Clark County prosecutor stepping down after 25 years
After serving as the Clark County prosecutor for 25 years — the longest term of a prosecutor in the county's history — Steve Stewart is moving on to new challenges.
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2014 Year in Review
This year could be described as a historic one for Indiana. The state's ban on gay marriage was overturned by the courts, and, for the first time, a woman was chosen as chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. In fact, women are leading most of the courts in Indiana. In 2014, we saw changes in the law schools, a new criminal code implemented, and attorneys in trouble with the court and the law. (Remember the attorney who doesn't like to wear socks?)
YIR: Notable attorneys announce retirements
John D. Tinder (IL file photo) Three big names in the Indiana legal community announced in 2014 that they would be retiring, although one judge’s decision got out before he was ready to make it public. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge John D. Tinder will retire in 2015 when he turns 65. That news […]
E-filing, reporting of pro bono hours starting in 2015
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order in May for state courts to begin the transition to e-filing in 2015. Indiana has some experience with e-filing. Marion and Lake counties, the state’s two most populous, have had pilot projects in place for years since the Supreme Court authorized them in 2006. Those pilots will continue. […]
Award for HIPAA violation raises liability concerns
A Marion County jury award of $1.4 million upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals in November was called a “game-changer” for health care providers whose employees handle private medical information, according to one attorney. Abigail Hinchy was awarded the million-dollar verdict after her ex-boyfriend’s then-girlfriend, who was a Walgreen pharmacist, accessed her drug records […]
IndyBar: Getting Along Is Not Wrong: Ask Yourself the Question
Holly Wanzer shares some of the best advice she’s received regarding civility.
YIR: Class action alleges civil rights violations by Clark drug court
Forty people who participated in the Clark County Drug Court say they were allowed to languish in jail without a hearing, attorney or other due process. The participants filed a lawsuit, which was certified as a class action in September. Plaintiffs include Destiny Hoffman, who furnished a diluted drug screen and was sanctioned with a […]
YIR: Judge tosses Marion Superior judicial election system
Speaking of Marion Superior Court, the way those judges have been elected since the 1970s may be about to change. In October, a federal judge ruled the Marion Superior judicial election system is unconstitutional. Marion County is the only Indiana county that uses the unique hybrid method of trial judge selection. The method was instituted […]
Abrams: For the in-house attorneys
I recently led a panel discussion among three in-house attorneys, J. Scott Enright with Emmis Communications, Ann Dee with Duke Realty and Chad Pryor with HighPoint Global. The panel was convened in coordination with a corporate counsel survey conducted by the Indiana Lawyer and co-sponsored by Benesch.
YIR: Justices want Marion County Small Claims Courts in with Superior Court
In September, the Indiana Supreme Court recommended abolishing the current system used for Marion County Small Claims Courts and unifying them with the Superior Court’s Civil Division effective Jan. 1, 2016. The system is unique in the state, with the nine townships in Marion County each having a court. The recommendation comes on the heels […]
Unusual punishment: Watch what you say, and wear socks
A Crown Point attorney’s discipline in April made headlines, with some fearful the ruling would have a chilling effect on lawyers everywhere. Tim Kelly received a private reprimand for testimonials that appeared on the Law Tigers website, over which he had no content control. “The grievances that formed the basis for the disciplinary action came […]
IndyBar: Criminal Justice Section Honors Colleagues at Holiday Party
Members of the IndyBar Criminal Justice Section took time to recognize the contributions and achievements of several of their colleagues at the section’s holiday party, held Thursday, Dec. 18 at J. Edgar Law Offices.
YIR: Bad barristers pay price for legal misdeeds
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: an Indiana attorney accused of stealing potentially millions from his clients is criminally charged and resigns from the bar. No, it’s not William Conour (more on him in a minute); 2014’s version is Valparaiso attorney Clark W. Holesinger. Holesinger was charged in February in Porter County with […]
YIR: 2 law schools welcome new deans while a third experiences abrupt departure
Parrish Indiana’s law schools saw new leadership this year when Austen Parrish joined Indiana University Maurer School of Law in January and Andrea Lyon joined Valparaiso University Law School in July. Parrish came to Bloomington from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, where he served as the school’s interim dean for 16 months. John Applegate, […]
IndyBar: Blomquist Honored with Antoinette Dakin Leach Award
Each year, the IndyBar Women and the Law Division presents the Antoinette Dakin Leach Award to recognize the accomplishments of a female attorney in central Indiana. The award is named in honor of Antoinette Dakin Leach, one of the first women admitted to the Indiana Bar.
YIR: Indy mayor proposes new criminal justice complex
A rendering of the criminal justice center by winning bidder WMB Heartland Justice Partners. (IL file photo) In December 2013, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and city and court officials announced a plan to build a $500 million criminal justice complex in Marion County to house the courts, jails and other offices in one location. Currently, […]
YIR: Overhaul of criminal code takes effect
A landmark event occurred July 1 when Indiana began implementing its new criminal code, the first major overhaul of the massive statute in more than 35 years. Prosecutors, public defenders and judges around the state attended special seminars, updated computer programs and read through the new criminal code in preparation for the switch. Many said […]
YIR: Rush to the top
Loretta Rush, the state’s second female justice, was selected Aug. 6 to replace Justice Brent Dickson as chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. She is the first woman to serve in the position. Her ascent to the top of the state courts came less than two years after she joined the high court. Her […]
YIR: Same-sex marriage becomes legal in state
On June 25, Chief Judge Richard Young in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana found the state’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, sending a rush of couples to clerk’s offices around the state to apply for marriage licenses and get married. But the euphoria gays and lesbians felt quickly subsided. Some […]