DTCI: Finding positives: Togetherness in social distancing
Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana member Megan Culp reflects on the positive things I’ve experienced during the COVID-19 crisis to give others a small distraction from the negatives.
Justices/Judges
Articles
Clinton Superior judge to return to bench after military deployment
The judge of the Clinton Superior Court will be back on the bench at the courthouse in Frankfort on Monday nearly a year after a senior judge was temporarily appointed to serve in his place while the sitting judge was deployed on military duty.
JNC to interview 13 to succeed Baker in May
A total of 13 candidates to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Indiana Court of Appeals will be interviewed in May, one month later than originally scheduled due to social distancing requirements to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Adams County drug court judge abused office, discipline charges say
A northeastern Indiana judge who intervened on behalf of an employee of his drug court in a dispute with other county officials over her benefits committed judicial misconduct, an agency of the Indiana Supreme Court alleged Friday.
Trial date postponed for alleged gunman in judges shooting
A trial that had been scheduled to begin next Monday has been continued until mid-April for the alleged gunman who plans to claim self-defense in the shooting of two southern Indiana judges last year.
Panel favors retention of all 13 Marion Superior judges
The Marion County Judicial Selection Committee has unanimously voted to recommend retention of all 13 Marion Superior judges whose names will be on the ballot in November.
Schumer: I ‘should not have used’ critical words on justices
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday he “should not have used the words I used” when he declared at a rally in front of the Supreme Court that two justices would “pay the price” for their decision in an abortion case.
Justices OK state charges for immigrants who use fake IDs
The Supreme Court made it easier Tuesday for states to prosecute immigrants who use fake Social Security numbers to get a job. The issue for the court was whether states could pursue the immigrants in court or had to leave those choices to the federal government, which typically has authority over immigration.
Roberts chides Schumer for ‘dangerous’ remarks on 2 justices
Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday criticized as “inappropriate” and “dangerous” comments that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer made outside the Supreme Court earlier in the day about Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Supreme Court divided in 1st big abortion case of Trump era
A seemingly divided Supreme Court struggled Wednesday with its first major abortion case of the Trump era, leaving Chief Justice John Roberts as the likely deciding vote.
Lawmakers honor retiring Judge Baker with jokes, well wishes
A staple of the Indiana judiciary for more than 40 years, Indiana Court of Appeals Judge John G. Baker was honored by members of the Legislature ahead of his impending retirement.
Judges portrayed as aggressors in gunman’s self-defense claim
Did Brandon Kaiser pull the trigger on two Indiana judges only after they attacked him and placed him in fear for his life? He claims in court filings they did. But even as the judges involved in the now-infamous brawl have retaken the bench after brief suspensions, video that could prove conclusive remains under a court seal.
Supreme Court will decide fate of Obama health care law
The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide a lawsuit that threatens the Obama-era health care law, but the decision is not likely until after the 2020 election.
For a historic high court pick, Dems must think outside box
Joe Biden is dangling a history-making promise shortly before South Carolina’s presidential primary Saturday, the first 2020 contest featuring a majority black electorate. Elect him president, Biden says, and he might nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court.
High court closes courthouse door on slain Mexican teen’s family
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 Tuesday to close the courthouse door on the parents of a Mexican teenager who was shot dead over the border by an American agent. The case tested a half-century-old Supreme Court decision that allows people to sue federal officials for constitutional violations.
Justices return for season of big decisions, amid campaign
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to issue campaign-season decisions in the full bloom of spring in cases dealing with President Donald Trump’s tax and other financial records, abortion, LGBT rights, immigration, guns, church-state relations and the environment.
Justice Thomas: Judges must uphold law, even when unpopular
Judges must resist the temptation to bend their rulings to personal racial, religious or partisan preferences and instead uphold the rule of law, even when that leads to unpopular decisions, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said in a recent speech.
Suspension recommendation casts further uncertainty on AG Hill’s future
The hearing officer presiding over the attorney discipline case against Attorney General Curtis Hill is recommending a 60-day suspension of Hill’s law license, without automatic reinstatement. But how that recommendation might affect Hill’s status as AG or his re-election campaign remains to be seen.
Clark Circuit Judge Adams apologizes for fight that led to his shooting
A southern Indiana judge is apologizing for a May 1 fight outside an Indianapolis fast-food restaurant during which he and another judge were shot and seriously wounded. The apology comes as Judge Andrew Adams is seeking re-election after pleading guilty to battery for his role in a shooting in which he and a fellow Clark Circuit judge were seriously injured.
Applications open for 3 Marion Superior Court vacancies
Applications are now being accepted for three upcoming judicial vacancies on the Marion Superior Court bench, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Friday.