Former employee pleads guilty in $4.5M Cummins fraud case
A former employee accused of defrauding Indiana-based Cummins Inc. and other companies out of more than $4.5 million has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
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Southern District collects more than $3M in asset forfeiture in FY19
The Southern District of Indiana collected more than $10 million from criminal and civil actions and asset forfeitures in fiscal year 2019, with more than $3 million collected through asset forfeitures.
Indiana Southern District warns of scam callers posing as court staff
Hoosiers with cases pending before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana are being advised to steer clear of scam callers posing as court employees and requesting personal information.
7th Circuit affirms $35 million verdict for Hoosier woman in pelvic implant lawsuit
Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon Inc. did not persuade the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a multi-million-dollar verdict for a northern Indiana woman who was injured by a transvaginal mesh implant produced by the company.
Southern District promotes new clerk from within
The US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has found a successor to its long-serving clerk, turning to a longtime servant of the court who currently works as its death penalty law clerk. Roger A.G. Sharpe will succeed retiring clerk Laura Briggs effective May 10, Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson said in a press release.
Cook Medical wins new trial in product lawsuit after judge admits he erred
A federal judge has vacated a $3 million jury award against Cook Medical, saying a Georgia woman who sued the Bloomington-based device maker “did not have overwhelming evidence” to show the company’s implanted blood-clot filter was defective or caused her injuries.
Religious retaliation, accommodation claims to continue against Brownsburg schools
A federal lawsuit alleging Brownsburg schools discriminated against a former teacher who refused to address transgender students by their chosen first names will continue with claims brought under Title VII, though 11 other state and federal constitutional claims against the school district were dismissed. The judge also cautioned both sides against efforts to expand the issues in the case to nonparty students.
Shelbyville man gets 200 years for child sexual exploitation
A man who pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography has been sentenced to 200 years in federal prison, the federal prosecutor’s office for the Southern District of Indiana announced.
PACER user group ready to begin work in February
Twelve individuals with backgrounds in the law, media, government and academia have been selected for the new PACER User Group, which will offer input and advice for improving the federal courts’ electronic docket system as well as other electronic public access services provided by the judicial branch.
IU prof denied summary judgement in nurse’s abortion retaliation case
A federal judge has denied a motion for summary judgment to an IU nursing professor on a First Amendment claim brought by an associate professor who alleges she was passed over for a teaching position at the school because of her pro-life views.
Pair of lawsuits battle over legality of recent push for Equal Rights Amendment
Nearly 50 years after it was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification, the Equal Rights Amendment is inciting a new round of litigation just as the Virginia Legislature is expected to soon ratify the constitutional provision.
Ex-Chicago cop wins resentencing appeal
An ex-Chicago cop serving time for drug-related convictions linked to his connection with the Latin Kings street gang will have an opportunity to have his request for a reduced sentence considered, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
Native American adoption dispute puts decades-old statute on defensive
The effort that Indiana joined to overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act, which seeks to preserve Native American families, is headed for another round in appellate court as the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals prepares for a rehearing en banc following a lower court’s ruling that the 40-plus-year-old federal statute was unconstitutional.
Community Health accused of improper Medicare claims in federal lawsuit
The United States government has filed a complaint against Community Health Network, alleging the central Indiana health care system submitted false claims to the Medicare program. Community, however, is calling the claims “meritless.”
Former Attica High School coach sentenced to 24 years for child porn
A former Attica High School assistant track coach has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of production and possession of child pornography. Jeremy Kelley, 41, of Attica, was sentenced by U.S. Southern District Court Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced Monday.
7th Circuit orders $1,000 sanction against Crawfordsville attorney accused of altering evidence
A Crawfordsville attorney accused of altering photos submitted as evidence in a slip-and-fall case must pay a $1,000 sanction to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The attorney has also self-reported the underlying incident to the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
SCOTUS, district courts see increased filings in last year
The number of cases filed in the United States Supreme Court and federal district courts increased in the last year, while the regional courts of appeal saw a slight filing decrease, according to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.’s 2019 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary.
Inmate wins habeas relief after ‘incendiary allegations’ of fraudulent discipline action
An Indiana prisoner has been granted habeas relief after making “incendiary allegations” that led a district judge to find that he had fraudulently been found guilty in a prison disciplinary action.
Lilly wins another patent infringement case over cancer drug Alimta
Eli Lilly and Co. has won another patent-infringement lawsuit against a competitor who was preparing to launch an alternative form of the chemotherapy drug Alimta prior to its patent expiration in May 2022.
Groups want tougher U.S. Steel fine for Lake Michigan spill
The leaders of 18 environmental and civic groups have joined a push for U.S. Steel to face tougher penalties over a spill of hazardous substances from a northwestern Indiana plant into Lake Michigan.