Adoptee birth certificate requests soar after change in law
The number of adopted Hoosiers seeking information from the state about their birth parents has more than quadrupled since a new law took effect last year, opening access to the records.
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AG Barr defends handling of Mueller’s Russia report
Attorney General William Barr on Thursday defended his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the Russia investigation, saying the confidential document contains sensitive grand jury material that prevented it from being immediately released to the public.
Indiana Republicans push for moratorium on new power plants
In a sudden legislative move that is raising alarms for utilities and environmentalists alike, Indiana Republicans want to put a moratorium on new, large power plants just as several large electrical providers are gearing up to retire aging coal-fired generating units and replace them with renewable energy and natural gas.
Person shot, wounded by SWAT team serving warrant
Authorities say a person has been shot and wounded after firing a gun at a SWAT team that was trying to serve a felony warrant in west central Indiana.
State lawmakers working to close loophole in online sales, hotel taxes
Indiana is one step closer to closing what lawmakers describe as a loophole in online sales and hotel tax collection.
Theft of public funds bill awaits Holcomb’s signature
Communities seeking restitution from public servants who personally profited from taxpayer dollars might have a new way to recoup stolen funds.
Indiana Senate OKs expanded religious objection to abortion
The Indiana Senate has approved legislation allowing nurses, physician assistants and pharmacists to object on religious or other grounds to having any role in an abortion.
Indiana Senate OKs second-trimester abortion procedure ban
The Indiana Senate has approved legislation that would largely ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure — a proposal that if signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb faces a certain challenge in federal court.
Request for study of court costs receives initial Senate approval
Questions regarding certain Indiana court costs might be addressed this summer if a study committee is approved to look into the issue in the coming months. Senate Resolution 52 requests that the Legislative Council assign the topics of court costs for indigent individuals and the look-back period for prior unrelated convictions in Indiana's criminal code to a summer study committee.
Civil remedy revenge porn bill passes House
Hoosiers hurting from the aftermath of a revenge porn incident are closer to gaining some relief from their perpetrators now that a bill that would offer them civil remedies has passed both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly. Measures that would make committing revenge porn a crime, however, look less likely to succeed.
2 death row inmates make similar requests, get different results
Death row inmates Patrick Murphy and Domineque Ray each turned to courts recently with pleas to stop their executions if their desired spiritual advisers couldn't accompany them into the execution chamber. The Supreme Court allowed Ray’s execution to go forward, but gave Murphy a temporary reprieve Thursday night.
Princeton officer faces misconduct charge after drugs allegedly tossed
Authorities say a southwestern Indiana police officer allowed a drug trafficking suspect to discard a bag of heroin before being taken to a police station. Illinois State Police say 28-year-old Princeton Officer Brandt George is free on bond after being charged with official misconduct.
IU profs contribute to ruling upholding short-term rental regulation
With the help of an amicus brief from several professors — including two from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business — Santa Monica, California successfully urged the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold its local regulation of short-term rental properties offered through websites such as Airbnb.
Staying home: Legal aid efforts help people maintain stable housing
Brenda Davis and Franci Gartin know a home can be a place to rest from the struggles of daily living. The two Indianapolis women were settled into their houses, arranged and as welcoming as they each wanted. But then the struggles of the outside world invaded, and they found themselves in danger of losing their own domiciles.
COA rejects argument that children adopted by unmarried uncle were ‘born out of wedlock’
The grandparents of two children adopted by their unmarried uncle do not have standing to seek visitation, the Indiana Court of Appeals wrote Friday in an opinion rejecting the argument that the children were “born out of wedlock.”
‘Pursuit of happiness’ marijuana case seeks Hoosier justices’ consideration
A case dealing with a man’s constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness in the form of a marijuana blunt is possibly headed to the state's highest court now that a petition to transfer has been filed.
COA: Statute of limitations for AG to act on SBOA report begins when verified report is filed
Claims made by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office against a former Jennings County bookkeeper accrued upon the office’s receipt of a final investigation report, not a preliminary report, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Friday in a case of first impression.
Supreme Court won’t stop enforcement of bump stock ban
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to stop the Trump administration from enforcing its ban on bump stock devices, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns. The ban took effect Tuesday.
Indiana Senate panel votes down sheriff’s sale notification bill
State lawmakers have killed a bill that would have eliminated the requirement for sheriff’s sales of foreclosed properties to be published in newspapers — a victory for the media industry.
Mueller finds no Trump collusion, leaves obstruction open
Special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence President Donald Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. That brought a hearty claim of vindication from Trump but set the stage for new rounds of political and legal fighting.