Opinions

The following 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opinions were posted after IL deadline Tuesday:
Indiana Vote by Mail, Inc. v. Paul Okeson
20-2605
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Judge James P. Hanlon.
Civil Plenary. Affirms the district court’s order denying an injunction against an Indiana election law, which would permit “no-excuse” absentee voting in the Nov. 3 general election. Finds Indiana’s absentee voting limitation do not violate the Equal Protection Clause or the 26th Amendment. Senior Judge Kenneth Ripple concurs.

The following 7^th Circuit opinion was posted after IL deadline Monday:
Lorraine Beeler v. Andrew M. Saul
19-2099
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern Division of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
Civil. Affirms the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana upholding the application of the windfall elimination provision by the Social Security Administration to Lorraine Beeler and the court’s grant of summary judgment to the agency. Finds the agency correctly ruled that plaintiffs’ Canadian employment was noncovered under the Social Security Act, and thus the provision applied to reduce their Social Security benefits. Circuit Judge Amy St. Eve dissents with opinion.

The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Friday.
Dawn Riddle and Matthew Riddle v. Dennis Cress, Haley Wilkerson, and Helen Cress
20S-PL-573
Civil plenary. Grants transfer and affirms the trial court’s decision to set aside the default judgment for Dennis and Helen Cress and the Cresses’ granddaughter, Haley Wilkerson. Finds that “the trial court’s assessments of the parties’ credibility and demeanor are the type of fact-sensitive judgments that may not be second-guessed under the deferential standard of appellate review and, here, are sufficient to establish at least ‘slight evidence’ of excusable neglect.” Remands to Johnson Superior Court for further proceedings consistent with the opinion. Justice Geoffrey Slaughter dissents, believing transfer should be denied.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Carl Lee Hill v. State of Indiana
19A-CR-02083
Criminal. Affirms Carl Hill’s 14-year sentence for convictions in Marion Superior Court of two counts of Level 5 felony reckless homicide and his adjudication as a habitual offender. Finds his convictions are not double jeopardy. Rejects Hill’s challenge to his sentence but remands to correct his sentence to attach the habitual offender sentence to one of his reckless homicide sentences rather than as a separate offense.

The following Indiana Tax Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Wednesday:

Grant County Assessor v. Randy & Sara Ballinger
19T-TA-19
Tax. Affirms the Indiana Board of Tax Review’s final determination that reduced the assessment of Randy and Sara Ballinger’s golf course land for the 2018 tax year. Finds that the Ballingers’ evidence best reflected the market value-in-use of their Walnut Creek golf course land. Thus, finds no basis for reversing the Indiana Board’s conclusion.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Gilley’s Antique Mall, et al. v. Doug Sarver  
20A-EX-00396
Agency. Reverses the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board’s ruling that Gilley’s Antique Mall and co-owner Jeff Hines were secondarily responsible for Doug Sarver’s injuries sustained during a construction accident. Concludes that the Board’s decision to add Gilley’s and Hines as defendants outside the two-year statute of limitations period was erroneous and contrary to the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act.

The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline on Monday:
Brian W. Kinman v. State of Indiana
20S-CR-569
Criminal. Grants transfer to Brian Kinman’s petition and summarily affirms the portion of the Indiana Court of Appeals opinion finding that Kinman’s oral motion to withdraw his guilty plea was procedurally defective. Finds the Fayette Circuit Court did not abuse its discretion in denying Kinman’s motion. However, also finds the trial court failed to include in its summary order any findings or conclusions on the issues Kinman raised in his de facto petition for post-conviction relief. Remands for entry of a revised order that complies with Indiana’s Post-Conviction Rules, including Rule 1(6).

Indiana Court of Appeals
M.A. v. Review Board of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
20A-EX-160
Agency. Affirms the decision of the review board of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development affirming the decision of an administrative law judge that M.A. had insufficient wage credits to meet the statutory requirements to establish a claim for unemployment benefits. Finds the board did not err when it affirmed the ALJ’s decision denying M.A. unemployment benefits.

Indiana Court of Appeals
In the Matter of the Supervised Estate of Donald L. Moster, Sr., Deceased; Lisa Voltz, Successor Personal Representative, and Donald L. Moster, Jr. v. Rose M. Deschand (mem. dec.)
20A-ES-938
Estate. Affirms on interlocutory appeal the Hamilton Superior Court order denying Lisa Voltz’s and Donald L. Moster Jr.’s motion to void the marriage between Donald L. Moster Sr. and Rose M. Deschand. The trial court found insufficient evidence of a lack mental of physical and mental capacity for Donald Sr., and the trial court did not err in denying the motion.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Joel Barrozo v. State of Indiana
19A-CR-2037
Criminal. Vacates one of Joel Barrozo’s reckless driving convictions due to double jeopardy grounds. Remands to St. Joseph Superior Court with instructions to vacate one of those convictions and to resentence accordingly. However, affirms his remaining convictions for three counts of Level 5 felony reckless homicide, Class A misdemeanor reckless driving, and one count of Class A misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Bryan L. Flowers v. State of Indiana
19A-CR-322
Criminal. Affirms Bryan Flowers’ aggregate 85-year sentence for conviction of murder. Finds the Allen Superior Court did not abuse its discretion and that the sentence is not inappropriate based on the nature of the offense and Flowers’ character.

