Indiana Court of Appeals
Dexter Eastridge v. Estate of Richard Rayles
21A-PL-673
Civil plenary. Affirms Crawford Circuit Court’s denial of a motion to set aside default judgment. Finds Dexter Eastridge waived his right to arbitration after failing to respond to the estate’s motion to compel arbitration. Finds the trial court didn’t abuse its discretion by entering default judgment.
Indiana Court of Appeals
John Patrick Michaels v. Huntington County, IN Advisory Board of Zoning Appeals (mem. dec.)
21A-PL-00565
Civil plenary. Affirms the denial of John Michaels’ petition to the Huntington County Advisory Board of Zoning Appeals for a special exception that he be permitted to establish and operate an outdoor shooting range on property not zoned for that use. Finds Michaels failed to properly preserve any Second Amendment argument for review and failed to establish an abuse of discretion.
The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline on Friday:
Roger D. Rotert v. Connie S. Stiles
21S-TR-00452
Trust. Affirms the Jackson Circuit Court’s entry of summary judgment for Connie Stiles and against her brother, Robert Rotert. Finds that because Rotert’s due-process claim fails on the record, he is not entitled to relief. Also finds that because the probate code’s bar against restraints on marriage does not apply to trusts or gifts to children, Marcille Borcherding’s disposition by a revocable trust to her son is valid. Justice Christopher Goff concurs in result with separate opinion.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Lamar Bush v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
21A-CR-00842
Criminal. Affirms Lamar Bush’s convictions for Level 2 felony dealing in a narcotic substance and Level 2 felony dealing in methamphetamine. Finds sufficient evidence to support the dealing convictions.
Indiana Supreme Court
Betty Miller, Individually and as Personal Representative of the Estate of John Allen Miller v. Laxeshkumar Patel, M.D., John Schiltz, M.D., Benjamin Coplan, M.D., Joseph Hill, M.D., Erik Fossum, M.D., Bradford Hale, M.D., Christine Tran, M.D., James Blickendorf, M.D., Robert McAllister, M.D., Sara Koerwitz, M.D., Timothy Held, PA, Community Health Network, Inc., d/b/a Community Howard Regional Health Hospital and Community Howard Behavioral Health, Community Physicians of Indiana, Inc., d/b/a Community Physician Network, Community Howard Regional Health, Inc., St. Joseph Hospital & Health Center, Inc., St. Vincent Health, Inc., Ascension Health, Inc., and Medical Associates, LLP
21S-CT-455
Civil tort. Reverses the denial of Betty Miller’s request to amend her complaint against several hospitals that treated her grandson under Indiana Trial Rule 15(C) to allege a violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1395dd, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. Finds EMTALA’s statute of limitations does not preempt an amendment under Trial Rule 15(C). Finding the trial court must now consider whether the EMTALA claim arose out of the same conduct set forth or attempted to be set forth in the original complaint, remands for reconsideration of Miller’s motion.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Steven Michael Fougerousse v. Dawn M. (Fougerousse) Dardeen (mem. dec.)
21A-DC-00599
Domestic relations, with children. Affirms an order restricting Steven Fougerousse’s parenting time with his daughters. Finds the record provides a rational basis for the trial court’s parenting-time determination that Father’s parenting time would endanger his children’s physical health or significantly impair their emotional development due to his abuse of alcohol. Thus, finds no abuse of discretion and that Father has failed to establish prima facie error
Indiana Court of Appeals
In re the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of I.L., O.L., V.N., and M.P.N. (Minor Children) and S.T. (Mother) v. Indiana Department of Child Services
21A-JT-418
Juvenile termination of parental rights. Affirms the denial of mother S.T.’s parental rights following a remote final hearing. Finds the minor technological and logistical issues that arose during the hearing were quickly addressed by the court and do not amount to a due process violation. Also finds the evidence was sufficient to terminate S.T.’s parental rights.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Mark Anthony Fuller v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
21A-CR-597
Criminal. Affirms the order for Mark Fuller to execute a portion of his previously suspended sentence and that his probation be extended as a result of a probation violation. Finds the Dearborn Superior Court didn’t abuse its discretion in imposing sanctions.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Landis Reynolds v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
20A-PC-2374
Post-conviction. Affirms the Howard Superior Court’s denial of a petition for post-conviction relief for convicted murderer Landis Reynolds. Finds Reynolds has not shown that he was prejudiced by his counsel’s failure to investigate Jonathan Clark and Timothy Spencer. Also finds Reynolds has not shown that the defense of abandonment was a viable one, and his counsel adequately presented as a defense that Jonathon Heath had actually committed the crime. Finally, finds Reynolds has not demonstrated that the outcome of his trial would have been different had his counsel objected to Cpt. Michael Wheeler’s testimony that cellphone records are unreliable.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
United States of America v. Gilberto Vizcarra-Millan, et al.
