Articles

Opinions Feb. 28, 2014 ILD

Indiana Court of Appeals
Eddie Hughes v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A04-1307-CR-334
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class A misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Terry Lee Duckworth v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A02-1307-CR-582
Criminal. Affirms sentence for Class D felony sexual battery.

In the Matter of the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of Q.L. and M.L., M.F., Jr., and N.L. v. Indiana Department of Child Services (NFP)
02A03-1308-JT-344
Juvenile. Affirms termination of parental rights.

Debra Sue Miles v. State of Indiana (NFP)
82A01-1304-CR-179
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class A felony dealing in methamphetamine.

Joy Elaine Gwinn v. Harry J. Kloeppel & Associates, Inc (NFP)
33A04-1306-CT-307
Civil tort. Reverses summary judgment in favor of Harry J. Kloeppel & Associates on Gwinn’s claim for negligence.

Mario Sims, Sr., and Tiffiny Sims, et al. v. The Bank of New York Mellon f/k/a The Bank of New York as Trustee for the Certificate Holders CWABS, Inc., et al. (NFP)
71A03-1305-MF-261
Mortgage foreclosure. Affirms summary judgment in favor of the bank on its complaint to foreclose on its mortgage.

Scott Logan v. State of Indiana (NFP)
20A05-1304-CR-192
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class C felony child molestation.

D.K. v. State of Indiana (NFP)
08A02-1308-JV-734
Juvenile. Affirms finding that D.K. committed what would be Class A misdemeanor battery if committed by an adult.

Alonzo Golston Williams III v. State of Indiana (NFP)
18A02-1307-CR-624
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class D felony intimidation.

David Ball v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A04-1308-CR-416
Criminal. Affirms sentence following guilty plea to Class D felony possession of a controlled substance.

Joshua Basey v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A05-1303-CR-138
Criminal. Affirms convictions of Class B felony aggravated battery and Class C felony criminal confinement in bodily injury.

James A. Lynn v. State of Indiana (NFP)
70A04-1307-CR-317
Criminal. Affirms convictions and sentence for Class B felony burglary and Class D felony theft.

Deion Taylor v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A05-1307-CR-340
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class A misdemeanor invasion of privacy.

Stewart Gase v. State of Indiana (NFP)
01A02-1306-PC-530
Post conviction. Affirms denial of petition for post-conviction relief.

Leon Rice, Inc. v. Review Board of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Roger Anderson (NFP)
93A02-1306-EX-477
Agency action. Affirms determination that Anderson is eligible for unemployment benefits.

Johnny Leon Burchett v. State of Indiana (NFP)
73A01-1303-CR-97
Criminal. Affirms denial of motion for continuance and request to withdraw guilty plea.  

Christopher M. Galvan v. State of Indiana (NFP)
45A05-1308-CR-387
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class C felony child molesting.

In the Matter of the Adoption of O.R.: N.R. v. K.G. and C.G. (NFP)
21A01-1307-AD-322
Adoption. Dismisses appeal of order granting petition of C.G. and K.G. to adopt O.R. for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no opinions by IL deadline. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals posted no Indiana opinions by IL deadline.
 

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Opinions Feb. 27, 2014 ILD

Indiana Court of Appeals
Kathy K. Brunner v. Review Board of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (NFP)
93A02-1307-EX-592
Agency action. Affirms denial of claim for unemployment benefits.

M.M. v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A05-1307-JV-367
Juvenile. Affirms adjudication as a delinquent child for committing an act that would be Class A misdemeanor criminal mischief if committed by an adult.

Brad S. Brown v. State of Indiana (NFP)
90A02-1306-CR-485
Criminal. Reverses conviction of Class C felony robbery and affirms convictions of Class B felony robbery and Class D felony domestic battery.

Michael L. Wilson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
20A04-1109-CR-531
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class B felony burglary and adjudication as a habitual offender.

Jose Ayala Cuevas v. State of Indiana (NFP)
29A04-1306-CR-298
Criminal. Affirms convictions of Class A misdemeanor criminal recklessness and Class B misdemeanor reckless driving.

Anna Marie Kelley v. State of Indiana (NFP)
27A05-1307-CR-333
Criminal. Affirms conviction and sentence for Class D felony auto theft.

David E. Matney v. State of Indiana (NFP)
55A01-1308-CR-372
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class D felony auto theft.

