Indiana Court of Appeals - The Indiana Lawyer

Saying goodbye: Baker to retire after more than 40 years as a judge

June 24, 2020 | Olivia Covington

It wasn’t quite the retirement he expected. With COVID-19 forcing most of the population to work from home, Court of Appeals Judge John Baker quietly visited the Indiana Statehouse in early June to pack up his chambers. Though he won’t officially retire until July 31, he decided to close out his Indianapolis office early, without the usual pomp and circumstance of a sendoff. “I wanted to work from home,” Baker said with a laugh, “but I didn’t mean for everyone else in the world to have to do it.”

Indiana Court Decisions – June 4–17, 2020

June 24, 2020

Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.

Dreyer: Judge John Baker — A ‘listening’ kind of justice

June 24, 2020 | David J. Dreyer

As his judging life comes to a crossroads, Judge John Baker sees similarities between his first days in small claims court and his last days now on the Court of Appeals.

Sharply divided Supreme Court sides with smartphone owner in self-incrimination case

June 23, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A harshly split Indiana Supreme Court has ruled 3-2 in favor of a woman who was found in contempt for refusing to unlock her smart phone in a criminal investigation. A majority of the high court reversed the contempt order, holding in a landmark ruling that forcing her to unlock her iPhone would violate her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Second round of interviews announced for coming COA vacancy

June 23, 2020 | IL Staff

Seven semifinalists vying for the Indiana Court of Appeals judicial vacancy left by retiring Judge John Baker will be interviewed in person by the Judicial Nominating Commission on July 1. The interviews come after 13 applicants were interviewed remotely earlier this month.

COA affirms driver waived claims of error in car accident case

June 22, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a jury’s verdict in a car accident dispute, finding the driver determined most at fault has waived his claims of error.

Battery convictions sustained for man who burned child

June 22, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A man convicted of burning his girlfriend’s child could not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Monday that his several convictions of battery subjected him to double jeopardy.

COVID-19 relief in Indiana appellate courts extended

June 22, 2020 | IL Staff

Relief from deadlines in court cases affected by the coronavirus pandemic has been extended by a joint order of the Indiana Supreme Court and the Indiana Court of Appeals issued Friday.

COA affirms denial of mother’s premature motion to modify child custody

June 18, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A mother who fought to modify custody of her two children before the court entered her dissolution decree has had her request rejected by the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Appeals court remands for sentencing order to reflect not guilty verdict

June 18, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A sentencing order that failed to account for a man’s not guilty verdict prompted a remand from the Indiana Court of Appeals on Thursday to fix the omission.

COA vacates man’s post-sentence probation fees order

June 17, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals has vacated an order requiring a man to pay more than $300 in probation fees after concluding that it was erroneous for the trial court to accept, post-sentencing, the imposition of such fees based on a probation department memo.

3-year sentence affirmed for woman who drove after lifetime ban

June 17, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A woman who was found driving in violation of the lifetime forfeiture of her driver’s license could not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday that her sentence was inappropriate.

COA affirms for daughters against late father’s wife in will dispute

June 16, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

Two daughters who claimed their father was of unsound mind when he executed a purported will and that his new wife tortiously interfered with their inheritance won a judgment against her from the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Indiana Supreme Court remands Bayer birth control defect case to COA

June 12, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

The Indiana Court of Appeals will need to go back and consider the viability of each claim brought by more than 30 women who sued a medical company over one of its birth control products, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered on Friday.

Hoosier concrete company secures reversal on Ohio collection judgment

June 11, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

Judgment has been reversed for an Indiana concrete leveling company after the Indiana Court of Appeals found an Ohio judgment of more than $155,000 entered against the company is void due to lack of personal jurisdiction.

COA again reverses for ex-wife in dispute over late husband’s will

June 11, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

An Indiana Court of Appeals panel has again reversed for a woman who claimed her ex-husband did not die intestate, holding that a probate court did not engage in the proper analysis to determine whether she rebutted whether the man destroyed his will with the intent to revoke it.

JNC hears from additional applicants before selecting COA semi-finalists

June 11, 2020 | Olivia Covington

With seven semifinalists named, the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission is preparing for a second round of interviews with candidates who are seeking to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Indiana Court of Appeals.

7 COA candidates advance to second round of interviews

June 10, 2020 | Olivia Covington

The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission has selected seven of 13 candidates to advance to the next round of interviews as the commission works to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Appellate panel affirms dismissal of quadriplegic’s complaint against insurer

June 10, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A man rendered a quadriplegic after a serious car wreck was unable to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday that his amended complaint was wrongly dismissed. The decision leaves in limbo collection of a $21 million jury award in favor of the injured man.

First remote interviews for COA vacancy held amid pandemic

June 10, 2020 | Olivia Covington

In a first for Indiana, applicants seeking to join the state’s appellant bench were interviewed remotely Wednesday. After multiple continuations, the seven-member Judicial Nominating Commission logged in to Zoom on Wednesday morning to hold 20-minute interviews with candidates seeking to succeed retiring Court of Appeals Judge John Baker.

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