Mom loses appeal bid to remove judge in parenting time dispute
An Allen County mother who appealed the denial of her motion for a change of judge in a parenting-time dispute got no relief Wednesday from the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Juvenile Case
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Indiana appellate court upholds CHINS adjudication for New Jersey boy
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the adjudication of a New Jersey child as a child in need of services after finding the child’s mother waived her argument that an Indiana trial court lacked personal jurisdiction over her and her child.
COA upholds admission of fingerprint evidence in delinquency case
A Marion County teen will retain his delinquent adjudications for felony theft and robbery after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the trial court properly admitted fingerprint evidence tying the teen to the crimes in question.
Supreme Court to hear argument in Owen County
The Indiana Supreme Court will travel to southern Indiana later this month to hear an oral argument in Owen County. The court announced Thursday it will hear a case involving a 17-year-old’s reported suicide attempt.
Juvenile judge Moores on leave after riding accident
Marion Superior Judge Marilyn Moores has temporarily stepped down from her judicial duties after a horse riding accident left her with a broken leg that required three surgeries. Moores is undergoing three months or rehabilitation.
Holcomb signs 3 DCS-related bills, 5 others await action
A bill that would have given immunity to guardians ad litem and court appointed child advocates stalled in the Indiana House, but other measures covering foster parents and placing new requirements on the Indiana Department of Child Services all passed through the Statehouse with little or no opposition.
Divided COA reverses delinquency finding after school discipline
A divided Indiana Court of Appeals panel has reversed a delinquency finding against a high school student who vandalized school bathrooms, with each judge writing separately to share their views on how the increased presence of police officers in schools can impact the nature of school disciplinary proceedings.
12-year-old girl arrested after Indiana school threats
Authorities say a 12-year-old girl in Dugger has been arrested after making online threats toward students and staff at a school in rural western Indiana.
Sex offender statute to come before Supreme Court
A sex offender convicted in 2010 must make his case to the Indiana Supreme Court as to why a 2015 law should not bar him from attending his son’s school events after the high court granted the state’s petition to transfer the case last week.
COA affirms reversal of juvenile firearm adjudication
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld its decision to dismiss a firearm-related adjudication against a juvenile after granting the state’s petition for rehearing to address what the court called a fundamental misunderstanding of its original decision.
DCS consultant: Twice as many Hoosier kids out of home
A consultant hired by the state said Thursday Indiana has more than double the number of children in out-of-home care compared to the national average. The finding was among the highlights of an initial report commissioned by Gov. Eric Holcomb after the resignation of former Department of Child Services director Mary Beth Bonaventura.
Appellate court partially reverses delinquent gun adjudications
A teenager adjudicated as a delinquent on two handgun-related charges will have one of those adjudications reversed after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the true findings violated double jeopardy principles.
COA: Doctor’s CHINS testimony falls within hearsay exception
Testimony from a physician which supported the state’s effort to adjudicate six minor siblings as children in need of services was allowed under the hearsay exception, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Ex-DCS chief Bonaventura joins AG’s staff as special counsel
Former Indiana Department of Child Services Director Mary Beth Bonaventura will join the Indiana Attorney General’s Office as special counsel Monday, a move that comes less than a month after she resigned from her DCS post with a scathing resignation letter to Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Bill proposes court OK CHINS removal from foster care
A bill pending before an Indiana Senate committee would place additional requirements on the Department of Child Services before removing a child from long-term foster care, though DCS representatives object to the bill on the basis of court caseloads and child safety.
Divided COA upholds absentee juvenile delinquent adjudications
A divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld additional delinquency adjudications and findings of probation violations against a Lawrence County teen after determining the teen was in procedural default when he failed to appear for his fact-finding hearings. Chief Judge Nancy Vaidik, however, dissented on statutory grounds.
Justices consider delinquent adjudications for teen who threatened school
In the fall of 2015, a Seymour High School student began planning a “Columbine-style” attack on his school specifically targeting two students — a girl he had a crush on, and the other boy that girl liked. The plan was reported and foiled without any harm, but now the Indiana Supreme Court must decide whether delinquent adjudications imposed on the high school conspirator will stand.
New juvenile case type to be introduced
The Indiana Supreme Court will introduce a new case type into the state’s uniform case numbering system at the start of the new year.
COA vacates carrying a handgun without a license adjudication
A juvenile adjudicated as a delinquent for two handgun-related offenses will have one of those adjudications vacated after the Indiana Court of Appeals found a lack of statutory authority to support the adjudication.
Divided Supreme Court throws out juvenile’s LWOP sentence
In a 3-2 decision Tuesday, the Indiana Supreme Court reduced a life without parole sentence for an offender convicted of murder at 17, finding LWOP sentences should be reserved for the most “heinous” juvenile offenders. The dissenting justices, however, found the nature of the crime in question warranted a life sentence.