The attorney who made statements regarding Franklin Circuit Judge Steven Cox’s release of a prisoner during the time she was challenging him for his spot on the bench last fall cannot seek judicial office for five years, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The justices also publicly reprimanded Tammy R. Davis of Brookville.
Indiana Court of Appeals
In Re: the Paternity of M.R.; A.K. v. J.R. (NFP)
50A03-1211-JP-457
Juvenile. Affirms custody modification order granting father J.R. physical custody of M.R.
Ronald L. Hoffman and Christy G. Hoffman, and Johnson Sunnybrook Farm, LLC, an Indiana Limited Liability Co. v. Lake Co. Indiana, a unit of government, its County Council, et al. (NFP)
45A03-1206-PL-291
Civil plenary. Affirms summary judgment for Singleton Stone as the opposed landowners to the rezoning had no standing to challenge the rezoning.
Bradley Ryan v. State of Indiana (NFP)
34A02-1211-CR-921
Criminal. Affirms convictions of murder and Class A felony robbery resulting in serious bodily injury.
Eldon E. Harmon v. State of Indiana (NFP)
20A05-1212-CR-634
Criminal. Affirms 16-year sentence for Class B felony dealing in methamphetamine.
James Q. Bryant v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1211-PC-869
Post conviction. Affirms denial of petition for post-conviction relief.
Carmell D. Nelson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
02A03-1208-CR-349
Criminal. Affirms convictions of Class A felony attempted murder and Class B felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
Mark A. Centofante v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A05-1207-CR-360
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class B felony sexual misconduct with a minor.
Demetrick Cameron v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A02-1209-CR-733
Criminal. Affirms revocation of probation for failure to pay child support.
Deborah Chandler v. State of Indiana (NFP)
15A04-1211-CR-560
Criminal. Affirms revocation of probation and order Chandler serve 10 years of her 16-year suspended sentence in the Department of Correction.
LP XXIV, LLC d/b/a Las Palmas Apartment Homes and SLS Management, Inc. v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company and Carl Long (NFP)
49A04-1207-PL-340
Civil plenary. Affirms denial of Las Palmas’ and SLS’s motion for summary judgment on the issue of agency.
The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no decisions by IL deadline. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals posted no Indiana opinions by IL deadline.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Bonnie Moryl, as Surviving Spouse and Personal Rep. of the Estate of Richard A. Moryl, Deceased v. Carey B. Ransone, M.D.; La Porte Hospital; Dawn Forney, RN; Wanda Wakeman, RN BSBA; et al.
46A04-1112-CT-710
Civil tort. Affirms summary judgment for the defendants, on which the trial court determined that Bonnie Moryl’s proposed complaint for medical malpractice was not timely filed with the Indiana Department of Insurance. The trial court properly found that her complaint sent to the DOI by FedEx was filed one day late under the two-year statute of limitations.
Third-party carriers are not included in the statute regarding filing proposed medical malpractice complaints with the Indiana Department of Insurance, so a woman’s complaint that was sent via FedEx within the two-year statute of limitations – but not stamped until after the limitations expired – is not considered timely filed, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
The state was unable to prove that a 14-year-old Indianapolis boy committed criminal gang activity when he and several other juveniles followed another teen after a party, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
The Hendricks Superior Court – which is seeking two magistrate judges to take the bench – has changed its residency requirement for applicants. Applicants no longer have to reside in the county at the time of applying, but the two chosen for the jobs must live in Hendricks County by the end of the year.
Mediation ordered by the Indiana Supreme Court failed to settle a dispute among Lake County judges over a juvenile court vacancy, according to a report filed Wednesday by the former justice who tried to resolve the matter.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Robert Graber, Jr. and Barbara Graber v. Allen County, Indiana Building Department (NFP)
02A05-1209-MI-485
Miscellaneous. Reverses grant of the building department’s motion to dismiss a verified complaint and remands for further proceedings.
In the Matter of the Term. of the Parent-Child Rel. of: E.M. & El.M. and E.M. v. The Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
45A03-1208-JT-370
Juvenile. Reverses termination of parental rights.
John A. Schmidt v. Karen Elaine Schmidt Denton (NFP)
34A02-1207-DR-579
Domestic relation. Reverses the trial court to the extent that it failed to make father’s child support modification retroactive to the filing of the petition and concluded that father would be responsible for 17 weeks of child support. Remands with instructions to credit a total of $2,814 against father’s college expense obligation. In all other respects, we affirm the trial court.
