Longest-serving Lake Superior judge takes leave
The longest-serving Lake Superior judge is stepping aside, at least temporarily, effective today, according to an order of the Indiana Supreme Court.
Lake County
Articles
Stopped traffic snarls purse snatcher’s getaway scheme
Although the getaway car moved only a few feet after being stopped by police, a man in the passenger seat still was properly convicted of resisting law enforcement because he instructed the driver of the car to “take off.”
Man extradited from Wyoming on many charges not denied speedy trial
A man who twice escaped incarceration in Indiana and was extradited to face a multitude of charges after he was convicted in Wyoming failed to convince appellate judges he had been denied a speedy trial.
Appeals panel reinstates claims of capacity, undue influence in trust dispute
A family feud involving half-siblings contesting the trust bequeathed by their mother was improperly disposed of through summary judgment, a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
Refusal to remove biased board member ends potential administrative remedies
After finding that the exhaustion of administrative remedies was excused for a company seeking to operate a stone quarry because a drainage board member was biased against the project, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled the trial court acquired subject matter jurisdiction and properly denied the board member’s motion to dismiss.
Supreme Court kicks ‘buyer beware’ vs. disclosure case back to trial court
A Lake County dispute over whether a buyer or seller is responsible for a few thousand dollars worth of home defects is headed back to the trial court after a divided Indiana Supreme Court ordered a legal do-over.
Weinberger cases settle for $55M
Hundreds of patients of a former Merrillville ear, nose and throat doctor serving a seven-year federal sentence for health-care fraud will be compensated for their medical malpractice claims through a $55 million settlement.
Stefaniak to become new Lake County juvenile court judge
Judge Thomas Stefaniak will take over the juvenile court in Lake County, ending a months-long dispute over the judgeship that involved the intervention of the Indiana Supreme Court.
Justices block Schiralli’s Lake County bench transfer
The Indiana Supreme Court blocked the transfer of a judge who sought to replace former Lake Superior Juvenile Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura after her appointment to head the Department of Child Services.
Father’s testimony at molestation trial not fundamental error
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a Lake County man’s conviction of Class C felony child molesting, rejecting the defendant’s claims that some of the victim’s father’s testimony at trial resulted in fundamental error.
Sullivan: Mediation between Lake County judges, magistrates fails
Mediation ordered by the Indiana Supreme Court failed to settle a dispute among Lake County judges over a juvenile court vacancy, according to a report filed Wednesday by the former justice who tried to resolve the matter.
Drug court road trip to make northern Indiana stops
A national tour highlighting the successes of drug courts and other problem-solving courts will make stops at two northern Indiana drug courts this month.
Women Lawyers Association to honor Rush, female jurists
The Lake County-based Women Lawyers Association will pay tribute to Indiana Justice Loretta Rush, the state’s second female justice, during a reception next month.
Lake County bench brawl
Mediation is ordered as the fight over Bonaventura vacancy goes public and exposes strife.
Lake County murder conviction affirmed
A Lake Superior trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to give an accused murderer’s proposed jury instruction regarding the presumption of innocence, the Indiana Court of Appeals held.
Disciplinary commission seeks suspension of former clerk’s law license
More than a month after former Lake County clerk Thomas R. Philpot was sentenced to serve 18 months for theft and mail fraud convictions, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has requested his law license be suspended by the Supreme Court.
Sullivan to mediate Lake Superior judge dispute
Former Justice Frank Sullivan will mediate a dispute over a Lake Superior Court judgeship vacancy, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered Monday.
Judges reduce sentence due to ineffective trial counsel
The Indiana Court of Appeals Wednesday ordered a Lake Superior court to resentence a man to 23 years for his convictions stemming from a drunken-driving accident that killed another man. Joseph Scott’s trial attorney was ineffective because he failed to inform Scott of the correct maximum sentence he could face.
Lake County judge pro tem appointed to fill Bonaventura vacancy
Senior Judge Thomas W. Webber Sr. was appointed a judge pro tem late Friday as the Indiana Supreme Court intervened further in a controversy over who will be the next judge of the Lake Superior Court Juvenile Division.
Supreme Court blocks Lake Superior judge’s transfer bid
The Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon issued an emergency order preventing a Lake County judge from taking over the vacancy created when a fellow judge was tapped to lead the Department of Child Services.