Opinions

Indiana Court of Appeals
The Branham Corporation v. Newland Resources, LLC; Samuel Sutphin; White River Funding Corp.; et al; Thomas N. Eckerle; Thomas N. Eckerle Prof. Corp. v. The Branham Corporation
06A05-1311-CT-572
Civil tort. Affirms the trial court’s summary judgment order in favor of the defendants. Reverses the order dismissing attorney Thomas Eckerle without prejudice and remands for entry of summary judgment in favor of Eckerle. Finds the trial court correctly determined the defendants were entitled to summary judgment because Branham filed its complaint for nonpayment of damages after the two-year statute of limitations had run.

Indiana Supreme Court
In the Matter of: Trezanay M. Atkins
49S00-1306-DI-435.
Attorney discipline. Suspends Atkins for two years without automatic reinstatement, finding she violated Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(b), committing a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness; and 8.4(c), engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.
 

Indiana Court of Appeals
City of Mitchell v. Randy Phelix
47A01-1402-PL-88
Civil plenary. Reverses denial of its complaint for a declaratory judgment related to former Mitchell city policeman Randy Phelix’s claim for medical expenses due to disabilities resulting from dismantling methamphetamine labs. The appeals court held that the trial court erred when it ruled that Phelix was entitled to have the city pay his medical bills under I.C. 36-8-4-5 despite the worker’s compensation carrier’s denial of his claim.

Indiana Supreme Court
State of Indiana v. Frank Greene
49S02-1403-PC-172
Post conviction. Reverses grant of post-conviction relief, which would have reduced Greene’s Class B felony criminal confinement conviction to a Class D felony. Greene did not receive ineffective assistance of trial or appellate counsel due to his attorneys’ failure to present allegedly controlling precedent from this court. Greene mischaracterizes the application of Long v. State.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Robert P. Benavides v. State of Indiana (NFP)
18A02-1405-PC-318
Post conviction. Affirms dismissal of petition for writ of state habeas corpus.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Willie Jenkins v. Mary Jenkins
49A02-1403-DR-132
Domestic relation. Reverses grant of Mary Jenkins’ motion to vacate a contempt hearing. It was not in the interests of justice for the trial court to ignore its rule of allowing 15 days to respond and granting her motion prior to allowing Willie Jenkins time for response. Remands for further proceedings.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Jeremiah Lee Collins v. State of Indiana (NFP)
21A01-1405-CR-192
Criminal.  Affirms revocation of probation.

Indiana Court of Appeals
In re the Marriage of Tina M. Harpenau v. Robin P. Harpenau
62A01-1401-DR-37
Domestic relation.  Affirms grant of father’s petition to modify, awarding him primary physical custody of the children and granting mother the same parenting time as father originally had, as well as that mother pay child support. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in modifying custody due to her proposed move or in modifying child support accordingly.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Securities and Exchange Commission v. First Choice Management Services Inc., et al; CRM Energy Partners and John W. Hannah v. Joseph D. Bradley, Receiver
14-1270, 14-2284
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division, Judge Robert L. Miller Jr.
Civil. Affirms denial of CRM’s motion to intervene in the sale of an oil and gas lease in order to compensate victims of fraud. Dismisses its appeal of the District Court’s approval of the sale. CRM waited too long to intervene in the action.

Indiana Supreme Court
Barbara J. Pohl v. Michael G. Pohl
32S04-1404-DR-245
Domestic relation. Reverses trial court and remands with instructions to apply the incapacity maintenance statute’s “substantial and continuing change in circumstances” standard to the evidence presented at the modification hearing. Any maintenance provision in a settlement agreement, regardless of its grounds, is modifiable only if the agreement so provides. The agreement in this matter contains such a provision.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Robert O. Hedrick v. Angela R. Gilbert
47A01-1401-DR-1
Domestic relation. Affirmed in part, reversed in part. Affirms denial of Hedrick’s motion to modify support for post-secondary educational expenses and affirms order of contempt and $500 fine issued to Hedrick for failing to abide by prior court rulings. Reverses the award to Gilbert of $1,000 in attorney fees as part of the contempt order, ruling that the trial court did not make findings that Hedrick’s petition to modify was frivolous, unreasonable or groundless.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Inc., Save the Valley, Inc., Sierra Club, and Valley Watch, Inc. v. Duke Energy Indiana, Inc., Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor
93A02-1305-EX-394
Agency action. Remands to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission its order approving Duke’s request to include power plant construction costs of the Edwardsport coal-gasification plant from Oct. 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012, in a rate adjustment rider. Remands for findings as to whether a delay was chargeable to Duke and, if so, what impact the delay had on Duke’s customers’ rates. Also remands for a clear statement of the policy and evidentiary considerations underlying IURC’s determination that 50 percent of the plant was deemed in-service.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Marilyn Rae Baskin v. Penny Bogan
14-2386
Midori Fujii v. Commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health
14-2387
Pamela Lee v. Brian Abbott
14-2388
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Chief Judge Richard Young
Civil. Affirms District Court judgment invalidating and enjoining Indiana and Wisconsin prohibitions on same-sex marriage. The 7th Circuit consolidated the three same-sex marriage cases from Indiana into one opinion with the single case from Wisconsin, Wolf et al. v. Walker, et al., 14:2526. The court confined its ruling to the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause and did not address the plaintiffs’ due process arguments. Rejects Indiana’s responsible procreation argument, finding Indiana’s prohibition on same-sex marriage discriminates against gays and lesbians.

