80-year sentence upheld for man convicted of killing IU student
The Indiana Court of Appeals declined to revise the 80-year sentence handed down by a Brown County judge for the murder of an Indiana University student two years ago.
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Supreme Court affirms bestiality conviction
A Muncie man’s confession that he committed bestiality was admissible in the trial court because it was supported by evidence the state introduced that provided an inference that the crime had been committed, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled.
Supreme Court: Rules of Evidence allowed admission of gun
In a decision reaffirming the notion that the doctrine of res gestae is defunct and is not grounds for admission of evidence, the Indiana Supreme Court affirmed the admission of a gun and resulting convictions in a joint Lake County resisting law enforcement and battery trial for two defendants.
COA reaffirms legal malpractice suit may proceed
After granting rehearing to clarify the difference between the instant legal malpractice case and previous malpractice caselaw, the Indiana Court of Appeals on Tuesday reaffirmed its previous decision to deny summary judgment to a northern Indiana law firm.
7th Circuit: Plain-view doctrine controls appeal of motion to suppress
An Indiana district court did not err in denying a convicted felon’s motion to suppress after three guns were found in his home during a search for electronic devices because the guns were found under the plain-view doctrine, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
7th Circuit: Officer had reasonable suspicion to prolong traffic stop
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a northern Indiana man’s conviction of possession more than 15 doctored gift cards, finding the police officer who stopped the man had reasonable suspicion to prolong the traffic stop that led to the discovery of the fraudulent gift cards.
COA allows nurse practitioner to testify as expert
An Evansville nurse practitioner who has training and licensure beyond that of a nurse, may testify as an expert as to whether a patient’s injuries are consistent with injuries sustained in an automobile accident, but not as to whether the accident caused the injuries, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Ex-Evansville police officer convicted of murder appeals to US Supreme Court
A former Evansville police officer serving an 80-year sentence for murder and arson has asked the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn his conviction and order a new trial.
While Comey memo could be key, any Trump prosecution tricky
A memo detailing President Donald Trump's request to shut down an FBI investigation of his ousted national security adviser is a powerful piece of evidence that could be used to build an obstruction of justice case against him.
Relying on video evidence that contradicts trial court is not ‘reweighing,’ justices rule
An appellate court’s decision to rely on video evidence to reverse a trial court’s findings does not constitute impermissible reweighing of the evidence if the video indisputably contradicts the trial court, the Indiana Supreme Court held Thursday while simultaneously affirming a man’s resisting law enforcement and battery against a law enforcement animal convictions.
Supreme Court: ‘remoteness’ of prior conviction doesn’t affect admissibility
Determining that the “remoteness” of a prior offense does not affect the admissibility of evidence at trial, the Indiana Supreme Court has affirmed the award of roughly $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages to a man injured by a drunk driver.
Justices create framework for determining admissibility of immigration status
After reversing a trial court’s decision to admit a plaintiff’s unauthorized immigrant status as evidence in his case for decreased earning capacity damages, the Indiana Supreme Court laid out a new framework Thursday for determining when immigration status can be admissible.
Indiana to conduct audit of untested sexual assault kits
Indiana State Police plan to conduct an audit of untested sexual assault kits that may have lingered in evidence collection rooms across the state for years.
Appellate court affirms teenager’s delinquency adjudication
The Marion Superior Court properly adjudicated an Indianapolis teenager as a delinquent on theft and trespassing charges, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided Thursday, holding the court’s true findings were supported by sufficient evidence.
Supreme Court strikes down contentious med-mal ruling
After six years of controversy over the limits, or lack thereof, on what evidence and arguments may be presented to a trial court during a medical malpractice proceeding, the Indiana Supreme Court has denounced a highly disputed medical malpractice case while simultaneously adopting a recent Court of Appeals opinion.
Lawyer stands behind his own rollover crash tests courts ruled inadmissible
New Albany attorney Dave Scott wanted to prove a point when he strapped himself behind the wheel of a 1999 Ford Explorer that was pushed down an embankment, violently rolling over multiple times. Just to be safe, he later buckled into another Explorer that again was sent careening roof over wheels, rolling three times.
Man faces withheld evidence again in lawsuit against Indiana
A man whose 1995 conviction was vacated after serving nearly 16 years in prison is facing evidence issues in a lawsuit he filed against the state of Indiana that were similar to those in his case.
COA: Allowing removal of prosthetic eye not an abuse of discretion
A trial court’s decision to allow a woman to remove her prosthetic eye in the presence of the jury in a battery case was not an abuse of discretion because the relevancy of the demonstration was not outweighed by possible prejudice against the defendant, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday.
Insurers deny claims based on questionable cell tower data
It took Jaclyn Bentley nearly three years to prove she didn't burn her house down for the insurance money, allegations she and her lawyer say were born of the junk practice of analyzing cellphone tower data.
Supreme Court: Man allowed to view video of controlled drug buy with informant
A Vigo County man facing drug charges will now be able to review a video of a controlled drug buy between himself and an informant after the Indiana Supreme Court decided Friday that the disclosure of the video would be relevant and helpful to his case.