Judge awards $548K to estate of scammed Indiana veteran
A northern Indiana judge has awarded nearly a half-million dollars to the estate of a generous veteran who got scammed.
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Indiana landlord seeks Supreme Court’s help in land dispute
A northwestern Indiana landlord wants the U.S. Supreme Court to wade into his dispute with the city of Hammond and overturn a city order directing him to remove five apartments that he’s leased to tenants in what was once a single-family home. Jose Andrade, who argues that Hammond’s order violates his constitutional rights, has filed a petition for review with the nation’s highest court.
County council not in contempt for halted funding of war memorial, COA says
A Logansport World War I memorial home dedicated in 1922 was the cause for consternation in 2018 between a concerned citizen and local government officials as the home fell into disrepair. In resolving the dispute, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled partially for both parties.
Tax sale for which landowner wasn’t given notice reversed
The LaPorte County auditor’s failure to check records that would have revealed the actual address of a Michigan City property owner whose land was sold without notice for back taxes was a denial of constitutional due process, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. The appeals court reinstated the landowner’s challenge to the tax sale results and remanded the case.
FBI searches Muncie offices amid multi-year investigation
FBI agents have searched municipal offices in Muncie as part of a multi-year investigation into city government in the Delaware County community.
Insurer must pay almost $225K to state for clerk-treasurer fraud
A Dearborn County judge has entered a nearly $225,000 judgment in favor of the state and against an insurance company after a Dearborn County clerk-treasurer was convicted of wire fraud.
Tax Court reverses denial of Goshen library budget for $60 overage
The Indiana Tax court has reversed a decision that cut a Northern Indiana public library’s funding after it was found to be $60 over budget for the 2018 tax year. The tax court ruled the Department of Local Government Finance abused its discretion in its decision.
Allen County commissioners vote to ban swingers clubs
Commissioners in northeastern Indiana’s Allen County have voted to implement rules that would prohibit swingers clubs and other businesses involving live sex acts.
Court: Stealing official’s husband can’t gain from fraudulent land transfer
The husband of the former Owen County auditor, who was found to have purchased about $346,000 worth of personal items with county-issued credit cards, must repay the full amount of money he received from the sale of land that his wife fraudulently transferred to him.
Complex questions about justice center site safety concern prosecutor, public defender
Since the Marion County judges hired their own environmental consultant to review the remediation plans for the property where the new justice center is slated to be built, the Marion County prosecutor and public defender offices have started raising their own concerns about the level of contamination and safety of their workers.
Community Corrections worker shot, wounded during training
Authorities say a pretrial services coordinator in northeastern Indiana has been accidentally shot and wounded during a training exercise.
Judge blocks Fort Wayne ‘pay to play’ ordinance
An Allen County judge has enjoined Fort Wayne from enforcing an ordinance designed to curb “pay-to-play” arrangements that allegedly led to city contracts for businesses that contribute to local candidates’ campaigns.
Cass County auditor loses appeal of contempt finding
A Cass County elected official who refused to pay out a payroll voucher has failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn the local trial court’s imposition of a contempt finding against her.
Indiana prosecutor asks state police to investigate his office
The prosecutor in Vigo County says he’s fired the director of the child support division and asked for a police investigation of his office. But Prosecutor Terry Modesitt declined to offer details on the investigation, saying he wants to be “very generic” during an “ongoing investigation.”
Contamination at new Marion County justice center site raising concerns
An independent environmental assessment of the site for the new Marion County jail and courthouse has some judges questioning if the property will pose a health hazard to the people working and visiting the courts, but others are cautioning to not let fear dictate decision-making.
Carmel to take legal action against Lucas Estate in party controversy
Carmel plans to take legal action to stop Charlotte and Forrest Lucas from hosting events at their massive estate, the city announced in a press release Wednesday afternoon. The city said it plans to file requests for preliminary and permanent injunctions against the estate to prohibit the family from conducting a business at its private residential property.
Reversal: Floyd County loses title to criminal justice center over lease dispute
A split Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed the award to Floyd County of the title to its criminal justice center after concluding that the building authority that financed the center never had the authority to agree to certain provisions in its lease with the county.
Judgment for Brownsburg in water rate lawsuit upheld
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed judgment for the Town of Brownsburg in a water utility dispute after concluding two customers failed to exhaust their administrative remedies before suing the utility in courts.
Justices affirm $176K award of fees to Lake Superior Court judges
Indiana Supreme Court justices affirmed a special judge’s ruling that 14 Lake Superior Court judges are entitled to recover nearly $176,500 to pay court staff, ending a two-year dispute.
Mayor: Madison doesn’t want to be identified with Klan group
The mayor of Madison, Indiana, distancing his community from a local Ku Klux Klan group that is planning a rally in Ohio this month, saying the city doesn’t “stand for any kind of hate.”