Indiana Supreme Court
TP Orthodontics, Inc., Christopher Kesling, DDS, MS, Adam Kesling, and Emily Kesling, et al. v. Andrew Kesling, Individually and as Trustee of the Andrew C. Kesling Trust Dated March 28, 2001 et al.
46S03-1405-MI-337
Miscellaneous. Finds the trial court abused its discretion in ordering disclosure of the full special litigation committee report, as portions of it containing privileged information cannot be disclosed to the sibling shareholders. Remands to the trial court to conduct an in camera review of the full report to determine whether the designate material is in fact privileged.

Indiana Supreme Court
Natural Resources Defense Council v. Poet Biorefining- North Manchester, LLC, Poet Biorefining- Cloverdale, LLC, Central Indiana Ethanol, Inc., et al.
49S02-1405-MI-313
Miscellaneous. IDEM was not required to formally amend Indiana’s state implementation plan with the EPA to effectuate its change in how it interprets the regulatory phrase “chemical process plant.” IDEM’s interpretation to exclude fuel ethanol plants under the definition of “chemical process plant” is legally permissible.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
James M. Sweeney, et al. v. Gov. Michael Pence, et al.
13-1264
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division, Chief Judge Philip P. Simon.
Civil. Affirms dismissal of union’s lawsuit arguing the Right to Work Act violates union members’ rights under the U.S. Constitution and is preempted by federal labor legislation. The legislation is not preempted by the scheme of federal labor law and does not violate any constitutional rights. Judge Tinder for the majority writes that the controversy of the law needs to be addressed legislatively, not through the courts. Chief Judge Wood dissents.

Indiana Court of Appeals
C.H. v. State of Indiana
49A02-1310-JV-904
Juvenile. Affirms officer’s stop of C.H. because he was believed to be a suspect in a crime and the order of restitution because C.H. never objected to the order he pay restitution. Reverses adjudication of what would be Class B misdemeanor unlawful entry of a motor vehicle because the same evidence was used to adjudicate C.H. of that charge and what would be Class A misdemeanor trespass. Remands for further proceedings.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Nightingale Home Healthcare, Inc. v. Carey Helmuth and Physiocare Home Healthcare, LLC
29A04-1403-PL-121
Civil plenary. Affirms summary judgment in favor of Helmuth and Physiocare Home Healthcare LLC, in which the trial court concluded that Helmuth’s 10-day break in employment with Nightingale served as the starting point of his limited non-competition and non-disclosure agreement.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Kenneth Owen Scrogham v. Carolyn W. Colvin, acting commissioner of Social Security
13-3601
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, New Albany Division, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
Civil. Reverses denial of application for disability benefits and remands for further proceedings. The administrative law judge’s methodology was flawed in several respects. Three logical errors – overstating the significance of Scrogham’s daily activities, overreliance on his rehabilitative efforts as proof of his fitness for full-time work, and misinterpreting the significance of his extensive treatment – had a material effect on the ALJ’s credibility and residual functional capacity assessments.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Roy Smith v. Richard Brown
12-3731
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division.
Judge James T. Moody
Criminal. Affirms the denial of Smith’s habeas petition. Finds although Smith’s counsel appeared to be particularly deficient, Smith failed to demonstrate how his lawyer’s substandard effort prejudiced his case since there was overwhelming evidence against him.