Opinions

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Joseph Finch, David E. Hensley, and Peter W. Mungovan v. Bart Peterson, individually and in his official capacity, et al.
09-2676
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch.
Civil. Affirms denial of the city officials’ motion for judgment on the pleadings in a suit filed by three white officers alleging discrimination in promotions. The 1978 consent decree between the Indianapolis Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice does not operate to confer qualified immunity on city officials who were involved in making the challenged promotions. Nothing in the decree required them to take race into consideration when making promotions.

Indiana Supreme Court
Matter of the Estate of Harry L. Rickert
18S04-1002-CV-118
Civil. Reverses judgment in favor of Taylor, who was Rickert’s power of attorney, that she receive the money from accounts in which she was a joint holder. The presumption is that Taylor’s use of her power of attorney to benefit herself made those accounts invalid, and she failed to overcome that presumption to allow her to inherit the money. Remands with direction to order restoration to the estate of bank accounts owned of record by Rickert and Taylor that were created through use of Taylor’s power of attorney from Rickert and lacking any support documentation indicating participation by Rickert.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Letecia D. Brown v. Automotive Components Holdings, LLC and Ford Motor Co.
09-1641
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Chief Judge Richard L. Young.
Civil. Affirms summary judgment dismissing Brown’s FMLA claim following her termination from Ford. The undisputed facts show Brown was absent without leave after failing to give proper FMLA notice for an extension of a previously requested leave period.

Indiana Court of Appeals
David Hatter, et al. v. Pierce Manufacturing, Inc.
49A02-0907-CV-659
Civil. Affirms jury trial and verdict in favor of Pierce Manufacturing in the Hatters’ product liability action. Hatter failed to exhaust one of his peremptory challenges and has not shown both of his challenges for cause were improperly denied. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in the giving of jury instructions or in excluding evidence and did not err by denying Hatter’s partial motion for judgment on the evidence.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Trent L. Chapin v. Fort-Rohr Motors Inc.
09-1347
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division, Judge Theresa L. Springmann.
Civil. Reverses denial of Fort-Rohr’s motion for judgment as a matter of law after a jury found in Chapin’s favor in his retaliation suit. Fort-Rohr was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because Chapin did not produce sufficient evidence to support an actual or constructive discharge.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Conwell Construction v. Abbey Road Development, LLC, et al. (NFP)
49A05-0912-CV-741
Civil. Affirms trial court grant of permission to amend its counterclaim to assert a claim for actual damages.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Hayes
Lemmerz International, Inc. v. ACE American Insurance Co.
10-1073
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division, Chief Judge Philip P. Simon.
Civil. Affirms dismissal of diversity suit against insurer. ACE had no duty to provide Hayes Lemmerz International’s
lawyers with legal advice and didn’t breach its duty to defend by failing to advise HLI that its law firm wasn’t
defending the suit properly.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
United
States of America v. Jennifer K. Howard
09-3840
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division, Judge Theresa L. Springmann.
Criminal. Affirms convictions of wire fraud and mail fraud. Holds that even if an indictment names particular victims, the
government need not prove intent to harm those named victims. The government proved that Howard intended to defraud the scheme’s
victims, and such intent was established by examining the circumstances of the scheme, not by who was specifically named in
the indictment.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Brian
S. Adcock v. State of Indiana
47A01-0912-CR-591
Criminal. Affirms convictions of two counts of Class A felony child molesting, two counts of Class B felony sexual misconduct
with a minor, and finding that Adcock is a repeat sexual offender. The trial court didn’t err in permitting the prosecutor
to analogize the standard of proof to a jigsaw puzzle during voir dire or in allowing the state to amend the repeat sexual
offender notice.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
John
M. Stephenson v. Bill Wilson, Superintendent of Indiana State Prison
09-2924
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Judge Theresa L. Springmann.
Civil. Stephenson failed to carry his burden of proving prejudice, even on the premise that his counsel should have objected
to the stun belt. The question of prejudice from Stephenson being required to wear the stun belt at the penalty hearing will
require further consideration of the District Court on remand.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
United
States of America v. Jorge Quintero, a/k/a Samuel Munoz, and Claudia Andrade Martinez
09-2715, 09-2788
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division, Judges Rudy Lozano and James T. Moody.
Criminal. Dismisses Quintero’s appeal of his sentence after pleading guilty to charges related to a bank robbery and
unlawful entering on waiver grounds. Affirms Martinez’s conviction and sentence for bank robbery and unlawfully remaining
in the U.S. The jury instructions given at Martinez’s trial regarding aiding and abetting were correct statements of
the law.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Monty
Rader v. State of Indiana
49A02-0907-CR-691
Criminal. Affirms denial of motion to suppress. The IP address used to log in to the monty20064 account was, on the dates
in question, assigned to Rader’s home in Greencastle. Rejects Rader’s request that the court follow the precedent
of the New Jersey Supreme Court and ignore the holding of the Indiana Supreme Court with regard to the issuance of investigatory
subpoenas to third parties.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Arthur Balls v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1001-CR-12
Criminal. Affirms conviction of and sentence for Class C felony battery and finding Balls is a habitual offender.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals

