Rehearing upholds drug conviction resulting from traffic stop
An Indianapolis man who got a second bite at the apple could not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals his traffic stop lasted too long.
Indiana Court of Appeals
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Identification of defendant via phone calls and texts upheld by COA
A Grant County man argued threatening phone calls could not be linked to him, but he was unable to overcome the testimony by people who knew the sound of his voice.
Jailhouse calls to girlfriend urging sex with son properly admitted
A jailed man’s 15 phone calls with his girlfriend urging her to have sex with her learning-disabled son to show he wasn’t gay were properly admitted as evidence that led to his conviction of conspiracy to commit child molesting.
Court of Appeals affirms man’s domestic battery conviction
Evidence from a forensic nurse was not improperly admitted in the trial of a man who was convicted of felony domestic battery against his girlfriend of 20 years.
Mom loses appeal against Planned Parenthood
A mom who sued Planned Parenthood after her 17-year-old daughter used another person’s ID and posed as an 18-year-old to get an abortion has no private cause of action to enforce abortion statutes. Planned Parenthood also owed no duty to the mother under the circumstances, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Fired Polaris technician wins reversal at 7th Circuit
A former Indianapolis lab technician presented enough evidence to support her claims of discrimination and retaliation that the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned summary judgment in favor of her former employer.
Agreement means what it says, COA rules
While the Indiana Court of Appeals conceded the severance agreement was “not a model of precision,” it disagreed with a trial court’s conclusion that the agreement contained a mistake.
Molestation charge dropped against committed incompetent defendant
A child molestation charge must be dropped against an incompetent defendant who’s been in psychiatric hospitals longer than he could have been imprisoned had he been convicted, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
Toyota dealership relocation to Fishers divides appeals court
Whether three competing greater Indianapolis Toyota dealers may block the relocation of another Toyota franchise from Anderson to Fishers divided a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals Thursday.
Divided COA panel reverses modification of support
A judge who ordered a modification of child support after a father told the court he was moving out of state and intended to seek custody of a minor child acted prematurely, a Court of Appeals panel majority ruled Thursday.
Indianapolis panel overreached in adopting Millersville Plan
A landowner has successfully challenged the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission’s adoption of a plan that reduced potential residential development on 21 acres in the northeast-side community of Millersville.
Class-action members did not show illnesses were caused by same meals
Although several Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. members who visited Indianapolis in 2013 all reported symptoms much like those caused by food poisoning, the Indiana Court of Appeals denied class certification, ruling the individuals did not specifically link their illnesses to the chicken served at lunch and dinner.
Trial court erred in denying dad custody vs. contemptuous mom
The Indiana Court of Appeals bluntly reversed denial of a father’s petition for primary custody of his children, finding their mother undermined him and deprived him of court-ordered visitation.
Officer’s ‘Where’s the gun?’ question properly admitted in shooter’s trial
A suspect who fled the scene of a Lafayette shooting and later was found with ammunition in his shirt pocket was not prejudiced when a police officer asked, “Where’s the gun?”
Friedlander reflects on half-century in law as retirement nears
Although he’s set to retire later this month, COA Judge Ezra “Zeke” Friedlander will continue to serve as a senior judge. Marion Superior Judge Robert Altice will be taking his place.
Letter to victim’s mother supports lesser misdemeanor charge
A defendant’s rambling letter to a victim’s mother was not enough to uphold his convictions for attempted obstruction of justice and invasion of privacy, but it was sufficient to support a lesser charge.
Pawnshop owner not victim of prosecutorial misconduct
A prosecutor’s comments to a witness about what would have been helpful did not shift the burden of producing evidence onto the defendant, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Guilty plea stands despite ineligibility for habitual charge
Although a man was wrongly charged as a habitual substance offender, the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the facts do not support his claim that his counsel was ineffective and he did not knowingly enter a guilty plea.
Reversal: VORP cannot be ordered in sentence
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday that offenders may not be ordered to participate in the Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program, reversing a sentence and remanding to the trial court for a restitution hearing.
Failure to read contract no protection against liability
A coal mine superintendent failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that he should not be held liable because he did not understand the contract he signed.