Bill expands merit selection
Lawmakers consider election vs. selection of Superior county judges in Lake County.
Justices/Judges
Articles
Ind. magistrate judge to chair Federal Judicial Center committee
U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker has been appointed by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to serve as chair of the Federal Judicial Center’s U.S. Magistrate Judge Education Advisory Committee.
Social Security income shouldn’t be considered in restitution orders
Dealing with an issue of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that Social Security income must be excluded when considering a defendant’s ability to pay restitution.
NCAA championship ticket distribution not a lottery
The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s ticket-distribution plan for championship games doesn’t constitute a “lottery” under Indiana law, the Indiana Supreme Court decided Thursday. The issue was before the justices as certified questions from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Kissing a sleeping victim doesn’t constitute sexual battery
A victim being asleep isn’t equivalent to a mental disability or deficiency for purposes of the sexual battery statute, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday.
UPDATE: Hamilton Superior judge surprised by case resolution
In all his years on the bench, Hamilton Superior Judge William J. Hughes said he hasn’t experienced what he did this week as a defendant in a North Carolina court.
Hamilton County judge pleads guilty to reckless driving
Longtime Hamilton Superior Judge William J. Hughes pleaded guilty Monday in a North Carolina court, avoiding a drunken driving conviction for a lesser count of reckless driving that means a year of unsupervised probation.
Judge argues state must prove actual endangerment
The Indiana Court of Appeals split Monday regarding a man’s conviction of misdemeanor operating while intoxicated, with Judge Terry Crone arguing the statute requires the state to prove actual endangerment of the driver or others, not just the possibility of it.
Court splits on standard used to modify custody
Even though the trial court departed from established statutory procedures by using the “best interests” standard to modify physical custody, the majority of Indiana Court of Appeals judges affirmed the lower court’s decision.
Judges discuss fundamental error, ineffective trial counsel assistance
Fundamental error and prejudice for ineffective assistance of trial counsel present two substantively different questions, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded Thursday in a post-conviction case.
COA: Attorney entitled to lien on former client’s file
An attorney doesn’t have to produce documentation of the amount of money a former client owes in order to have a valid retaining lien, ruled the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Judges affirm retroactive application of amendments to blood draw statute
Applying 2010 statutory amendments governing chemical tests for evidence of intoxication to a case of a man charged in 2009 with driving while intoxicated didn’t violate the prohibitions against ex post facto criminal sanctions, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday.
Judges disagree on whether landowners are ‘aggrieved’
Jurists on the Indiana Court of Appeals disagreed on an issue of first impression about what an “aggrieved” party is when it comes to filing a mandate or injunction against a water conservancy district under state statute.
Kimbrough Bar Association to honor state’s African-American judges
The James C. Kimbrough Bar Association will salute Indiana’s African-American members of the judiciary on April 21.
State responsible for costs in relocating Medicaid patients
Indiana Family and Social Services must reimburse an Arcadia, Ind., long-term care facility for the costs the facility paid in caring for Medicaid patients after FSSA ended its provider agreement based on the conditions at the facility, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Judges divided on calculation of damages after negligence
The Indiana Court of Appeals was split in deciding whether an estate received the correct amount of damages from the Indiana Patients’ Compensation Fund. One judge believed the trial court used an incorrect approach for calculating damages because the deceased man had at least a 50 percent chance of survival before the medical negligence.
Court tackles ‘sexual activity’ meaning in statute
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals addressed Thursday the term “sexual activity” – an issue in which there is scant law – and ordered a man be acquitted. The man was convicted under federal statute for attempting to entice a girl he believed to be less than 18 years old to engage in any sexual activity while they chatted online.
Judges affirm denial of post-conviction relief
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a man’s petition for post-conviction relief claiming ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel. The man failed to introduce the original trial transcript at his post-conviction hearing and the post-conviction court didn’t take judicial notice of the record, as it’s now able to do under an amended Indiana Evidence Rule.
Judge dismisses civil forfeiture suit against state prosecutors
A Marion Superior judge has tossed a lawsuit against 78 county prosecutors being accused of breaking the law by not turning over seized assets from criminals to a school construction fund. In doing so, the judge expressed concern about the lack of reasoning and consistency demonstrated by prosecutors throughout the state.
Federalist Society to host national ethics expert for lecture
Edward Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., will lecture about “Lessons of the Sotomayor and Kagan Confirmation Processes: The Political Triumph of Judicial Conservatism,” from noon to 2 p.m. April 14. The lecture, hosted by the Indianapolis chapter of The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, will be at the Conrad hotel, 50 W. Washington St., Indianapolis.