7^th Circuit Court of Appeals
Bruce Webster v. T. Watson
19-2683
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Terre Haute Division. Judge William T. Lawrence.
Civil. Affirms the Southern District Court’s decision vacating Bruce Webster’s death sentence based on a finding that he is intellectually disabled. Finds the district court’s findings contain no clear error.

The following 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion was posted after IL deadline Friday:
Christopher Andre Vialva v. T. J. Watson, Warden, United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute
20-2710
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Terre Haute Division. Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Civil. Affirms the denial of petition for writ of habeas corpus sought by Christopher Andre Vialva, thereby denying his request for a stay of execution. Finds Vialva has not established even a better-than-negligible chance of prevailing in his quest for another round of collateral review.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Michaele Schon and Neal Schon v. Mike Frantz, ESG Security, Inc., Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, and Live Nation Worldwide, Inc.
20A-CT-741
Civil tort. Affirms the grant of summary judgment in Allen Superior Court in favor of Allen County War Memorial Coliseum against claims brought by Michaele and Neal Schon for an alleged injury Michaele sustained during a Journey concert. Finds the trial court did not deprive the Schons of an opportunity to conduct additional discovery, that the coliseum is a political subdivision under the Indiana Tort Claims Act and is immune from liability under the ITCA.

The following 7th Circuit opinion was posted after IL deadline Wednesday.
John Myers v. Ron Neal
19-3158
Civil. Denies rehearing and rehearing en banc. Amends the opinion to grant remand to the district court to address the two claims Myers advanced under Brady v. Maryland.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Shannon M North, et al. v. Selective Insurance Co of South Carolina
20A-PL-0063
Civil plenary. Affirms the Allen County Superior Court’s denial of Shannon and Miles Norths’ motion for partial summary judgment against Selective Insurance Co. of South Carolina. Finds the trial court did not err in granting the motion and in granting Selective’s motion for summary judgment.

Indiana Court of Appeals
James T Knight v. State of Indiana
20A-CR-068
Criminal. Reverses the Carroll Circuit Court’s imposition of the community service probation condition for licensed attorney James T. Knight. Finds that the trial court complied with the procedural requirements of Indiana Code § 35-38-2-1.8 when it held a new probation hearing. However, also finds that the imposition of the community service condition was beyond the trial court’s discretion where the plea agreement contained language that limited the trial court’s discretion to impose that condition.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Molly Ann Melton v. Indiana Athletic Trainers Board, et al.
19A-CT-1972
Civil tort. Affirms in part the Marion Superior Court’s grant of summary judgment on Molly Melton’s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claims for alleged violations of her constitutional rights in the disciplinary process leading to the suspension of her athletic training license. Finds the trial court properly granted summary judgment to the Indiana Athletic Trainers Certification Board, the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency and others, but erred in granting relief on Melton’s petition for judicial review. Thus, reverses the trial court’s judicial review order.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Richard D. Moseley and Lisa M. Moseley v. Trustees of Larkin Baptist Church and the Larkin Baptist Church, an unincorporated association
20A-PL-98
Civil plenary. Affirms the Spencer Circuit Court’s order granting summary judgment for the Trustees of Larkin Baptist Church and the Larkin Baptist Church on Richard and Lisa Moseleys’ adverse possession counterclaim in the church’s action to quiet title. Finds that the Moseleys did not designate evidence sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact. Also finds that the trial court did not err.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Indiana Family Institute Inc., et al. v. City of Carmel, et al.
19A-MI-2991
Miscellaneous. Affirms the grant of summary judgment to the cities of Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus and Indianapolis on the complaint brought by the Indiana Family Institute, Indiana Family Action and the American Family Association challenging the “fix” to the 2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Hamilton Superior Court’s denial of a motion for judicial notice. Finds the plaintiff-appellants have not demonstrated that nondiscrimination ordinances in the defendant cities have interfered with or chilled their First Amendment rights. Also finds they are not facing the threat of an impending injury or a substantial risk of harm from the nondiscrimination ordinances. Declines to address the appellants’ arguments regarding judicial review.