Lanane to Pence: properly staff DCS caseworkers
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane said Monday that Gov. Mike Pence must add 77 new caseworkers at the Department of Child Services to comply with state law.
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Tennessee company sues Tippecanoe County over proposed quarry
A Tennessee company has sued officials in Tippecanoe County, saying they didn't have the authority to pass an ordinance meant to block a proposed limestone quarry project along the Wabash River.
Second Indy township official charged with embezzlement
Federal prosecutors have charged a Center Township official in Indianapolis with embezzling tens of thousands of dollars in Social Security payments intended for disabled and elderly recipients.
Bill would block local limits on large livestock facilities
Local governments would be prohibited from placing restrictions on large livestock facilities in rural areas under a bill being considered in the Indiana Senate.
CNBC’s ‘American Greed’ puts focus on Conour as appeal proceeds
The CNBC program “American Greed,” which bills itself as a “shocking true crime series (that) examines the dark side of the American Dream,” has taped an episode profiling former Indianapolis lawyer and convicted fraudster William Conour.
Housing agency, not court, ordered banned woman from properties
The Indiana Court of Appeals rejected a woman’s argument that the court imposed as part of her trespass sentence an order to stay away from any properties owned by the Indianapolis Housing Agency.
Senate committee advances bill to raise judges’ retirement age
A proposal to raise the mandatory retirement age for appellate judges from 75 to 80 narrowly advanced in the Indiana General Assembly Wednesday.
Fate uncertain for bill to end Sunday alcohol sales ban
A House committee chairman says he hasn't decided if he'll allow a hearing on a proposal to end Indiana's long-running ban on retail stores selling alcohol on Sunday — the last of its kind in the nation.
Civil Rights Commission exceeded authority in upholding complaint
Finding the Indiana Civil Rights Commission overstepped its authority, the Indiana Supreme Court has vacated the organization’s final order regarding an “intra-group squabble” over a dinner menu.
Electric utilities battle over annexing territories
When it comes to annexing nearby land, the city of Greenfield has a proposition that officials say sells itself.
McKinney grad Carrasco appointed Indiana inspector general
Longtime executive director of the Office of Inspector General Cynthia Carrasco has been appointed Indiana inspector general, Gov. Mike Pence announced in a statement Tuesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11.
Bill would let Hoosiers refuse gay-wedding services
Legislation that supporters contend is needed to protect Indiana residents with strong religious beliefs by allowing them to refuse services for same-sex weddings is drawing fire from gay rights groups and others who say it would legalize discrimination.
Government: Tweak Conour release conditions
Special conditions imposed on convicted fraudster and former attorney William Conour after he serves a 10-year federal sentence should be modified, but the conditions largely should stay in place, according to the government’s brief in his appeal.
Tax Court: Alleged puppy mill owner wrongly denied refund
The Indiana Department of Revenue improperly denied a refund of the value of 240 dogs seized by the state from an alleged Harrison County puppy mill, the Indiana Tax Court ruled Dec. 31.
Driver’s lack of appellee brief reinstates license revocation
A motorist who won a trial court judgment vacating the suspension of his driver’s license didn’t file a brief when the Bureau of Motor Vehicles appealed the decision and, therefore, lost his challenge of the BMV action.
2014 Year in Review
This year could be described as a historic one for Indiana. The state's ban on gay marriage was overturned by the courts, and, for the first time, a woman was chosen as chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. In fact, women are leading most of the courts in Indiana. In 2014, we saw changes in the law schools, a new criminal code implemented, and attorneys in trouble with the court and the law. (Remember the attorney who doesn't like to wear socks?)
State Fair stage collapse appeal puts tort caps on trial
While the lone victim of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse who declined to settle with the state aims to prove caps on its liability are unconstitutional, judges who heard the appeal focused on why she was denied her day in court.
Artwork honoring Shepard has ‘stalled’
A plan by the inaugural class of the Indiana State Bar Association’s Leadership Development Academy to honor retired Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard has unraveled, and class members are preparing to consider several options for moving forward, including scrapping the project altogether.
‘Second haircut’ nixed by tax court
A finance company that purchased car loans at a discounted price is entitled to recoup all the sales tax on the loans which have since gone into default.
Impact of Indiana’s criminal code changes unclear
Indiana's prosecutors and judges are still adjusting to sweeping changes to the state's criminal code intended to send more low-level, nonviolent criminals to community corrections programs and jails instead of state prisons.