Johnson County - The Indiana Lawyer

Lawyer accused of theft from disabled held without bond amid new charges

October 2, 2018

A suspended Indiana lawyer accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from disabled and special needs clients was held without bond Tuesday in the Johnson County Jail after authorities in at least two counties had issued warrants for his arrest. Kenneth Shane Service was arrested Monday and is likely to remain behind bars until he’s transported to await court dates in three Indiana counties where he currently faces felony theft charges.

Termination of ex’s house payment obligation reversed

September 21, 2018

The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a decision that found an “ambiguous” dissolution settlement agreement made no indication as to the father’s child support obligations and that his payments for a mortgage and car would supplement them.

COA reversal: Total settlement must fund special-needs trust

July 26, 2018

The Indiana Court of Appeals found a trial court exceeded its authority and made errors of law when it ordered only $1 million into a special needs trust after a settlement of more than $17 million.

COA: Claims against employer, attorney made in bad faith

June 13, 2018

A man’s claims against a temporary employer and the employer’s attorney were properly dismissed, the Indiana Court of Appeals determined Wednesday, upholding a ruling in favor of the defendants.

Justices won’t hear Johnson County public defender suit

May 30, 2018

The Indiana Supreme Court has denied transfer to a case challenging the constitutionality of Johnson County’s contract-based public defender system, a decision one of the attorneys representing county defendants said was disappointing and cowardly.

Lawsuit challenges court fees 4 Indiana counties charge

May 3, 2018

A new lawsuit is taking aim at the service fees four Indiana counties charge people when they file lawsuits in Hamilton, Johnson, Marion and Wayne counties.

COA: Bomb threat still evacuates closed courthouse

April 26, 2018

A man convicted of intimidation for threatening to blowup a courthouse failed to persuade the Indiana Court of Appeals that he did not want to evacuate the building because he made the calls when he knew the place would be empty.

Man on the lam for 3 decades recaptured after crash glitch

March 2, 2018

An inmate who walked away from a southern Indiana prison more than 30 years ago is back in custody after being injured in a central Indiana car crash.

Franklin attorney suspended for OWI

January 22, 2018

A Franklin attorney who came to court under the influence and was later arrested for driving while intoxicated has been suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for at least one year.

COA affirms dismissal of Johnson County public defender suit

December 29, 2017

A case challenging the constitutionality of Johnson County’s contract-based public defender system will not proceed after the Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday upheld the dismissal of the case against several Johnson County judges, attorneys and commissioners.

COA affirms defamation verdict but tosses punitive damages

December 28, 2017

The Indiana Court of Appeals deconstructed a tangle of lawsuits erupting over allegations of theft of more than $1 million from a home building company and ruled that although the accused was found to have breached his fiduciary duty and wrongly taken money, he was still defamed by his accuser.

COA hears challenge to Johnson County public defender system

December 8, 2017

As a statewide task force begins the process of analyzing deficiencies in Indiana’s indigent defense services, a group of Johnson County criminal defendants sought to keep alive a lawsuit against their court-appointed public defenders. The defendants Thursday urged the Indiana Court of Appeals to reinstate their suit alleging ineffective assistance of counsel before their cases have concluded.

Indiana police probe possible suspect in Delphi girls’ killings

September 29, 2017

Indiana investigators are looking into whether a man arrested in Colorado for allegedly threatening people along a hiking trail with a hatchet could be linked to the February killing of two teenage hikers in Delphi.

Holcomb appoints Indianapolis attorney as Johnson Superior judge

September 6, 2017

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has appointed an Indianapolis attorney with 30 years of experience to fill a vacancy on the Johnson County bench.

Lawn-mowing Indiana man charged in neighbor shooting spat

July 21, 2017

An Indianapolis-area man who was wounded when an argument with a neighbor escalated into across-the-fence gunfire has been charged in the shooting.

Failure to sign order sends dog dispute back to court

May 30, 2017

Noting the plaintiff may want to let a sleeping dog lie, the Indiana Court of Appeals remanded a decision to the trial court, finding the judge had not signed the order awarding custody of a dog named Snickers.

Family of dead Indiana man sues, claiming stun gun overuse

May 24, 2017

The family of an Indiana man who died after police repeatedly used a stun gun on him filed a lawsuit Tuesday asserting that his constitutional rights were violated in an unprovoked "brutal and deadly assault."

Johnson County judge temporarily transferred

April 5, 2017

The Johnson Circuit Court judge will be temporarily transferred to the county’s Superior Court later this month when Superior Judge Cynthia S. Emkes retires.

Supreme Court issues public reprimand against Johnson County prosecutor

March 27, 2017

A Johnson County prosecutor accused of violating professional rules of conduct through comments reported in the press has been publicly reprimanded by the Indiana Supreme Court.

Hearing officer urges reprimand for Johnson County prosecutor

January 27, 2017

The Indiana Supreme Court should limit its discipline of Johnson County Prosecutor Bradley Cooper to a public reprimand, the hearing officer presiding over his case recommends.

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