Divided high court affirms DNA unnecessary to establish paternity
Indiana Supreme Court justices split 3-2 in affirming that DNA evidence is not required to establish paternity.
Indiana Supreme Court
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Justices uphold ruling for insurer in negligence claim
Homeowners’ claims after a fire that their insurer was negligent because a policy didn’t fully cover replacement costs was time-barred because the policy limits were discoverable at the time the policy was issued, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
State seeks further discipline against suspended lawyer Paul Page
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has filed a complaint against suspended Indianapolis attorney and developer Paul Page that could result in further sanctions against his law license.
Justices strike down partial consecutive sentences
Indiana trial court judges do not have discretion to impose partial consecutive sentences, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
Three-way opinion affirms marijuana conviction
Three Court of Appeals judges each wrote opinions but affirmed a Grant County man’s conviction of Class D felony possession of marijuana.
Justices reverse denial of car dealership’s motion to set aside default judgment
Because a car dealership and its registered agent did not receive notice of a hearing on default judgment, the judgment entered against it was void for want of jurisdiction, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled.
Divided court upholds principal’s conviction of failure to report child abuse
A split Indiana Supreme Court Thursday upheld a misdemeanor failure to report child abuse conviction against former Muncie Central High School principal Christopher Smith. The dissent believed the state failed to show he had reason to believe an alleged rape was child abuse.
Justices reverse termination of parental rights in 2 cases
In two short, per curiam decisions, the Indiana Supreme Court found the parental rights of two Marion County parents should not have been terminated because of due process violations after the magistrate who heard their cases resigned before reporting recommended findings and conclusions.
Two traffic stops and two motions to suppress result in two different rulings
A pair of opinions from the Indiana Supreme Court examines two Terry stops made by police officers and through opposite rulings emphasizes law enforcement must have reasonable suspicion to pull over a driver.
Justices take post-conviction relief case
The Indiana Supreme Court will review the reduction from a Class B felony to a Class D felony of a man’s conviction of criminal confinement.
Public comment invited on Indiana’s child support guidelines
The Domestic Relations Committee of the Indiana Judicial Conference is soliciting public input concerning recommendations for changes to the state’s child support guidelines.
Justices affirm ‘safe harbor’ in Juvenile Mental Health Statute
A juvenile sex offender’s statements in a polygraph test during probation that he molested two more children may not form the sole basis to prove delinquency, the Indiana Supreme Court held Friday in affirming a trial court and rejecting the state’s appeal.
Convictions stand related to ‘upskirt’ photographs of teens
The Indiana Supreme Court has upheld the attempted child exploitation convictions of a man who used a camera to take pictures up females' skirts at an Indianapolis mall.
Valparaiso attorney charged with stealing $1.6M resigns
A Valparaiso attorney charged with five counts of theft for allegedly stealing more than $1.6 million from business clients he represented has resigned from the Indiana bar.
Justices take 4 cases
The Indiana Supreme Court accepted four cases on transfer last week, which included a decision on a first impression issue on whether third-party carriers are included in the statute regarding filing proposed medical malpractice complaints.
Committee seeks comment on potential court rule changes
The Indiana Supreme Court Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure would like to hear from judges, attorneys and the general public on proposed changes to the Indiana Rules of Court.
Justices: Mother entitled to attorney during CHINS proceedings
Because a mother was denied her statutory right to counsel during the course of child in need of services proceedings, and those proceedings directly flowed into the action to terminate her parental rights and adopt out her child, the Indiana Supreme Court vacated the judgment terminating her parental rights.
Injured bus driver entitled to $25,000 under his insurance policy
The Indiana Supreme Court Thursday held that a man can recover the remaining $25,000 available to him under his underinsured motorist policy because he did not receive the full statutory minimum of $50,000 from the tortfeasor’s insurer.
Justices uphold order criminal defendant answer civil complaint
The Indiana Supreme Court Wednesday found a Lake Superior judge did not abuse her discretion in ordering a man criminally charged for the hit-and-run death of a woman to respond to her estate’s wrongful death complaint filed against him.
Justices order COA to consider man’s appeal
A man’s appeal of his aggravated battery convictions should proceed to the Indiana Court of Appeals even though the issue of restitution remains unresolved, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday.