Provision in new bill would withhold ‘big’ wins from deadbeat parents
State lawmakers want to crack down on child support collections and make it tougher for deadbeat parents to not pay what's owed.
Government
Articles
Bill seeks to repeal placements statute
Lawmakers are considering legislation that would repeal a last-minute 2009 special session provision that gave the Indiana Department of Child Services key control in deciding whether juveniles should be placed outside the state.
Appellate case ‘purgatory’ exists in Indiana’s government center basement
Outside of courtrooms, conference rooms, and law firm offices, there's a place that most lawyers don't often see but is an essential step in the process cases go through at the Indiana appellate level.
Summit spurs school-focused bill
A juvenile justice summit by the Indiana State Bar Association in August has led to the introduction of a bill that would change how students are treated in schools and hopefully decrease the number of school suspensions while increasing statewide graduation rates.
Parents, child service provider group sue DCS over subsidies
In a one-two punch, a pair of lawsuits filed a week apart in December hit the Indiana Department of Child Services square
in the gut over how the agency planned to reduce payment rates for foster and adoptive parents and juvenile service providers.
Boodt: U.S. Supreme Court journey offers many lessons
Last spring, after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied USA Funds' petition for rehearing en banc in an important student loan bankruptcy case, my colleagues Joni Anderson and Julie Ragsdale recommended that USA Funds file a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States.
President, Senate move on Indiana nominations
Indiana's legal community got a mixed bag of gifts on Christmas Eve, as one former Hoosier attorney received Senate confirmation for an ambassadorship, a federal prosecutor in Hammond learned he might be promoted, and a Bloomington law professor got what amounts to a lump of coal as senators sent her nearly yearold nomination back to the president for reconsideration.
Prosecutor spokesman arrested for drunk driving
An attorney and spokesman for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office was arrested March 27 for drunk driving.
Key Senate committees meet during first week
In the first week after the Indiana General Assembly returned, lawmakers addressed several bills during two key committee meetings particularly relevant to the state's legal community.
Lawmakers criticize traffic court fines
A legislative committee this week unanimously approved a bill that would cap the fines a court could assess for traffic violations.
State funding of judges being explored
Lawmakers rejected a southern Indiana county's request this week for a new judge to run a family court, even though it proposes paying for it locally rather than with state money.
Candidate wants prosecutor to step down
Marion County Republican prosecutor candidate Mark Massa has called on Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, also a Republican, to step down in the wake of a five-month-long Indianapolis Business Journal investigation.
Justice ponders importance of party-line vote
As the Indiana Supreme Court justices considered the constitutionality of the state's voter ID law this week, one jurist wondered how much the legislative process might factor into the court's analysis of whether a statute is constitutional.
Lawmakers miss self-imposed deadline
The Indiana General Assembly tried to end the session more than a week before the constitutional March 14 deadline, but impasses on school funding and unemployment insurance caused the legislators to miss their March 4 self-imposed deadline.
Police deaths, injury inspire late legislation
Although the deadline has passed to introduce new legislation, St. Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak has called on legislators to find current bills that will allow amendments to statute in response to two separate car accidents involving police officers.
Governor signs last of legislation
The 2010 session of the Indiana General Assembly wrapped up Thursday with Gov. Mitch Daniels signing the remaining legislation pending before him.
AG opposes East Chicago settlement terms
Indiana's Attorney General opposes a proposed settlement between the city of East Chicago and a developer regarding riverboat casino revenues because it would grant additional money to that developer at a time when the state is suing to open up the financial books.
Governor names new general counsel
Gov. Mitch Daniels didn't have to look far to fill a vacancy for general counsel.
Committees hit deadline for first half of session
During the final week of committee hearings before the Indiana General Assembly reaches its midpoint, the legal community watched as many bills died in their current form for lack of a hearing while others remained in play and moved to the full House or Senate for a potential vote.
Senate gets resolution on marriage, civil unions
The Senate Judiciary Committee spent most of its time this week discussing the definition of marriage in Indiana and whether
a constitutional amendment should be sent to voters to make it tougher for courts and legislators to rewrite how they
handle both gay marriage and civil unions.