Longtime attorney named to fill open IURC position
A longtime Indiana attorney has been named to serve on a state commission that approves utility rates for millions of residents and businesses.
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Fight to protect Indiana bat from wind farm renders mixed ruling
The Indiana bat has been part of a long-running battle against a proposed 100-turbine wind farm in Ohio. A lawsuit filed in 2013 by the Bloomington-based Conservation Law Center sought to block a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that would have allowed the Buckeye Wind Project to kill the protected species.
Officers, prosecutors get training in crash reconstructions
More than 60 law enforcement officers and prosecutors from around Indiana took part in crash-reconstruction training in August at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield. The training included several live demonstrations that allowed investigators to collect and analyze evidence that could be used in a criminal case.
Former Lake Station mayor admits to wiretapping employees
New court records show that the former mayor of the northwest Indiana city of Lake Station admitted to recording and listening to phone calls of City Hall employees over several years starting in 2011.
Court battle heats up between state, Monarch Beverage affiliate
The legal battle between the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission and Spirited Sales LLC — an affiliate of Monarch Beverage Co. — is escalating, despite a Marion County judge’s ruling last week that Spirit is entitled to become a liquor wholesaler in the state.
Order: Strip searches violate religious rights of ‘American Taliban’
A federal judge has ruled strip searches prior to non-contact visits are a violation of the religious rights of Yahya (John Walker) Lindh, the so-called “American Taliban” who’s housed in the federal prison at Terre Haute. The judge also chided federal authorities who ignored Supreme Court precedent that was on point in the case.
Indiana owner of Wright house sues over historic designation
The owner of a northeastern Indiana home designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is suing Fort Wayne officials over the home's historic designation.
7th Circuit rejects government’s position of inmate self-defense
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to hold, as the district court did, that an inmate can only use force in self-defense against a correctional officer if the inmate faces death or serious bodily harm.
FSSA employees face individual claims for day care registration revocation
Two employees of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration will face individual-capacity claims brought by a religious day care whose registration was revoked without providing for some type of hearing, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals held Tuesday.
Lawyer investigating lead at Indiana housing complex
An attorney for families in an Indiana public housing complex slated to be demolished because of lead contamination says he's investigating whether public officials knew about the problem and allowed children to be "poisoned."
Both sides remain divided on LGBT rights ahead of session
Advocates on both sides of Indiana's debate over the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents remained divided and were unable to make recommendations Tuesday to a committee of lawmakers considering the topic ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
FAA forecast: 600,000 commercial drones within the year
There will be 600,000 commercial drone aircraft operating in the U.S. within the year as the result of new safety rules that opened the skies to them on Monday, according to a Federal Aviation Administration estimate.
Indiana man mistakenly shot by cop: ‘Why did you shoot me?’
An Indianapolis man who was mistakenly shot by a police officer responding to an armed robbery said Friday that he isn't certain he will sue the city over the shooting.
Ohio chief justice on court impacts, roles in drug epidemic
The chief justice of Ohio's supreme court helped bring together experts and officials from nine states, including Indiana, in a regional judicial summit on the opioid drug epidemic, even as an overdose surge sweeping nearby streets showed dramatically the scope of the problem.
Burkini ban in French beach town reversed by Supreme Court
France’s top court struck down a push by local governments to ban the “burkini” from the nation’s beaches, saying the Muslim-style full-body swimming outfits don’t create a public threat that justifies impinging on freedom of religion.
Monarch affiliate gets big win in effort to sell liquor
A Marion County Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of a Monarch Beverage Co. affiliate called Spirited Sales LLC in its quest to gain a permit to wholesale liquor, a win in Monarch’s years-long effort to enter the spirits business.
Prosecutor: Fort Wayne officer’s shooting of teen justified
A prosecutor says a Fort Wayne police officer was acting in self-defense when he shot a teenager in the back.
Judge rules in favor of scorned e-liquid manufacturer in vaping case
Opponents of Indiana’s controversial vaping law scored a victory Friday when a federal judge ruled in favor of a Florida e-liquid manufacturer that argued the law was unconstitutional.
No appeal in Indiana woman’s overturned feticide conviction
The attorney for an Indiana woman whose feticide conviction for a self-induced abortion was overturned said Tuesday he's pleased the state's attorney general decided not to appeal that ruling and hopes she's freed soon from prison.
Workplace harassment endures, evolves
Despite decades of on-the-job training for workers and numerous high-profile lawsuits, harassment by managers and co-workers persists. Though the number of sexual harassment claims has declined in recent years, companies still get hit with thousands of lawsuits alleging harassment of some kind each year.