Attorneys for the state of Indiana and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky filed a joint motion Tuesday requesting a federal judge make final her Dec. 3 ruling that found a 2013 law regulating nonsurgical abortion clinics violated the Equal Protection Clause.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Mishael Johnson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1404-CR-292
Criminal. Affirms two convictions of Class C felony child molesting.
Michael Hall v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1404-CR-256
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class C felony battery.
Lumaz L. Thompson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
45A04-1405-CR-243
Criminal. Affirms conviction and sentence for Class A felony voluntary manslaughter.
Indiana Court of Appeals
In the Matter of the Mental Health Proceedings of B.M. v. Indiana University Health Hospital
53A04-1405-MH-210
Mental health. Affirms order involuntarily committing B.M. to a mental health facility. The trial court’s finding that B.M. is a danger to others is supported by sufficient evidence. Judge Riley dissents with opinion.
Eighty-two law firm combinations were announced last year in the United States, a 7 percent decline from 2013’s 88 mergers, according to Altman Weil Inc.
A father who claimed his due process rights were violated when his daughter was adjudicated as a child in need of services before the conclusion of a fact-finding hearing won his appeal before the Court of Appeals Wednesday. But one judge believed that the trial court correctly found the girl to be a CHINS.
A panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals Wednesday was divided over whether sufficient evidence was presented to justify that a mentally ill man was a danger to himself or others and thus needed to be involuntarily committed.
A proposal to raise the mandatory retirement age for appellate judges from 75 to 80 narrowly advanced in the Indiana General Assembly Wednesday.
A House committee chairman says he hasn't decided if he'll allow a hearing on a proposal to end Indiana's long-running ban on retail stores selling alcohol on Sunday — the last of its kind in the nation.
Krieg DeVault LLP has elected four new members to join recently elected managing partner Deborah J. Daniels on the firm’s seven-member executive committee.
Finding the Indiana Civil Rights Commission overstepped its authority, the Indiana Supreme Court has vacated the organization’s final order regarding an “intra-group squabble” over a dinner menu.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Jennifer Suits v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1404-CR-219
Criminal. Affirms conviction for battery, as a Class B misdemeanor. Finds the police officer’s warrantless entry and subsequent search of Suits’ apartment did not violate her rights under the Fourth Amendment and Article 1, Section 11 on the Indiana Constitution. Concludes the state established the existence of exigent circumstances that led the police officer to reasonably determine that someone in the residence was in need of assistance.
Joseph C. Lehman v. Firstsource Advantage, LLC (NFP)
20A03-1312-CC-487
Civil collection. Affirms judgment in favor of Firstsource for $7,311.62 plus court costs.
Danny's Sports Bar Chicago Style Pizza v. Todd Schuman (NFP)
43A04-1407-CT-321
Civil tort. Affirms default judgment in Schuman’s favor for $68,216.40 plus interest. Finds the decision by one of the restaurant’s part owners to ignore Schuman’s lawsuit rather than contacting a lawyer or taking some action to defend the restaurant was not “excusable neglect” within the meaning of Trial Rule 60(B).
Indiana Supreme Court
Fishers Adolescent Catholic Enrichment Society, Inc. v. Elizabeth Bridgewater o/b/o Alyssa Bridgewater
93S02-1310-EX-704
Civil. Vacates the final order from the Indiana Civil Rights Commission regarding a dispute over a dinner menu. The commission had found that the Fishers Adolescent Catholic Enrichment Society Inc. did not discriminate against Bridgewater when it did not provide a special meal for her daughter who suffered from food allergies. However, the commission did rule that FACES did commit an unlawful discriminatory practice when it expelled the Bridgewater family from the group after they filed the disability discrimination complaint. The Supreme Court concluded because the activities of FACES fell outside education, the commission lacked the statutory authority to take any action other than the dismissal of these claims. Remands with instructions to grant the motion to dismiss filed by FACES on both claims. Justice Robert Rucker dissented, maintaining the commission does have the authority to act on the retaliation claim.
What a South Bend man said to another suspect while they were alone in the back of a police cruiser was recorded by an in-car video camera and properly presented to a federal jury, a panel of judges decided in a matter of first impression for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
When it comes to annexing nearby land, the city of Greenfield has a proposition that officials say sells itself.
Prominent criminal defense lawyer Alan Dershowitz has filed a detailed denial of a woman’s claims in a Miami federal court that he had sexual contact with her when she was underage in a case also involving Britain’s Prince Andrew.
Longtime executive director of the Office of Inspector General Cynthia Carrasco has been appointed Indiana inspector general, Gov. Mike Pence announced in a statement Tuesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11.
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush will deliver her first State of the Judiciary address before a joint session of the General Assembly next week.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
State Farm Life Insurance Co. v. Troy Jonas et al.
14-1464
Civil tort. Vacates judgment of District Court and remands with instructions to dismiss for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Finds no justiciable controversy existed when Jonas filed his lawsuit against State Farm. Concluded that the disputes about the rate of interest and whether the insurance company must pay the attorney fees that Jonas has incurred in this litigation do not retroactively create jurisdiction.
Legislation that supporters contend is needed to protect Indiana residents with strong religious beliefs by allowing them to refuse services for same-sex weddings is drawing fire from gay rights groups and others who say it would legalize discrimination.
Sen. James Buck is again pushing to increase the mandatory retirement age for Indiana appellate judges.