South Bend council votes in favor of expanded smoking ban
The South Bend Common Council has voted in favor of an expanded smoking ban, which may lead to a lawsuit if signed by the mayor.
Government
Articles
States look to provide lawyers for the poor in civil cases
A flood of poor defendants representing themselves — often ineffectively — in dire cases involving eviction, foreclosure, child custody and involuntary commitment has led to a push in legislatures to expand rights to free lawyers in certain civil proceedings.
US drops Apple case after getting into terrorist’s iPhone
The U.S. said it has gained access to the data on an iPhone used by a terrorist and no longer needs Apple Inc.’s assistance, marking an end to a legal clash that was poised to redraw boundaries between personal privacy and national security in the mobile Internet age.
Garland holding first meeting with Republican senator
Merrick Garland was set to meet Tuesday with Republican Sen. Mark Kirk, marking the U.S. Supreme Court nominee's first courtesy call on a senator whose party leaders have vowed to hold no hearings or vote until a new president is chosen.
Report: Prosecutors rarely disciplined for misconduct
Prosecutors are rarely held accountable for misconduct and mistakes that have left innocent people imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit, according to report Tuesday by a nonprofit group that investigates possible wrongful convictions.
Special prosecutor probes donations by Monarch Beverage affiliate
A special prosecutor is investigating whether the big Indiana beer wholesaler Monarch Beverage and an affiliated company broke state law by making more than $1.47 million in campaign donations since 2002.
Indiana to resume vanity plate program after court battle
Indiana motorists will have the option of getting a personalized vanity license plate for the first time in nearly three years this week when the Bureau of Motor Vehicles resumes the program.
Donnelly meets with SCOTUS nominee
As Senate Republicans continue to block President Barack Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court of the United States, Indiana Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly met with the nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, Monday on Capitol Hill.
State bills to allow fantasy sports could hurt smaller firms
Smaller companies in the exploding fantasy sports industry say they could be shut out of doing business in some states by legislation that is actually intended to recognize the games' legality.
Fired Anderson workers who won lawsuit want city jobs back
Some former Anderson city workers who won a federal lawsuit after they were fired when a new mayor took office want their old jobs back.
VW buys time to reach agreement in U.S. on diesel cheat fix
Volkswagen AG was given four more weeks to reach an agreement with regulators for getting 600,000 diesel vehicles off U.S. roads as it faces hundreds of lawsuits for rigging pollution control systems to cheat emissions tests.
Staples judge slams FTC on Amazon testimony in merger case
A federal judge criticized the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for attempting to elicit false information from an Amazon.com Inc. executive to support its lawsuit to block Staples Inc.’s takeover of rival Office Depot Inc.
Pence vetoes limited private university police disclosure bill
A bill that critics said would limit the information private university police departments must make public was vetoed Thursday by Gov. Mike Pence. The bill was passed just before the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in favor of ESPN, which seeks records the University of Notre Dame police refuse to make public.
Pence vetoes compromise environmental bill
A bill that originally would have barred the Department of Environmental Management from passing “no more stringent” regulations than federal rules was vetoed Thursday by Gov. Mike Pence, despite a compromise on the bill agreed to by both industry and environmental groups.
Abortion, med-mal, private university police bills await Pence’s decision
High-profile bills involving restrictions on abortion, increasing the caps on medical malpractice damages and slightly lifting the secrecy of police units at Notre Dame and other private universities are among the unsigned bills remaining on the final day for Gov. Mike Pence to act.
Pence restarts probate code study committee
Gov. Mike Pence on Wednesday signed a bill re-establishing the Probate Code Study Commission that was terminated along with multiple other interim legislative committees in 2014.
Justice Department announces charges in dam cyberattack
Seven hackers tied to the Iranian government were charged Thursday in a series of punishing cyberattacks on a small dam outside New York City and on dozens of banks — intrusions that reached into American infrastructure and disrupted the financial system, federal law enforcement officials said.
VW said to risk missing court deadline for diesel accord
Volkswagen AG will probably miss a Thursday court deadline to reach a comprehensive agreement with U.S. authorities over its tainted diesel engines, possibly exposing the carmaker to daily fines and other sanctions.
Jury rules ex-Anderson mayor improperly fired workers
A federal jury has found that 11 people were improperly fired from their Anderson city government jobs after a new mayor took office.
Morgan County sued over death of jail inmate
The estate of a woman who was found dead in a Morgan County Jail cell after jail staff allegedly knew she required medical attention has filed a federal wrongful death suit against the sheriff, jail staff and contracted health care providers.