Former IN lawmaker pleads guilty to felony campaign finance violations
Former Indiana State Sen. Darryl Brent Waltz has pleaded guilty to two felonies in federal court for taking illegal campaign contributions from a casino and lying to the FBI.
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Drivers in Ohio River bridges lawsuit reach preliminary settlement
The plaintiffs in the Ohio River toll bridges billing dispute are asking a federal court to approve a $2.5 million settlement they have reached with Gila, LLC, a subcontractor hired to help with the invoicing and collections operation.
State seeks to end lawsuit against Lake County judicial nominating process
In response to a lawsuit challenging judicial selection in Lake County, the state of Indiana is claiming the judicial nominating process does not violate the Constitution or federal voting laws and asserting the court should enter judgment in the case against the plaintiffs.
Judge: Same-sex marriage license denials violated rights
A federal judge has ruled that a former Kentucky clerk violated the constitutional rights of two same-sex couples who were among those to whom she wouldn’t issue marriage licenses — a refusal that sparked international attention and briefly landed her in jail in 2015.
US courts see drop in filings, display strength in ‘trying times’ in 2021
Members of the United States judiciary in 2021 successfully endured a year fraught with challenges, according to a new report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Judicial officers also saw significant drops in filings in 2021.
Lynch retiring from Southern Indiana District Court
Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will retire on Oct. 31 after more than 13 years of service to the federal judiciary, the court announced Monday.
Federal judiciary resisting congressional effort to make PACER free
With members of Congress on both sides of the aisle supporting a pair of bills that would give the public free access to federal court filings, federal judges are asserting filing fees would likely increase if PACER is prohibited from charging users.
Chief Justice Roberts reminds federal judiciary of ethical standards
In his year-end report, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts highlighted the need for “more rigorous” ethics training for the federal judiciary and possibly additional funding from Congress to prevent judges from presiding over cases in which they have a conflict of interest.
Federal court rules losses suffered by Patachou restaurant not covered by insurance
The Patachou restaurants in Indianapolis and Carmel will not be able to recoup their financial losses from the COVID-19 shutdown in the spring of 2020 after a federal court found the insurance policy they held only reimbursed for damage to the actual brick and mortar structures.
Indiana woman linked to QAnon to be jailed for Capitol rioting
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has sentenced Dona Sue Bissey of Bloomfield, to 14 days of incarceration and 60 hours of community service for her involvement during the Jan. 6.
Class certification denied to drivers in toll bridges lawsuit
Finding the group to be too inclusive, a federal judge has denied a motion for class certification filed by drivers who claim they were wrongly charged late fees and fines when they crossed the Ohio River toll bridges.
DCS wins judgment following allegations of caseworker taking unpermitted photos
The Indiana Department of Child Services won a judgment from the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Indiana on Friday following allegations from a man who claimed a caseworker entered his home to take photos without permission, resulting in the removal of his children.
Former Muncie mayor faces bribery sentencing next month
A former Indiana mayor is set to find out his punishment next month on federal charges of taking a $5,000 bribe in exchange for steering city projects to a contractor.
Applicants sought for Northern District chief deputy clerk vacancy
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana is accepting applications to fill an opening in its chief deputy clerk position.
Judge questions whether Jan. 6 rioters are treated unfairly
Rejecting the recommendation of prosecutors, a federal judge sentenced a Jan. 6 rioter to probation on Friday and suggested that the Justice Department was being too hard on those who broke into the Capitol compared to the people arrested during anti-racism protests following George Floyd’s murder.
Suits against Ohio State over sex abuse by doc are dismissed
A federal judge dismissed some of the biggest unsettled lawsuits over Ohio State’s failure to stop decades-old sexual abuse by now-deceased team doctor Richard Strauss, saying Wednesday it’s indisputable Strauss abused hundreds of young men but agreeing with OSU’s argument that the legal window for such claims had passed.
7th Circuit invites Hoosier kids, youth to submit creative entries for Bill of Rights contest
Hoosier kids and youth are invited to participate in a multistate art and writing contest hosted by the United States Courts of Appeals in celebration of Bill of Rights Day.
Maley: Third-party subpoenas: Advance service compliance
Federal practitioners regularly issue and respond to third-party subpoenas for documents. Expansive revisions to Rule 45 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were made in 2013, but many subpoenas are still issued that do not comply. One of the most common issues is failing to serve parties with the third-party subpoena prior to (or even after) service on the third party.
Northern District Court transitioning to NextGen CM/ECF
The case management and electronic filing system used by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana will get a facelift this fall once it upgrades to the next generation of CM/ECF.
Federal courts impose new COVID-19 restrictions amid surge
Just as in-person hearings and trials resumed at courthouses around the country, a surge of coronavirus cases sparked by the delta variant has prompted some federal courts to impose new restrictions and requirements for mask-wearing and vaccinations.