County courts prepare for changes wrought by Legislature
State lawmakers cut nine judicial posts in four counties and added 8 judicial jobs in four others.
Lawrence County
Articles
3 Indiana officers justified in fatally shooting man who drove at officer, prosecutor says
Three southern Indiana police officers were justified when they shot and killed a man in September after he drove his car toward an officer who was on foot, a prosecutor says.
Termination order affirmed at COA
The Court of Appeals of Indiana has affirmed the termination of the parental rights of two parents with severe substance abuse issues, finding the issues that led to termination wouldn’t be remedied in the near future.
Justices to hear arguments Wednesday in ‘unprecedented revision’ of invasion of privacy sentence
The Indiana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday in a case involving a man who was convicted of 10 counts of misdemeanor invasion of privacy but whose sentence was sharply reduced by a split Court of Appeals of Indiana.
Split COA reduces man’s 3,000-day invasion of privacy sentence to less than 1 year
A man’s repeated letters to his ex-wife violated a no-contact order but did not warrant an aggregate sentence of 3,000 days for misdemeanor invasion of privacy, a split Court of Appeals of Indiana ruled Thursday.
COA affirms summary judgment for farmers in land dispute
The Court of Appeals of Indiana has affirmed summary judgment in favor of Lawrence County farmers in a property dispute.
Trial court erred in awarding damages to landlord, COA finds
A landlord was not entitled to damages and was ordered to return a security deposit after the Court of Appeals of Indiana found error at the trial court.
Former Lawrence Co. chief public defender resigns after deficient representation in rape case
The former chief public defender in Lawrence County has resigned from the Indiana bar after failing to effectively defend an accused rapist, including failing to take depositions of witnesses who had potentially exculpatory information.
2nd Lawrence Co. officer out of hospital after being shot
The second of two southern Indiana police officers shot during a weekend traffic stop has been released from a hospital, a local sheriff said Wednesday.
Police: Man fatally shot by Lawrence Co. cops fired several shots
A man who was fatally shot Sunday during an exchange of gunfire that left two southern Indiana law enforcement officers wounded had fired several shots before he was killed, police said.
2 Lawrence Co. officers shot, suspect dead after gunfire exchange
Two southern Indiana law enforcement officers were shot and wounded early Sunday during an exchange of gunfire with a suspect who fled a traffic stop on foot and fired at the officers before he was fatally shot, police said.
IN Supreme Court to hold oral arguments at Mitchell Opera House
Attorneys scheduled to appear before the Indiana Supreme Court on Oct. 26 are warming up their pipes as they prepare to argue before the court at the Mitchell Opera House when the justices take their work on the road.
RFRA defense fails to stop child abuse prosecution
A Lawrence County man tried to defend himself against child abuse charges by asserting his right to religious freedom, but the Court of Appeals of Indiana found the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act did not apply in his case because the prosecution demonstrated it had chosen the least restrictive means to advance the state’s compelling interest in protecting children.
COA has ‘little doubt’ state violated discovery rule in child molesting case
Bungled communications by law enforcement officials over whether a polygraph was admissible in court has resulted in the Court of Appeals of Indiana affirming the exclusion of the evidence against a defendant in a child molestation case and sanctions against the state.
COA reverses protective orders, remands classmates’ stalking case for judge’s improper comments
A pair of protective orders issued against two brothers by a classmate have been reversed after the Court of Appeals of Indiana determined the defendants weren’t given an impartial hearing and were denied due process by the Lawrence Circuit Court.
Ex-cop surrenders to face battery, misconduct charges
A former southern Indiana police officer has surrendered to authorities to face criminal charges of official misconduct, strangulation and battery for allegedly beating someone last year.
Couple facing TPR, felony charges for ‘biblical’ discipline suing DCS, using RFRA as defense
A southern Indiana couple facing both criminal charges and the termination of their parental rights due to allegations of unreasonable discipline against their children are seeking to use Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act to end, or at least pause, the litigation against them.
COA affirms felony auto theft conviction, habitual offender finding
A Lawrence County man has failed in his bid to overturn his auto theft conviction and habitual offender status, despite his argument that the ruling produced an improper double enhancement.
15 IU McKinney, Maurer students selected for third year of rural justice program
More than a dozen students from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and Indiana University Maurer School of Law will take part in a program for law students this summer to assist rural county judges.
Justices certify retiring jurists as new senior judges
Numerous longtime Indiana jurists were certified as first-time senior judges last week by the Indiana Supreme Court.