A man originally sentenced to die for the 2006 murders of a mother and her 8- and 13-year-old daughters will continue to serve his converted sentence of life without parole after the Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon affirmed a trial court’s denial of post-conviction relief.
Students from Indiana University Maurer School of Law will take part in a rally this weekend to call for an end to the prosecution on murder and attempted feticide charges of Bei Bei Shuai. Shuai consumed rat poison while pregnant, and her newborn daughter died shortly after birth.
Indiana’s biennial budget is eligible to receive a second reading in the Senate Monday as the Indiana General Assembly enters the final weeks of its regular session.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Jordan Heimansohn v. State of Indiana (NFP)
32A01-1209-CR-399
Criminal. Reverses conviction of driving while suspended as a Class A misdemeanor.
Brian G. Sachs v. State of Indiana (NFP)
32A01-1209-CR-421
Criminal. Affirms revocation of probation.
R.D. v. A.W. & M.W. (NFP)
26A01-1208-JP-372
Juvenile. Affirms award of custody of minor A.W. to the step-grandparents.
State of Indiana v. Bobby Walden (NFP)
49A04-1211-CR-566
Criminal. Reverses grant of Walden’s motion to dismiss.
Rodney Juan Willis v. State of Indiana (NFP)
29A02-1208-CR-695
Criminal. Affirms sentence following guilty plea to Class C felony receiving stolen property.
Aaron Lee Anderson, III v. State of Indiana (NFP)
29A02-1208-CR-694
Criminal. Affirms conviction and sentence for Class B felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
James Rice v. State of Indiana (NFP)
80A02-1208-CR-693
Criminal. Affirms sentence following guilty plea to Class A felony battery.
Justin Deon Coates v. State of Indiana (NFP)
82A04-1207-CR-359
Criminal. Reverses conviction and sentence for Class B felony possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
In Re: The Paternity of B.L.E.; M.T.R. and M.J.R. v. A.E. (NFP)
92A03-1210-JP-419
Juvenile. Remands to the trial court to enter an order containing findings and conclusions in case in which the trial court denied the grandparents’ petition for visitation.
The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court posted no opinions by IL deadline.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Betty M. Jordan and Theodore R. Jordan v. Kelly D. Binns and U.S. Xpress Inc.
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Judge William T. Lawrence.
Civil. Affirms jury verdict in favor of Binns and his employer U.S. Xpress on the Jordans’ lawsuit filed after Betty Jordan lost both of her legs while riding a motorcycle and being hit by the tractor-trailer driven by Binns. Rejects claims on appeal that improperly admitted hearsay evidence warrants a new trial. The court found that some hearsay evidence regarding Betty Jordan’s statement that she was at fault in a motorcycle accident was improperly admitted, but it was cumulative, and other evidence presented at trial strongly favored the defendants’ position.
An Orange County man who stole items from a deceased man’s home and sold them had multiple convictions overturned by the Indiana Court of Appeals, including several theft convictions and failure to report a dead body.
The Indiana Court of Appeals found that a Texas corporation that made a component of a dust collector that injured a Fort Wayne man did nothing more than place the screw conveyor in the stream of commerce, which supports dismissing the Texas business from a lawsuit filed here.
A Marion Superior Court exceeded statutory authority when it suspended a man’s driving privileges for life, the Indiana Court of Appeals has held. At the time Thomas Porter was arrested and charged, his driving privileges were suspended for life, but that was no longer the case when he was sentenced.
A gun that can no longer shoot is still a gun for purposes of federal firearms convictions, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
A man’s conviction of methamphetamine and firearms crimes in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana was not prejudiced by the presence of an alternate juror in the deliberation room, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
A woman who lost her legs after an Indianapolis motorcycle crash isn’t entitled to a new trial even though hearsay evidence was improperly admitted, including her statements that the crash was her fault.
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the denial of a general contractor’s motion to stay proceedings and compel arbitration regarding disputes with subcontractors, finding general contractor Welty Building Co. LTD did not waive its right to insist upon arbitration.
A Lake Superior trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to give an accused murderer’s proposed jury instruction regarding the presumption of innocence, the Indiana Court of Appeals held.
A Howard Superior Court erred in denying a bank’s motion for relief from the court’s quiet title decree finding the bank no longer held any interest in certain real property owned by a divorcing couple, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
A Shelby County man who claimed his devotion to his religious beliefs required him to breed, raise and fight gamefowl had his convictions relating to animal fighting upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals Thursday.
U.S. law firm mergers in the first quarter of this year hit a four-year high, Altman Weil Inc. announced Thursday. Twenty-one firms announced mergers and acquisitions, with most deals involving acquisitions of small law firms.
St. Joseph Circuit Judge Michael Gotsch announced Wednesday that Andre B. Gammage will replace Elizabeth C. Hurley as magistrate judge on the court. Hurley was recently appointed to the St. Joseph Superior bench by Gov. Mike Pence.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Albert Lee Baker v. State of Indiana (NFP)
53A01-1210-CR-490
Criminal. Affirms sentence following guilty plea to Class B felony dealing in a narcotic drug.
John W. Taylor, IV v. State of Indiana (NFP)
20A03-1208-CR-365
Criminal. Affirms convictions of three counts of attempted murder, all as Class A felonies.
Benjamin A. Hankins v. State of Indiana (NFP)
18A02-1207-CR-611
Criminal. Affirms conviction and sentence for murder.
Jason R. Derry, Jr. v. State of Indiana (NFP)
20A03-1208-CR-354
Criminal. Affirms denial of motion to re-sentence following guilty plea to Class D felony possession of cocaine.
Term. of the Parent-Child Rel. of E.B., minor child, and T.S., biological father; T.S. v. Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
49A05-1208-JT-414
Juvenile. Affirms involuntary termination of parental rights.
Christopher Snyder v. Classic Restaurant Services, LLC (NFP)
29A02-1207-CT-592
Civil tort. Affirms grant of a preliminary injunction against Snyder.
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.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Albert Lee Baker v. State of Indiana (NFP)
53A01-1210-CR-490
Criminal. Affirms sentence following guilty plea to Class B felony dealing in a narcotic drug.
More than a month after former Lake County clerk Thomas R. Philpot was sentenced to serve 18 months for theft and mail fraud convictions, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has requested his law license be suspended by the Supreme Court.