Indiana man cites religious freedom law for not paying taxes
Attorneys for an Indianapolis man have argued before a state appellate court that Indiana's religious freedom law protects him from paying taxes.
Oral arguments
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Justices weigh whether child abuse reporter can sue DCS for breach of confidentiality
A southern Indiana church van driver who suspected children to be in need of services due to dangerous living conditions in his small community followed the law requiring him to report his suspicions. He didn’t want to provide his name, but he did so after a Department of Child Services hotline worker assured him his identity would remain confidential, as the law also requires.
DCS insists no right to sue over disclosed identity
A state attorney argued before the Indiana Supreme Court Thursday that the Department of Child Services cannot be sued by a man who reported suspected child abuse but whose promise of confidentiality was violated when his identity was disclosed to those he reported.
COA considers jury trial in State Fair stage collapse suit against ESG Security
Five years after severe weather brought the stage of the Indiana State Fair grandstand to the ground, killing seven people and injuring dozens of others, the final defendant in the ensuing litigation is asking that summary judgment in its favor be upheld.
Supreme Court takes oral arguments to Ball State
The justices of the Indiana Supreme Court will travel to Ball State University next week to hear oral arguments in a case involving a karate injury.
Justices consider rights of privacy vs. public safety in 4th Amendment case
At the center of an Indiana Supreme Court oral argument Thursday was the question of when exigent circumstances and an officer’s community caretaker role trump a citizen’s right to protection from unlawful searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment.
Justices seem wary of limiting insider trading prosecutions
The U.S. Supreme Court seemed unlikely on Wednesday to place new limits on the ability of prosecutors to crack down on insider trading on Wall Street.
Justices hear home explosion appeal
Nearly four years after he orchestrated an Indianapolis home explosion that killed two people, Mark Leonard is arguing that he should not have to spend the rest of his life in prison because his Sixth Amendment rights were violated.
Indiana Supreme Court hears arguments in home explosion appeal
Defense counsel for Mark Leonard, the man convicted of killing two people in a 2012 home explosion, argued before the Indiana Supreme Court Thursday that Leonard’s constitutional rights to an attorney were violated when an undercover officer posed as a hitman in prison and questioned Leonard, without his attorney present, about his plan to have a key witness killed.
Notre Dame police want records secret, ESPN lawyer argues
Case pits arguments for strict statutory interpretation against a determination based on public policy.
Judges blister Pence’s position, solicitor general in Syrian refugee case
Near the conclusion of more than 50 sometimes shouted questions and incredulous interruptions of Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher on Wednesday, exasperated 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner said to him, “Honestly. You are so out of it.”
Lawyers questioned over Indiana’s Syrian refugees order
Attorneys defending Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's order to bar state agencies from helping Syrian refugees resettle in his state have been fiercely questioned by a federal appeals court.
ESPN to argue for Notre Dame records at Supreme Court
ESPN will continue its efforts Tuesday to obtain records regarding incidents involving student athletes from the University of Notre Dame Police Department. The Indiana Supreme Court will hold oral arguments Tuesday morning.
Justices weigh gun store’s liability in policeman’s shooting
A gun store’s possible liability for making a straw sale of a handgun that wounded an Indianapolis police officer is a matter of first impression for Indiana and a case watched closely for legal and policy implications nationwide.
Gun store argues no liability for straw sale linked to officer’s shooting
Lawyers for a gun store sued for making an illegal straw sale of a firearm that was used to shoot an Indianapolis police officer argued Wednesday that Indiana gun sellers are shielded from civil lawsuits even when they break the law.
60 teachers to get Supreme Court education
Sixty teachers from schools in 35 Indiana counties will take part next week in a court education and history program sponsored by the Indiana Supreme Court and the Indiana Historical Society. Judges and lawyers nominated the educators earlier this year.
$25M verdict poses tough questions for COA
Hearing arguments about a case that resulted in what may be among the largest awards for loss of consortium, the Indiana Court of Appeals repeatedly questioned what amount of damages is too much and when a jury’s decision should be overturned.
7th Circuit sets arguments in Exodus vs. Pence Syrian refugee case
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s appeal of a ruling blocking his bid to suspend resettlement of Syrian war refugees in the state will be heard by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals less than two months before voters decide if he will be the nation’s next vice president.
COA hears arguments in $25M wrongful death verdict
In a wrongful death case argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals Tuesday, the panel considered the questions of when are damages too high and when should an appellate court set aside a jury’s verdict?
Caseworker vs. DCS
Despite a caseworker’s lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Child Services, her employer says she’s right: There aren’t enough caseworkers to handle the exploding growth in cases of Indiana children and families in crisis. But that’s where the agreement ends.