If you missed Indiana Chief Justice Brent Dickson’s first State of the Judiciary Wednesday, you can watch it on your local PBS station, beginning Thursday evening. Several radio stations will also broadcast the speech.
Procuring money to expand the Odyssey case management system is “one of our most urgent priorities,” Indiana Chief Justice Brent Dickson told the General Assembly on Wednesday in his first State of the Judiciary address.
Several conditions of a man’s parole following his conviction of criminal deviate conduct involving an adult – including prohibitions on spending time with his own children – were found to be overbroad or vague by the Indiana Court of Appeals Wednesday. The judges reversed the grant of partial summary judgment in favor of the Indiana Parole Board and other defendants on David Bleeke’s complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Robert Earl Davis v. State of Indiana (NFP)
45A03-1203-CR-145
Criminal. Affirms murder conviction and 65-year sentence.
In the Matter of the Term. of the Parent-Child Rel. of: A.B. & P.B.; and E.B. v. The Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
35A05-1206-JT-298
Juvenile. Affirms termination of parental rights.
Michael Gregg v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A02-1205-CR-400
Criminal. Affirms 20-year aggregate sentence following convictions of Class B felony dealing in methamphetamine and Class A misdemeanors resisting law enforcement and possession of marijuana.
Joshua C. Jackson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
35A02-1207-CR-589
Criminal. Affirms sentence following guilty plea to Class B felony robbery but reverses order Jackson pay restitution. Remands with instructions for the trial court to inquire about his ability to pay restitution, and if he is able, determine the amount to be paid and fix the manner of payment.
Michael L. Harris v. State of Indiana, Elkhart County Sheriff's Dept. (NFP)
20A03-1208-CR-345
Criminal. Dismisses appeal of denial of Harris’ request for return of property as moot.
Dennis Knight v. State of Indiana (NFP)
71A05-1208-CR-436
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class C felony robbery.
Kevin Gene Rotino v. State of Indiana (NFP)
07A05-1205-CR-259
Criminal. Affirms Class D felony dealing in marijuana conviction.
Nathan Abbott, State of Indiana and Indiana State Police v. Michael Mitchell and Leonard Love (NFP)
45A03-1204-CT-167
Civil tort. Affirms jury verdict in favor of Mitchell and Love on their claims for false imprisonment.
The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court issued no opinions prior to IL deadline.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
John Doe v. Prosecutor, Marion County, Indiana
12-2512
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
Civil. Reverses District Court decision to uphold statute prohibiting most registered sex offenders from using certain social networking and holds the law as drafted is unconstitutional. Though content neutral, the law is not narrowly tailored to serve the state’s interest. It broadly prohibits substantial protected speech rather specifically targeting the evil of improper communications to minors. Remands with instructions to enter judgment in favor of Doe and issue the injunction.
Two Republican lawmakers are backing off support for holding a second vote on the same-sex marriage amendment, advocating the Legislature take a wait-and-see approach.
Indiana Code 35-42-4-12 prohibiting certain sex offenders from using social networking sites that allow minors to participate is not narrowly tailored to serve the state’s interest, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals held Wednesday. The judges ordered a permanent injunction entered preventing enforcement of the current law.
JM Woodworking petitioned the Court of Appeals for rehearing after the court decided in November 2012 that the company could not hold a mechanic’s lien against property of Fred and Mary Anna Feitler for unpaid bills on the construction of their home.
The Indiana Court of Appeals granted the rehearing petitions of the Department of Child Services and a family who had a child removed from their care and re-examined the family’s federal civil rights claims and claims under the Indiana Tort Claims Act. The judges also chided DCS’ counsel for submitting a new document in the petition for rehearing that was not part of the record on appeal.
Indiana Court of Appeals
David Frohwerk v. Mark Levenhagen (NFP)
46A04-1204-MI-211
Miscellaneous. Affirms denial of verified petition for writ of habeas corpus asserting that Frohwerk was denied credit time.
Jacqueline R. Clements v. Clinton County, Indiana, by and through the Board of Commissioners of the County of Clinton, Ted R. Johnson, Barbara Conner, Michael W. Conner and William Clinton (NFP)
54A05-1205-PL-272
Civil plenary. Affirms denial of Clements’ motion to correct error, which challenged the dismissal of her counterclaims against the county and other defendants and her claims for malicious prosecution.
Term. of the Parent-Child Rel. of K.W., K.O.A., and K.E.A., Minor Children, and Their Father, O.W.: O.W. v. Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
02A04-1205-JT-285
Juvenile. Affirms termination of parental rights.
Aaron Di-Shon Windom v. State of Indiana (NFP)
45A03-1206-CR-253
Criminal. Affirms convictions of two counts of Class C felony attempted battery and one count of Class C felony criminal recklessness.
Anthony Henderson v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A04-1207-CR-367
Criminal. Affirms revocation of probation and reinstatement of previously suspended sentence.
Jason T. Myers v. Linda Phillips, Tippecanoe County Assessor and Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Unclaimed Property Division (NFP)
79A05-1209-PL-493
Civil plenary. Affirms dismissal of Myers’ lawsuit seeking reimbursement of a $250 bond that was posted by his grandmother on his behalf in 1997.
Donald L. Swain v. State of Indiana (NFP)
48A05-1206-CR-320
Criminal. Affirms order revoking probation under three different cause numbers.
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
Lula L. Jenkins, et al. v. South Bend Community School Corp.
71A03-1206-PL-260
Civil plenary. Reverses summary judgment for South Bend Community School Corp. on Jenkins’ action seeking an independent determination of whether she was discharged for just cause from her position as a bus driver. The advisory nature of the arbitrator’s award allows the non-prevailing party, here SBCSC, to reject the award, thus triggering judicial review, either under the Uniform Arbitration Act’s provisions or for a determination whether the facts found by the arbitrator support the award. Remands for further proceedings.
The Senate Judiciary Committee meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday and has five bills on its agenda, including legislation that redefines child fatality committees in each county.
The Indiana Court of Appeals concluded on interlocutory appeal that an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer lacked reasonable suspicion when he stopped a man’s car due to the tint on his rear window because the evidence shows the window tint didn’t justify the stop.
The Indiana Court of Appeals held Tuesday that a St. Joseph Circuit judge erred by granting summary judgment in favor of a school corporation instead of making an independent determination of whether a school bus driver was discharged for just cause.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Indiana has created the first Indiana-based initiative in the district to increase and improve local efforts in protecting residents’ civil rights.
In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all federal and state courts are closed today.
More than a dozen Indiana water utilities will receive checks of $100,000 or more as part of $105 million in settlement disbursements announced last week in the last phase of litigation involving the weed killer atrazine that contaminated more than 1,100 water systems nationwide.
A Marion County attorney has been charged with offering legal services to an undercover police officer in exchange for sex.
To mark the third anniversary of the Citizens United decision, nonprofits and community groups held a rally at the federal courthouse in downtown Indianapolis Friday.
The Indiana Court of Appeals granted The Indianapolis Star’s request for rehearing regarding the court’s decision to dismiss the newspaper’s appeal of a discovery order, but the court once again voted 2-1 to dismiss the appeal.