists from the Ukraine.Justice Marcia Neave of the Australian Supreme Court of Victoria, Court of Appeals division, is visiting Indiana this week as part of a lecture at Valparaiso Law School. She was slated to meet today with Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard and Justices Ted Boehm and Robert Rucker; they were to take an afternoon…

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Adult son could file paternity, support petition

A retroactive child support action brought by an adult child presented an issue of first impression for the Indiana Court of Appeals, which ruled the adult child could bring the action, but his mother would be the proper recipient of the retroactive payments.

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Supreme Court arguments Wednesday

The Indiana Supreme Court will have a busy Wednesday morning as it hears arguments scheduled for three cases on appeal. First up is Ronald Mayes v. Second Injury Fund, No. 93A02-0702-EX-162, in which Mayes petitioned the Supreme Court to accept jurisdiction over his appeal. The Worker’s Compensation Board denied Mayes’ disability benefits from the Second Injury Fund, ruling Mayes’ settlement of his claim against third-party tortfeasors precluded those benefits from the fund. The Court of Appeals affirmed finding Mayes failed to prove…

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Court rules marriage not valid, affirms sentence

A woman who helped her husband flee from police after committing three murders in southern Indiana can be convicted of assisting a criminal because her marriage is void in Indiana, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today. In Misty D. Davis v. State of Indiana, No. 63A01-0712-CR-605, the Court of Appeals today upheld Misty Davis’ convictions of and sentence for assisting a criminal in murder and giving a false statement to law enforcement. Davis’ husband, Nick Harbison, attacked four people, resulting in…

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Boone County courts seek rule comments

Boone Circuit and Superior courts are seeking comments to proposed local rule changes, including altering jury trial procedures, financial declarations, workshops about how children cope with divorce, and family court rules. To view the proposed changes, click here. Comments may be made until Aug. 9 to Judge Matthew Kincaid at [email protected].

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Amendment trumps high court ruling

Addressing the issue for the first time since the legislature amended the state's Workers' Compensation Act in 2006, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today the amendment overrules an earlier Indiana Supreme Court decision that placed the burden of proof on employers in cases involving "neutral risk" incidents.

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Popular online guidelines made user-friendly

The parenting time and child support guidelines on the Indiana Supreme Court’s Web site just got a little friendlier to use. The guidelines have been reformatted to allow easier printing. The Supreme Court received feedback about the challenges the public, courts, and clerks’ offices were having in printing and making copies of the guidelines because they were lengthy. The number of pages for the parenting time guidelines has been reduced from 27 to 15 pages; the child support guidelines shrank from…

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Mom not in contempt over middle name change

A trial court erred in finding a mother in contempt for not changing the middle name of her child, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today. The appellate court remanded the case for consideration of whether the name change would be in the best interest of the child.

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Justices analyze occurrence-based limitations

Two Indiana Supreme Court justices dissented from the majority today in two medical malpractice suits because they believed the majority's reasoning behind the decisions that both plaintiffs' claims are time-barred would foster suspicion and doubt between health-care providers and their patients.

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