19-3476, 19-3481, 19-3484, 19-3537, 20-1113 and 20-1266
Appeals from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Criminal. Affirms in a consolidated appeal the convictions of Richard Grundy III, Gilberto Vizcarra-Millan, Undrae Moseby, Derek Atwater and Ezell Neville for a drug trafficking conspiracy. Also affirms the conviction of James Beasley on one count but reverses his convictions on two others. Finds the evidence at trial necessarily left a reasonable doubt as to whether Beasley committed the two crimes in question and therefore his case is remanded to the district court for resentencing on the one remaining count.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Chris Lawrence Rochefort v. State of Indiana
21A-CR-770
Criminal. Affirms Chris Rochefort’s conviction for Level 6 felony failure to return to lawful detention. Finds the Lake Superior Court did not abuse its discretion when it denied Rochefort’s motion for a mistrial or when it rejected his proffered instruction on the defense of necessity.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Phillip Beachey v. State of Indiana
20A-CR-2121
Criminal. Vacates and remands the Elkhart Superior Court’s order denying modification to Phillip Beachey’s bond. Finds the trial court abused its discretion in not conducting a pretrial risk assessment report pursuant to Indiana Criminal Rule 26 and Indiana Code § 35-33-8-3.8.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Zachary Fix v. State of Indiana
20A-CR-1566
Criminal. Affirms and reverses in part Zachary Fix’s convictions of Level 2 felony burglary while armed with a deadly weapon, Level 5 felony robbery and Level 6 felony theft. Finds the state did not present sufficient evidence to prove Fix committed Level 2 felony burglary while armed with a deadly weapon because Fix was not armed when he broke and entered the burglarized building. Also finds that Fix can be convicted of both burglary and robbery without violating the Indiana Constitution’s prohibition against double jeopardy. Remands with instructions for the Madison Circuit Court to vacate Fix’s conviction of Level 2 felony burglary and enter convictions of Level 3 felony armed robbery and a lower-level burglary offense and to resentence him.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Steak N Shake Operations, Inc. v. National Waste Associates, LLC, et al.
21A-CP-00213
Civil plenary. Reverses the Marion Superior Court’s grant of National Waste Associates’ motion for summary judgment and its denial of Steak ’n Shake’s motion for summary judgment. Holds there are genuine issues of material fact concerning the terms and conditions under which National employed Aspen Waste Systems of Missouri as its subcontractor. Holds that National is not entitled to judgment as a matter of law, but Steak ’n Shake is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on both its complaint and on National’s counterclaim. Remands with instructions for the court to enter summary judgment for Steak ’n Shake and to determine Steak ’n Shake’s damages.
Indiana Supreme Court
Ryan Ramirez v. State of Indiana
20S-LW-430
Life without parole. Affirms Ryan Ramirez’s conviction of murdering 23-month-old P.H. and neglecting 3-year-old R.H., resulting in serious bodily injury, and his sentence to life without parole. Finds that the seizure of a surveillance system recorder did not violate the state or federal constitutions, and the Madison Circuit Court did not abuse its discretion by excluding evidence of Kayla Hudson’s prior bad acts, nor were Ramirez’s substantial rights affect. Also finds that the trial court was not required to find a legal lacuna to give a supplemental jury instruction, the wording of the instruction was not reversible error and Ramirez waived his argument about the way the instruction was given. Finally, finds the statutory LWOP factors were sufficiently supported, his sentence did not violate the Indiana Constitution and revision is not warranted under Indiana Appellate Rule 7(B).
Indiana Court of Appeals
Carlton Lee Wells v. State of Indiana
21A-CR-612
Criminal. Reverses Carlton Lee Wells’ conviction of Class A misdemeanor invasion of privacy. Finds the St. Joseph Superior Court committed fundamental error and violated Wells’ Sixth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution as well as his rights in the Indiana Constitution outlined in Article 1, Section 13 after omitting him from his jury trial due to failing pretrial drug testing. Remands with instructions to vacate Wells’ conviction.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Dustin R. Paul v. State of Indiana
21A-CR-166
Criminal. Affirms and reverses in part the the Howard Superior Court’s calculation and allocation of credit time for Dustin Paul in his three simultaneous causes. Finds the trial court erred with respect to credit time and remands for it to address those issues consistent with the COA’s opinion by focusing on the first sentence in his sequence of consecutive sentences. Otherwise fully affirms Paul’s sentencing orders.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Anthony Wilburn v. State of Indiana
20A-CR-1709
Criminal. Affirms and reverses in part the denial of Anthony Wilburn’s motion to exclude evidence and his conviction of Level 2 felony burglary. Finds the Huntington Circuit Court did not abuse its discretion when it admitted a sergeant’s testimony as skilled witness opinion testimony. Also finds sufficient evidence to identify Wilburn as the perpetrator of the robbery. Finally, finds insufficient evidence to sustain Wilburn’s conviction for burglary of a business open to the public during business hours. Remands for the trial court to enter judgment of conviction for Level 3 felony robbery and to resentence Wilburn accordingly.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Olympic Financial Group, Inc. v. State of Indiana
21A-CR-1017
Criminal. Reverses the Jasper Superior Court’s order granting Indiana’s motion to turn seized money over to the federal government in the amount of $709,880. Finds the state failed to prove that the cash was properly seized pursuant to Indiana Code Chapter 34-24-1 and to show it was entitled to a turnover order under Indiana Code § 35-33-5-5(j). Also finds the trial court erred by granting the motion. Remands with instructions that the state reimburse Olympic Financial Group. Judge Nancy Vaidik concurs in result with separate opinion.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Sean Douglas Neal v. State of Indiana
21A-CR-730
Criminal. Affirms Sean Neal’s Level 4 felony child molesting conviction and adjudication as a habitual offender. Finds the Green Circuit Court erred in admitting opinion testimony by Greene County Sheriff’s Department Detective Shawn Cullison, pursuant to Evidence Rule 704(b), but that it didn’t rise to the level of fundamental error.