Torrey
Bauer, David Certo, and Indiana Right to Life, Inc. v. Randall T. Shepard, et al.
09-2963
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division. Judge Theresa L. Springmann.
Civil. Affirms District court’s ruling that the state’s judicial canons are constitutional regarding whether
judges can make public statements regarding controversial issues. The opinion recognizes a split among Circuits throughout
the country on the issue. Also finds that a portion of the challenge involving the pre-2009 conduct code is unripe, rather
than moot as the District court had found.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Kari
Heyser, et al. v. Noble Roman's, Inc., et al.
29A04-1002-PL-71
Civil plenary. Affirms partial summary judgment for Noble Roman’s Inc. and other defendants on Heyser and other franchisees’
claim for constructive fraud. The admission by the franchisees’ attorney that their fraud claims against the banks were
based solely on allegedly fraudulent representations by Noble Roman’s, with whom the banks allegedly acted in conspiracy;
and the franchisees were alleging actual fraud, not constructive fraud.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
United
States of America v. Anna LaFaive, also known as Phyllis Click
09-2344
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division, Judge Theresa L. Springmann.
Criminal. Affirms conviction of and sentence for two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. 18
U.S.C. Section1028A criminalizes the use of both a living or deceased person’s identification. The District Court did
not plainly err in calculating or imposing her sentence.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Cullen
Davis Walker v. State of Indiana
71A03-1003-CR-115
Criminal. Affirms Walker’s convictions of burglary, robbery, criminal confinement – all as Class B felonies,
and possession of cocaine as a Class C felony. Also affirms his sentence of 56 years. Walker argued his burglary and criminal
confinement convictions should be vacated pursuant to the continuing crime doctrine because his offenses of were all part
of the same continuing crime since they occurred in a short period of time and facilitated his sole purpose of taking things
from people at one house. The court ruled each offense was a distinct chargeable crime. Remands with instructions to correct
clerical errors in the amended judgment and chronological case summary.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Gail
M. Flatow and Flatow Comer, LLP v. Dwane Ingalls
49A02-0910-CV-994
Civil. Reverses denial of Flatow and Flatow Comer’s motion for summary judgment in Ingalls’ suit for legal malpractice.
There is no designated evidence in the malpractice litigation to show the result of Ingalls’ partial motion for summary
judgment would have been any different had a reply been filed. As a matter of law, the Flatow defendants had no duty to provide
the services Ingalls claims they were negligent in failing to provide.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Barbara
J. Castile v. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration
09-3917
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, Judge David Hamilton.
Civil. Affirms denial of Castile’s numerous claims for obtaining disability insurance and disability widow’s
benefits. There was substantial evidence to support the administrative law judge’s conclusion that Castile’s chronic
fatigue syndrome didn’t render her disabled. The ALJ thoroughly examined the evidence and articulated his findings and
the District Court didn’t err in upholding the ALJ’s credibility determinations.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Frank
McAllister v. Jerry L. Price, in his individual capacity
10-1213
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division, Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen.
Civil. Affirms denial of summary judgment for police officer Price, who claimed qualified immunity. There are genuine issues
of material fact about whether Price violated McAllister’s clearly established constitutional rights. McAllister alleges
that Price violated his Fourth Amendment rights by using excessive force to remove McAllister from his car after suffering
a diabetic episode that resulted in the crash.