David Burroughs v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A04-1307-CR-360
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class C felony burglary.

Paul Farrell v. Deborah Farrell (NFP)
40A01-1307-DR-305
Domestic relation. Affirms in part. Concludes that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in the calculation and distribution of the marital estate. Remands with instructions for the trial court to replace the joint and several liability language consistent with its intent that the medical debt be equally divided between the parties.

Johnny D. Wayt v. State of Indiana (NFP)
36A05-1307-PC-338
Post conviction. Affirms denial of petition for post-conviction relief.

In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: E.G. v. Eskenazi Health Midtown Community Mental Health Center (NFP)
49A02-1308-MH-724
Mental health. Affirms order concluding that Midtown proved by clear and convincing evidence that E.G. was dangerous to others and ordering him to take his prescribed medications.

Rapkin Group, Inc., as a minority Member on behalf and for the benefit of The Eye Center Group, LLC and Surgicenter Group, LLC. v. L. Marshall Roch, M.D. and Lynnette M. Watkins, M.D. (NFP)
18A02-1302-CT-193
Civil tort. Affirms summary judgment in favor of Drs. Roch and Watkins in Rapkin’s claim for actual fraud, constructive fraud and breach of fiduciary duty.

The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no opinions by IL deadline.

 

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Opinions Feb. 27, 2014

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
United States of America v. John A. Peters III
12-3830
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson.
Criminal. Affirms denial of motion to suppress evidence discovered during the search of a car in which Peters was a passenger. The District Court committed no error in crediting the testimony of an experienced police officer who, after observing two cars traveling in tandem for a period of time, said he credibly believed that the trailing car was approximately 75 feet behind the lead car at a speed of approximately 60 miles-per-hour. If an officer knowing these facts could reasonably conclude that this combination of speed and distance violated Indiana law, that is all that is necessary to support probable cause.

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7th Circuit affirms denial of motion to suppress search of car

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the denial of an automobile passenger’s motion to suppress evidence found in the car during a traffic stop, which led to his eventual pleading guilty to a heroin offense. The judges found no error by the District judge in crediting the testimony of the police officer who pulled the vehicle over because he believed the speed it was traveling and distance to the car in front of it violated Indiana law.

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Judges split over Fourth Amendment violation

Two of the three judges on an Indiana Court of Appeals panel affirmed the suppression of marijuana and a pipe found on a man during a traffic stop, with the dissenting judge believing there was no infringement on the man’s Fourth Amendment rights.

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Opinions Feb. 26, 2014 ILD

Indiana Court of Appeals
Robert D. Stephens, Ryan Moe, Thomas Theohary, and Law Enforcement Technologies, Inc. v. Brian A. Costa and Amy Costa (NFP)
71A04-1305-CT-242
Civil tort. Affirms judgment personally against Stephens for Brian Costa’s injury. Reverses denial of Theohary’s motion for relief of judgment as the trial court did not acquire personal jurisdiction over him. Remands for further proceedings as to Theohary because he has sufficient minimum contacts with Indiana.

Jacquelyn Webster Green, as personal representative of the estate of Mary A. Webster, deceased v. Housing Authority of the City of Gary, Indiana, et al. (NFP)
45A04-1307-CT-344
Civil tort. Affirms grant of motion to dismiss in favor of the Gary Housing Authority and other defendants.

Rita Thompson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1305-CR-454
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class D felony resisting law enforcement and finding Thompson is a habitual offender.

Dennis Powers v. State of Indiana (NFP)
61A04-1307-CR-356
Criminal. Affirms denial of motion to correct erroneous sentence.

In the Matter of the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of: L.C., Minor Child, R.C., Father v. Indiana Department of Child Services (NFP)
82A01-1307-JT-297
Juvenile. Affirms termination of parental rights.

The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no opinions by IL deadline. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals posted no Indiana decisions by IL deadline.
 

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Opinions Feb. 26, 2014

Indiana Court of Appeals
Robin Harper v. State of Indiana
49A04-1305-CR-222
Criminal. Reverses Harper’s Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement conviction. Officers Gillespie and Hartman unlawfully entered Harper’s residence, therefore, the officers were not engaged in the lawful execution of their duties at the time they arrested Harper and then attempted to remove her wedding ring in preparation for booking.

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