Robert Bowen v. State of Indiana (NFP)
08A04-1206-CR-305
Criminal. Affirms convictions of Class D felony possession of a controlled substance and Class A misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia.
Michael Edward Groves v. State of Indiana (NFP)
82A01-1208-CR-386
Criminal. Affirms convictions of two counts of Class A felony dealing in methamphetamine and aggregate sentence of 20 years.
Ashley N. Lawrence v. State of Indiana (NFP)
92A04-1211-CR-597
Criminal. Reverses revocation of probation and sentence imposed. Remands for further proceedings.
The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no opinions by IL deadline.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Terri Basden v. Professional Transportation Inc.
11-2880
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Evansville Division, Judge William T. Lawrence.
Civil. Affirms summary judgment for Professional Transportation on Basden’s claim she was terminated in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Family and Medical Leave Act. Basden failed to present evidence sufficient to establish a prima facie right to the protection of the ADA or FMLA.
Finding a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Richmond parents’ complied with the Indiana Tort Claims Act notice provision when filing a lawsuit after their severely disabled daughter died at school, the Indiana Court of Appeals ordered that issue to go before a jury.
The Indiana Supreme Court has handed down a three-year suspension to an Indianapolis attorney whose conduct “far exceeded zealous advocacy and included repeated abuse of the tools of the legal system.”
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for a transportation company on a fired worker’s claims that her termination violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. The judges didn’t agree with the woman that FMLA protection should extend to non-eligible employees who request leave for future periods.
In order to enhance a criminal sentence on the basis of a ransom demand, that demand must be conveyed to a third-party, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals held Wednesday.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller applauded the Legislature on the number of bills it passed this session which, he said, support law enforcement as well as serve and protect the state’s residents.
A Marion Superior Judge ruled last week that a lawsuit brought against the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles for allegedly overcharging drivers may proceed as a class-action lawsuit.
The national organization of a Wabash College fraternity where a freshman pledge died after a night of heavy drinking is not entitled to summary judgment on the student’s parents’ claims arising from his wrongful death, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
On Tuesday, Gov. Mike Pence signed into law HEA 1057, which will alter the prosecuting attorneys retirement fund to incorporate several features that are found in the 1985 judges’ retirement system.
An Indiana junior high school team has brought home the crown from a newly created civic education competition held in Washington, D.C., May 3 through 7.
Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts used part of his address to the 7th Circuit to highlight the fiscal constraints judges and courts are facing today.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Patti S. Maxfield and Ronald G. Maxfield v. Women's Health Partnership, P.C. and Corporate Cleaning Systems, Inc. (NFP)
49A02-1209-CT-707
Civil tort. Affirms summary judgments for Corporate Cleaning and for Women’s Health.
Tracy Lawrence v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A02-1206-CR-524
Criminal. Affirms Lawrence’s sentence to an aggregate 100-year term after being convicted of Class A felony child molesting and Class A felony attempted child molesting. The trial court neither abused its discretion nor imposed an inappropriate sentence.
Brice Dutrow v. State of Indiana (NFP)
30A04-1207-CR-356
Criminal. Affirms Dutrow’s sentence of concurrent terms of 45 years with five years suspended to probation for convictions of burglary and robbery, both Class A felonies, and an enhancement of 30 years on the burglary conviction.
Amy (Winton) Otis v. Marketing Three LLC (NFP)
20A05-1210-CC-505
Civil collection. Reverses the judgment of the trial court and remands for further proceedings. Concludes the trial court erred in entering summary judgment in favor of Marketing Three.
Jonathan Reiner v. State of Indiana (NFP)
20A05-1210-PC-499
Post conviction. Affirms Reiner’s conviction and 30-year sentence for Class A felony dealing in methamphetamine. The majority finds Reiner’s trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to raise a competency objection to the detective’s yield rate testimony; failing to present evidence challenging the reliability of yield rate evidence in general; and failing to move for a directed verdict on the Class A felony charge on the basis of insufficient evidence as to the amount of meth being manufactured. Also concludes Reiner’s appellate counsel was not ineffective for failing to challenge the sufficiency of the state’s evidence as to the amount of meth being manufactured. In her dissent, Judge Elaine Brown finds Reiner has demonstrated that he received ineffective assistance of trial counsel for failure to challenge the admissibility of the evidence regarding the yield rate. He also received ineffective assistant of trial and appellate counsel for failure to challenge the evidence as insufficient to support the Class A felony.
The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no opinions prior to IL deadline.