Indiana Court of Appeals
Larry Lyons, Jr. v. State of Indiana
36A01-1208-CR-331
Criminal. Affirms conviction for Class B felony dealing in methamphetamine and Class D felony methamphetamine possession. Finds there is no evidence that the trial court’s failure to provide instructions in strict accordance to Indiana Code 35-37-2-4 and Indiana Jury Rule 26(b) caused Lyons harm or put him at substantial risk of harm.
A trial court’s failure to give jury instructions that strictly adhered to the language contained in the Indiana Code and Indiana Jury Rule was not grounds for the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn a guilty verdict.
Representing a father in a child visitation dispute, a Martinsville lawyer’s letter to opposing counsel alleging the mother was an illegal alien resulted in a 30-day suspension.
A federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a state law that has given rise to the Democratic and Republican slating system under which Marion Superior judges are elected will go forward.
Indiana Court of Appeals
In the Matter of the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of Jo. B. & Ju. B.(Minor Children) and T. B.(Mother) v. The Indiana Department of Child Services (NFP)
49A05-1303-JT-92
Juvenile. Affirms termination of T.B.’s parental rights to her children, Ju.B. and Jo.B.
Lamar Miller v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A05-1302-CR-46
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class A misdemeanor invasion of privacy.
Charles Grieco v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A04-1301-CR-32
Criminal. Affirms conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, as a Class C misdemeanor.
Indiana Supreme Court and Indiana Tax Court issued no opinions by IL deadline. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued no Indiana opinions by IL deadline.
Von Tobel Corporation, Individually, and d/b/a Von Tobel Lumber & Hardware; and Von Tobel Lumber & Home Center, Inc. v. Chi-Tec Construction & Remodeling, Inc.; John F. Ziola, Jr.; Et Al.
46A03-1301-MI-18
Miscellaneous/mechanic’s lien. Reverses grant of summary judgment in favor of the Margret Lynn West trust, one of the defendant parties, and orders summary judgment entered for Von Tobel. The panel reversed a trial court ruling that the lien was invalid because a pre-lien notice named “Von Tobel Lumber & Home Center Inc.” and the lien notice named “Von Tobel Corporation” as claimants. The difference was minimal, not misleading and didn’t prejudice the trust or other parties, the panel held.
A split Indiana Court of Appeals ruled a man at the center of an alleged Ponzi scheme that defrauded nearly 72 victims in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana will have to face state charges even though he pleaded guilty to a federal indictment.
A trust that won summary judgment at the trial court against a supplier of building materials for construction of a home on Lake Michigan got the opposite result from an appeals court Friday. The trust is liable, even though it paid builders who failed to reimburse the supplier for materials provided on credit.
The first meeting of the committee created by the Legislature to oversee the Indiana Supreme Court’s technology initiatives – chief among them continued implementation of the Odyssey case management system – will take place Tuesday morning.
The Indiana attorney general filed notice Sept. 12 that he is asking the state’s highest court to find Indiana’s right-to-work law constitutional.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Flora Birdsong v. Illinois Central School Bus (NFP)
93A02-1304-EX-319
Civil. Affirms denial of worker’s compensation benefits to Birdsong.
Jeffrey Griebel v. Lehsa Griebel (NFP)
53A04-1304-DR-191
Domestic relation. Dismisses Jeffrey Griebel’s appeal of child support order.
Willie Ambros Norman v. State of Indiana (NFP)
71A03-1301-CR-13
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class D attempt to acquire possession of a legend drug by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or subterfuge.
Adolfo Lopez v. State of Indiana (NFP)
15A05-1302-CR-51
Criminal. Affirms denial of Lopez’s motion for recusal/change of judge.
Thelma Lindsey v. State of Indiana (NFP)
02A03-1211-CR-486
Criminal. Affirms two-year sentence for operating while intoxicated, as a Class D felony.
In the Matter of the Involuntary Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of K.M.(Minor Child) and C.M.(Mother) and R.M.(Father) v. Indiana Department of Child Services (NFP)
81A01-1302-JT-58
Juvenile. Affirms involuntary termination of C.M’s and R.M.’s parental rights to their 4-year-old child, K.M.
In Re the Termination of the Parent-Child Rel. of H.W. (Minor Child) and D.F. (Father) v. The Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
82A05-1301-JT-45
Juvenile. Affirms involuntary termination of D.F.’s parental rights to his child, H.W.
