Supreme Court honors judicial officers for service, higher education
The Indiana Supreme Court on Tuesday recognized judges and magistrates across the state for their commitment to higher education and longtime service.
Ethics & Professional Responsibility
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AG Hill suspended for 30 days with automatic reinstatement
Finding Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill guilty of misdemeanor battery and two related violations of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct, the Indiana Supreme Court has ordered him to serve a 30-day suspension.
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Man charged in judges’ shooting claims self-defense, says judges were aggressors
The man charged with shooting two southern Indiana judges outside an Indianapolis fast food restaurant last year claimed in a Tuesday court filing that he acted in self-defense. The notice of affirmative defense also alleges the judges were the aggressors as alleged gunman Brandon Kaiser and his nephew, Alfredo Vazquez, were stopping to eat at a downtown White Castle, where the shooting took place in the parking lot.
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Wise counsel when moving between firms
Law firm managers have long known they can’t require attorneys to sign noncompete agreements when they join a firm. Even so, there have still been instances where firms have made it challenging for a lawyer trying to make a lateral move. But a recent opinion from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility makes it clear that any provision of an employment agreement that interferes with a client’s autonomy is never acceptable.
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Hill accusers provide emotional testimony
Testimony in the attorney discipline action against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill continues Tuesday after emotional remarks Monday from the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.
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Articles
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?
IndyBar: The Unique Relationship between Lawyers and Judges
As lawyers, many of our relationships are governed by our rules of professional conduct. For the most part, these rules place burdens, limits and duties on us. The judge-lawyer relationship, however, is governed by interlocking rules from both sides.
Bar applicants ace August 2020 exam
Indiana’s unprecedented bar exam that was reformatted and delayed until August 2020 because of the coronavirus has turned in a pass rate that tops the previous four years. Almost three-quarters of those who took the remote test passed, according to the list released Tuesday.
Allen County offers court staff implicit bias training
Allen Circuit and Superior Courts and Fort Wayne United will collaborate in implicit bias training for court staff at a session Tuesday at the Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne.
Watchdog groups charge Republican Convention appearances broke Hatch Act
Two White House officials violated the Hatch Act by participating in choreographed events that were aired during this week’s Republican National Convention, according to two separate ethics complaints filed by government watchdog groups.
Advisory opinion: Judges can advise family members behind the scenes
Indiana judges can advise family members on legal issues, but they must do so in a behind-the-scenes way that does not “trade on the prestige” of their office, a judicial ethics opinion issued Thursday says.
Whitestown attorney suspended from practice of law for noncooperation
The Indiana Supreme Court has suspended a Whitestown lawyer from the practice of law for his noncooperation with the disciplinary commission.
Will missing in estate fraud suit against disgraced lawyer, assistant
The original will at the center of a six-figure estate fraud case is missing, according to recent court filings in a civil lawsuit. Charities alleging the law firm that handled the estate absconded with the money also have subpoenaed the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission for records in the related ethics case that led to the recent resignation of attorney and one-time judge Robert Monfort.
Indianapolis attorney convicted of OWI suspended for 90 days
An Indianapolis attorney has been suspended for 90 days with automatic reinstatement following his conviction of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and several violations of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct related to client representation.
Merrillville attorney’s discipline converted to indefinite suspension
Indiana Supreme Court justices have indefinitely suspended a Lake County lawyer who was suspended earlier this year for failing to cooperate with the disciplinary commission concerning a grievance against him.
Disciplinary commission warns of social media slip-ups that can violate rules
Lawyers must proactively police and amend their social media pages to ensure third-party comments don’t break ethical rules, a new advisory opinion from the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission says.
AG Hill terminated as defendant in groping accusers’ federal lawsuit
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has won a victory in the continued fallout of the sexual misconduct allegations against him, successfully moving a federal judge to dismiss him as a defendant in a civil lawsuit brought against him and the Indiana Legislature. Also, the state lawmaker who helped initiate the complaint has been dismissed as a plaintiff.
Lawsuit on suspended AG Hill’s fate stalls
A lawyer maintains the Indiana attorney general’s office is trying to stymie a court fight on whether Republican Attorney General Curtis Hill can be ousted from office while his law license remains suspended until next week for groping four women during a party.
Bell & Grass: When silence isn’t golden: The ethics ‘boom shakalaka’ defense
Under normal circumstances, we would try to fill this column with something useful. We would try to give you tips that may help your practice, and we would hope that our column would give you a teensy-weensy bit of knowledge that might help you avoid an ethical problem down the road. However, these are not normal circumstances, so we feel like offering something a little different.
AG Hill vows to stay in campaign as he seeks GOP support
As he prepares to begin a 30-day suspension of his law license, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is doubling down on his campaign efforts and making his case for reelection as he courts delegates for next month’s Indiana Republican Convention.
AG Hill’s 30-day suspension raises eligibility questions
For the first time in Indiana history, the elected attorney general has been suspended. But what the discipline means for Attorney General Curtis Hill remains to be seen.
Despite lost support, AG Hill seemingly pushes forward
Statewide political leaders, including Republican leaders, are withdrawing support of embattled Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who next week begins a 30-day suspension for two ethics violations. But Hill so far has not indicated plans to step down from his role or leave the 2020 campaign trail once the suspension is over, even though his competition may be growing.
Disciplinary Actions
Read who has been reinstated, resigned or suspended from the practice of law in the most recent reporting period.
Hearing officer: No discipline necessary for lawyer in Park Tudor sex scandal
Despite a finding that prominent Indianapolis employment attorney Michael Blickman violated an ethical rule in his handling of a student-teacher sex scandal at Park Tudor High School, the hearing officer in Blickman’s disciplinary case is not recommending any action against his law license.