Supreme Court to hear arguments in classmates’ personal injury damages dispute
The case involved the amount of damages Sydney Renner was entitled to after a 2016 accident that left her with a concussion.
Indiana Court of Appeals
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Son loses appeal of felony battery conviction against mother
The case stems from a physical altercation between Michael McMillen and his mother, Leshia Beers, in their Lafayette home in February 2020.
COA rules for homeowners who argued neighbors’ pole barn violated neighborhood covenants
Morgan County homeowners who challenged a pole barn that violated their neighborhood’s covenants weren’t required to challenge every neighborhood violation to bring their case against the barn, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
Counterclaim in Hendricks County CAFO fight tossed by trial court
With a simple “no,” the Hendricks Superior Court uprooted a pair of counterclaims that sprouted from nearly six years of litigation between long-time neighbors over a concentrated animal feeding operation that called into question the constitutionality of Indiana’s Right to Farm Act and asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a review.
Protective order against ‘ruthless’ social media attacker upheld
D.V. filed for a protective order in December 2019, testifying that she’d been forced to change her phone number because of P.D.’s tactics and saying she felt “scared” and “desperate.” The Tippecanoe Superior Court granted the protective order.
COA: Bar in Franklin had duty to protect patron after being told of prior altercation
BoJak’s Bar and Grille owed a duty to a patron who was “sucker punched” by another patron even after warning bar security about tensions between the two men, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
COA candidates field questions on everything from judicial philosophy to pandemic
As in years past, commissioners asked candidates about their judicial philosophies, their thoughts on criminal justice reform and their views on the role of the court in society.
Hendricks County hog-farm fight gets even messier
Plaintiffs assert the defendants are pursuing litigation to retaliate and deter the Hoosier Environmental Council from helping residents of rural communities push back against “the powerful livestock industry” and protect themselves from the pollution caused by factory farms.
COA upholds admission of evidence from challenged pat-down search
A police officer was justified in conducting a search of Christian Jamar Triblet after seeing a bulge on the right side of his pants that was larger than a mobile phone, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday, affirming a lower court ruling denying Triblet’s motion to suppress evidence.
Mother who moved son out of state without permission loses custody, contempt appeal
A mother who took her son from Indiana to Virginia without his father’s knowledge or the court’s permission has lost her appeals of orders finding her in contempt and awarding physical custody of her child to his father.
High court to hear arguments in LWOP case for teen convicted of killing brother
A man convicted as a teen of killing his 10-year-old brother is headed back to the Indiana Supreme Court, this time on the state’s appeal of an order for a new sentencing hearing in the life-without-parole case.
Commission announces second round of interviews for Kirsch vacancy
The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission will reconvene next month for a full day of interviews with the 12 candidates vying to succeed Judge James Kirsch on the Indiana Court of Appeals.
COA: No-contact order didn’t protect deceased victim
No-contact orders cannot be issued to protect dead people, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Friday reversal for a man who sent an apology letter to a deceased person he previously committed fraud against.
Town workers who claim their conversations were illegally recorded lose appeal
The case involves New Carlisle municipal employees who alleged city officials spied on them and violated the Indiana Wiretap Act.
Grandfather loses appeal of molesting conviction against granddaughter
The grandfather had argued that a video of his granddaughter’s statement published at his trial was impermissible hearsay.
Mom of child with special needs loses appeal over termination of parental rights
C.W.’s parental rights were terminated in October 2020. She appealed, but the Court of Appeals has affirmed.
Reversal: Tax deed holder entitled to summary judgment in ownership dispute
A dispute over a misspelled name that led to two entities both thinking they owned an Indianapolis property has been resolved in favor of the entity holding the tax deed.
COA strikes down law limiting depositions of alleged child sex abuse victims
The law enacted in 2020 received widespread support from lawmakers and prosecutors but had been challenged by the defense bar.
Trial court lacked jurisdiction in Florida dispute between professor, Russian bank
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that a state trial court lacked jurisdiction to rule on a motion to quash in a Florida lawsuit involving an Indiana University professor and a Russian bank allegedly involved in a 2016 political hacking scandal.
Judicial Nominating Commission concludes first round of interviews to succeed Kirsch
The 12 semifinalists, who are proceeding to another round of interviews, shared their judicial philosophies during interviews last week.