Indiana boy, 15, to be tried as adult in 2 siblings’ deaths
An Indiana boy who was 13 when he allegedly killed his two young siblings will be tried as an adult in their suffocation deaths.
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DCS seeks to keep records sealed in class-action care suit
Lawyers for Indiana’s Department of Child Services are pushing to seal records in a federal class action lawsuit accusing the child welfare agency of inadequately protecting thousands of children in its care.
Lawyer suspended for hiring killer in ‘woefully inadequate’ defense
An Indianapolis attorney who hired a convicted killer to persuade a defendant accused of murder to ditch a public defender and retain him has been suspended for three years for incompetent client representation and lying to the disciplinary commission. A dissenting justice, however, would have disbarred the attorney.
Molester’s 500-plus-year sentence largely upheld
A Rushville man’s sentence of more than 500 years in prison for sexually assaulting his two daughters over the course of their infancy, childhood and teen years was affirmed in large part Tuesday by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
COA affirms dismissal of legal malpractice claim
A convicted child molester who was previously admonished for attempting to circumvent appellate procedures has again lost a case at the Indiana Court of Appeals, this time for legal malpractice allegations against his trial counsel.
Charter schools, state face off in tuition dispute before appellate panel
A panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday between numerous Indiana charter schools and the state regarding several million dollars in unpaid tuition the schools say was not provided to cover costs for students.
Judge tosses shareholder suit in Vectren merger
A federal judge has turned away a shareholder lawsuit over a major Indiana utility’s 2018 merger with a Texas-based public utility holding company, using a back-to-school analogy to reason his dismissal of the litigation.
COA affirms father’s child molestation convictions
Multiple child molestation charges against a father will stand, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Monday, rejecting the man’s arguments that a video-recorded interview of the victim and statements she made to a therapist and nurse should not have been admitted into evidence.
Attorney who exposed himself, allegedly stole client funds, resigns
An Indianapolis attorney who in the past three years was charged with indecency, public nudity and theft has resigned from the Indiana bar.
Justices split, vacate transfer in class action against car dealership
A divided Indiana Supreme Court decided not to take an appeal after originally granting transfer to a class action brought by angry customers against a Northern Indiana car dealership.
Interview: Gorsuch rues loss of civility but mum on Trump
Justice Neil Gorsuch is following the path of Supreme Court colleagues-turned-authors in a new book in which he laments the loss of civility in public discourse. The 52-year-old justice wrote “A Republic, If You Can Keep It” because Americans should remember their political opponents “love this country as much as we do,” Gorsuch said in an interview.
Appeals court reverses ‘draconian’ dismissal of will challenge
Calling a trial court’s dismissal of a relative’s petition to contest a will “draconian,” the Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday reinstated the petition and sent the case back to Lake County to be heard in the superior rather than circuit court.
Divided ruling: Felony reduced to misdemeanor means longer expungement wait
The Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday asked the Indiana General Assembly for guidance as it sharply divided over whether minor felonies reduced to misdemeanor convictions should trigger new five-year waiting periods for people seeking to expunge their criminal records. The majority ruled they should, a result the dissenting judge called “unjust and ill-advised.”
Applications open for Porter Circuit Court judgeship
The retirement of the longest-serving woman on the Indiana trial court bench will create a vacancy in Porter Circuit Court, and qualified candidates who wish to be considered have another three weeks to make their interests known.
Former longtime Indianapolis Bond Bank employee sentenced to prison for theft
A former Indianapolis Bond Bank employee has been sentenced to 545 days in prison after pleading guilty to two felony counts of theft and agreeing to pay $340,791 in restitution to the bank, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday.
Indiana’s struggle with insanity defense mirrors coming SCOTUS case
A case that split the Indiana Supreme Court last December over a criminal defendant’s mental capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions dovetails into a larger question looming before the U.S. Supreme Court — whether states have to provide laws that allow for an insanity defense.
Ex-Brownsburg attorney gets 30-month sentence for tax evasion
A former Brownsburg attorney who pleaded guilty to tax evasion earlier this year will spend 2½ years in prison and owes more than $2.4 million to the Internal Revenue Service.
OWI conviction upheld for driver snoozing in parked, running car
A man asleep behind the wheel of a parked but running car after a night of drinking couldn’t convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that there was insufficient evidence to prove he had been operating the vehicle.
Judge to rule on unsealing redacted Equifax complaint
An Indianapolis judge is deciding whether information in a complaint alleging Equifax could have, but failed to, prevent one of the largest cybersecurity breaches in United States history must be unsealed and made accessible to the public.
State appeals $8.5M award to charter schools over unpaid tuition
A dispute between a group of Indiana charter schools and the state concerning unpaid tuition money will be heard next week by the Indiana Court of Appeals.