Inmate wins $10,000 verdict against US for prison injury
A federal inmate who cut his forearm on a jagged bed frame won a $10,000 judgment in his lawsuit against the United States.
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Some police, prosecutors back tougher cold-medicine law
Some Indiana police agencies say their fight against methamphetamine production would be helped by a proposed state law change to require a doctor’s prescription for a common cold medicine that is used to make the illegal drug.
Indiana law drives down moped thefts, sales
Evansville Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jason Cullum said scooter theft reports fell from 269 in 2014 to just 79 as of Dec. 17. He said that’s because scooters are now easier to track if stolen because they now must be registered and licensed.
Indiana’s alcohol laws withstand court challenges
Recent rulings from state and federal courts underscore that while Indiana’s alcohol laws may be silly, quirky and arcane, they are not so easily changed.
Smoking ban dispute heads to Supreme Court
The Indiana Supreme Court wants to hear more from Hoosier Park about why patrons at its Winner’s Circle off-track betting parlor in Indianapolis should be allowed to light up when smoking in public is otherwise generally banned by city ordinance.
Bill would allow recovery of attorney fees in all wrongful death actions
A northern Indiana senator has introduced legislation to amend Indiana’s wrongful death statute to allow for surviving families to collect attorney fees.
Poverty calculation causes Indiana Legal Services’ funding to drop
Although Legal Services Corp. will receive a $10 million bump in funding for fiscal year 2016, Indiana Legal Services will see its appropriation from the national organization decrease.
Pence may argue charity can’t represent Syrian refugees
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence may argue the Indianapolis charity that sued him for attempting to suspend its federal government-approved resettlement of Syrian refugees has “a lack of any valid right of action or standing to assert the rights of refugees,” court filings show.
Court rules in favor of Columbia Sportswear in income tax dispute
The Indiana Tax Court ruled Friday that the Indiana Department of State Revenue’s adjustments to Columbia Sportwear’s net income for tax years 2005-2007 were not proper and granted summary judgment in favor of the clothing company.
Gary teens ask city to ban saggy pants
Wearing pants low enough to expose underwear could soon be against the law in Gary, Indiana.
Battle looms over restriction on cold medicine used for meth
Indiana lawmakers have yet to gather for the 2016 legislative session, but already the multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry has clashed with influential law enforcement organizations over a proposed law that would require a prescription to buy a common cold medicine also used to make methamphetamine.
Fired paramedic with diabetes settles discrimination case
A former fire department paramedic has settled a civil rights claim for $725,000 after being fired because of two health episodes related to diabetes, her attorneys announced Saturday.
Apple CEO Tim Cook keeps support for unbreakable encryption
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook repeated his strong support for unbreakable encryption technology, despite criticism from global law enforcement agencies that believe the digital tools impede criminal and terrorism investigations.
Obama’s ‘no fly, no buy’ policy would test limits of gun rights
President Barack Obama is trying to put Republicans on defense in the U.S. debate over gun rights with a call to ban people on the government’s no-fly list from buying firearms. The trouble is his proposal may be unconstitutional.
Santa Fe judge steps aside after insulting prosecutor
A judge in Santa Fe, New Mexico has removed himself from a high-profile case after telling a prosecutor a case might be above his pay grade.
Officer’s mistrial in Baltimore death a letdown for both sides
As jurors deliberated the fate of one of six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, Baltimore braced for a possible repeat of the protests, destruction and dismay that engulfed the city in April, when Gray died of a broken neck in the back of a police van. But instead of a dramatic conclusion, there was confusion.
5 officials want judge to block Indiana conflicts law
Five municipal employees in northwestern Indiana are asking a state court judge to block a law that prohibits them from holding elected office in the same city or town.
Under new law, Indiana alcohol sales now OK on Christmas Day
Indiana residents will be able to purchase wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages on Christmas Day for the first time in decades under a change in state law.
Lawmakers offer alternative to cold medicine sales crackdown
Republican Sens. Randy Head of Logansport and Jim Merritt of Indianapolis said pharmacists should have the authority to approve or disapprove sales for medicines containing pseudoephedrine, which is a decongestant used to treat colds and allergies. A rival measure backed by Indiana prosecutors and GOP House Speaker Brian Bosma would require a prescription for such medicines.
Attorney questions if schools complied with Nativity ruling
An attorney who filed a lawsuit that led to a federal judge banning a northern Indiana school district from including a live Nativity scene in its annual Christmas show says he believes the district's use of mannequins instead of student actors had many of the same constitutional flaws.