Chief: Lafayette police recruit fired for ties to neo-Nazis
A police recruit in northwestern Indiana was fired less than 24 hours after the department was notified that the officer was involved in a neo-Nazi online chat forum.
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7th Circuit upholds noon Election Day deadline for receipt of absentee ballots
Absentee ballots received by local election officials after noon on Election Day will not be counted, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled, reversing a lower court that had issued an injunction in light of likely mail slowdowns caused by a surge in mail-in voting due to the pandemic.
Women rising: Firm leader ranks increase in past decade
Female lawyers say they’ve seen a concerted push over the last decade to develop women law firm leaders, and those efforts seem to be bearing fruit.
Protester who lost eye due to tear gas sues Fort Wayne, police for excessive force
A Fort Wayne man who lost his eye during a Black Lives Matter protest after the death of George Floyd is now suing the city and local police department for excessive force and violation of his First Amendment rights.
Challenges to Indiana voting laws pile up in 7th Circuit, which will livestream one today
Indiana’s prohibition against no-excuse absentee voting goes before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday afternoon, with the plaintiffs trying to convince the appellate panel to reverse the district judge’s ruling and allow all registered Hoosier voters to cast their ballots by mail in the Nov. 3 presidential election. The federal appeals court will livestream oral arguments in the case.
IU chief to ask trustees to strike name of eugenics backer Jordan
The president of Indiana University announced Thursday he will recommend the school’s trustees remove from the Bloomington campus the name of one of his predecessors who was a proponent of eugenics.
Dozens file court support for gay teacher in fight with Archdiocese of Indianapolis
The fight over a teacher at Cathedral High School who was fired for being in a same-sex marriage is highlighting a split between conservative and progressive members of the Catholic faith with several members of the Indiana legal community — including a former 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge and an Indiana attorney prominent in Republican politics — now adding their voices in opposition to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Lawyer: Case of Black inmate set to die reveals racial bias
The lawyer for the first Black inmate scheduled to die this year as part of the Trump administration’s resumption of federal executions says race played a central role in landing her client on death row for slaying a young white Iowa couple and burning them in the trunk of their car.
Dismay over Breonna Taylor spills into America’s streets
Anger, frustration and sadness over the decision not to charge police officers for Breonna Taylor’s death poured into America’s streets as protesters lashed out at a criminal justice system they say is stacked against Black people. Violence seized the demonstrations in her hometown of Louisville as gunfire rang out and wounded two police officers. Protests in Indianapolis remained peaceful.
1 officer indicted in Breonna Taylor case but not for her death
Officials in Louisville and communities throughout Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois are preparing for more protests and possible unrest as the public nervously awaits the Kentucky attorney general’s announcement about whether he will charge officers in Breonna Taylor’s shooting death.
SCOTUS favorite Barrett’s Purdue Title IX opinion hews to text, sets standard
With 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett a favorite to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, the focus has been on the jurist’s views of abortion, but an opinion in a Purdue University sexual misconduct case she authored little more than a year ago may provide more insight into her approach to the law.
High court front-runner, Notre Dame’s Barrett hailed by right, feared by left
A front-runner to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a federal appellate judge who and professor at Notre Dame Law School who has established herself as a reliable conservative on hot-button legal issues from abortion to gun control.
Indiana vote-by-mail appeal brief warns of ‘confusing and chaotic’ election scenario
Plaintiffs in the battle to expand no-excuse absentee voting in Indiana before the Nov. 3 general election filed their reply brief Wednesday, arguing the state’s suggestion of requiring all Hoosiers to vote in-person, regardless of age, would create a “more confusing and chaotic outcome.”
Judicial Conference releases 10-year strategic plan to improve Indiana justice system
A strategic plan to improve Indiana’s justice system over the next 10 years has been released by the Judicial Conference of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Tuesday.
‘Say her name’: Louisville to pay $12M to Breonna Taylor’s family
Months after the police killing of Breonna Taylor thrust her name to the forefront of a national reckoning on race and excessive use of force, the city of Louisville agreed to pay the Black woman’s family $12 million and reform police practices as part of a settlement announced Tuesday.
Tightrope act: Judges balance social issues, impartiality
Scenes from protests have dominated television screens for months. People of all ages, sizes, races, genders and backgrounds have participated in events calling for an end to racial inequality. But how do judges fit into the mix?
Bipartisan Indianapolis prosecutors endorse Biden-Harris
A bipartisan group of current and former Marion County prosecutors are publicly backing the Biden-Harris 2020 presidential ticket, saying they “strongly disagree” with the notion of law and order touted by President Donald Trump.
Report: Death penalty cases show history of racial disparity
Black people have been overrepresented on death rows across the United States and killers of Black people are less likely to face the death penalty than people who kill white people, a new report found.
Agreement settles complaint against student housing provider
A conciliation agreement with a provider of student housing is being hailed as expanding housing opportunities for families with children and opening access to more than 12,830 rentable units, including some at college campuses in Indiana.
Indiana AG urges 7th Circuit to keep absentee voting restrictions in place
Less than two months before the November presidential election, the Indiana Attorney General is countering a push to remove the state’s restrictions on mail-in voting by telling the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals those restrictions guard against fraud and encourage voter turnout.