Phillip J. Troyer v. Tracy L. Troyer (NFP)
02A03-1302-DR-55
Domestic relation. Affirms order finding Phillip Troyer in contempt for failing to pay his share of K.T.’s uninsured medical expenses under the divorce decree. In her dissent, Judge Elaine Brown argues that Phillip’s action shows he was not being willfully disobedient. He told his ex-wife he would be delaying payment while he filed a claim against the insurer, to which she consented, and his assertion that he owed less than his ex-wife calculated was confirmed by the court.
In Re the Termination of the Parent-Child Rel. of El.S. and Et.S. (Minor Children) and M.S. (Mother) v. The Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
90A05-1211-JT-614
Juvenile. Affirms termination of M.S.’s parental rights to her children, El.S and Et.S.
Darren L. Bunch v. State of Indiana (NFP)
73A01-1301-CR-15
Criminal. Affirms conviction of rape as a Class B felony.
Jeff Pierrard v. Wright Implement 1, LLC (NFP)
62A01-1305-CT-238
Civil tort. Affirms summary judgment in favor of Wright Implement 1, LLC, regarding its claim against Pierrard for conversion of a tractor and other equipment.
Oscar Diaz-Flores v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1302-CR-184
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class A felony burglary. Also affirms one count of Class C felony criminal confinement and vacates the other count. Finds Flores’ criminal confinement of his ex-girlfriend constitutes a single transaction and can only support one criminal confinement conviction.
Stephen R. Harvey, Jr. v. State of Indiana (NFP)
02A03-1302-CR-44
Criminal. Affirms denial of Harvey’s motion for concurrent sentencing.
Gregory Voltaire v. State of Indiana (NFP)
02A03-1303-CR-104
Criminal. Affirms conviction for Class D felony sexual battery. Reverses and remands with instruction one-year sentence for Class B misdemeanor battery. Finds Voltaire’s one-year sentence suspended to probation for the misdemeanor violates Indiana Code which limits the term of imprisonment for Class B misdemeanor to no more than 180 days.
Thomas I. Goode v. Hendricks County Planning and Building Commission (NFP)
32A01-1302-PL-67
Civil plenary. Dismisses Goode’s appeal of the trial court’s July 2011 order and October 2012 order that he comply with the general business district zoning requirements. Finds Goode forfeited his right to appeal because he did not file notice within 30 days of the orders.
Christopher D. Davies v. State of Indiana (NFP)
34A02-1301-CR-18
Criminal. Affirms three-year sentence executed for theft, a Class D felony.
Indiana Tax Court issued no opinions by IL deadline. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued no Indiana opinions by IL deadline.
Indiana Supreme Court
Clark County Board of Aviation Commissioners, Board of Commissioners of Clark County, Indiana v. Dennis Dreyer and Margo Dreyer, as Co-Personal Reps. of the Estate of Margaret A. Dreyer
10S01-1308-PL-529
Civil plenary. Grants transfer to dispel confusion arising from “inartful language” in previous opinion.
Confusion from “inartful language” will put the ongoing dispute over the Clark County airport expansion before the Indiana Supreme Court.
Although a man’s conviction was overturned, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled he can still be retried on the same charge without violating double jeopardy prohibitions because “a rational jury” would have considered more than one element of the crime.
A second expungement law forum, scheduled for Sept. 17, has been postponed.
A southern Indiana man who defrauded Indiana banks of more than $10 million by supplying bogus financial information from family members to obtain multi-million-dollar loans for real estate, an airplane and a yacht will spend five years in federal prison.
A single mother of two from Monroe County will receive the honor of volunteer of the year this weekend at an annual conference of court-appointed special advocates.
The years-long legal spat between Don Marsh and the company he once led appeared to have concluded this summer, but has now turned to attorneys’ fees and who’s paying the million-dollar bills.
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a man’s conviction for Class C misdemeanor operating a vehicle while intoxicated Thursday, though one panelist wrote the court went deeper into the analysis of the defendant’s Fourth Amendment claim than it needed to do.
An appeals court panel Thursday affirmed denial of unemployment benefits for a Starke County sheriff’s dispatcher who took time off work after a firecracker exploded behind her at work and she was diagnosed with hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus.