Maley: Senior status for Springmann, Flaum creates vacancies
Rules governing divisional jurisdiction vary in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, as illustrated by some recent rulings.
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IU McKinney dean Bravo to speak at Southern District Black History Month event
Karen Bravo, the first person of color to serve as dean of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, will be the keynote speaker at the Indiana Southern District Court’s annual Black History Month event next month.
Supreme Court clears Barnes attorney Mackey in discipline case
The Indiana Supreme Court has cleared a well-known attorney and former federal prosecutor of misconduct charges stemming from a nearly decade-old matter. The court found Thursday “that the allegations of misconduct were not proven” in a one-page judgment in favor of Barnes & Thornburg partner Larry Mackey.
Family can pursue discrimination lawsuit against HOA
An African American family who claims to have been subjected to race-based harassment, taunts and threats from a neighbor in their Indianapolis subdivision can move forward with their lawsuit after a federal judge denied the homeowners association’s request to toss the case.
Motorists crossing Louisville bridges claim they were fraudulently billed
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, a group of drivers allege the vendors hired to operate the RiverLink toll system for the three bridges between Louisville, Kentucky, and southern Indiana fraudulently tacked on administrative fees and penalties.
Conseco settles life insurance class action for $27M
A nationwide class action against an Indiana insurer that alleged more than 3,600 policyholders were overcharged for premiums has been resolved through a $27 million settlement, plaintiffs’ attorneys said Friday. The settlement provides that each class member will receive at least $500, but most will receive $1,000 or more.
Southern District jury trial suspensions extended till April
The Indiana Southern District Court has suspended jury trials for an additional month, further delaying in-person trials through April 5 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The announcement came as the federal court chief judge cited “signs of increased coronavirus spread and evidence of resurgence.”
Judge halts first US execution of female inmate in 67 years
An Indiana federal judge has halted the U.S. government’s first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades, saying a court must first determine whether the Kansas woman who killed an expectant mother, cut the baby from her womb and then tried to pass off the newborn as her own is mentally competent.
Judge halts executions unless additional COVID precautions implemented
The federal executions scheduled for next week cannot proceed unless the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute takes additional measures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spread, a federal judge has ruled.
Southern Indiana school settles disability investigation over restraints
A school system based in Princeton that was investigated after a complaint that it used seclusion and restraints on students with disabilities has settled with the United States Department of Justice.
Web Exclusive: Garcia first Hispanic judge named to Southern District bench
In a Q&A with Indiana Lawyer, new Southern District of Indiana Mario Garcia said he anticipates utilizing his background and diverse legal experiences to help people resolve their legal issues quickly and justly.
Woman denied higher starting salary ‘because’ husband had a job wins reversal in pay discrimination case
A Muncie teacher who sued her employer after being told that her starting salary didn’t need to be higher because her husband had a job has secured a reversal in her favor on her pay discrimination claims.
DOJ: Operation Legend yields 94 violent crime arrests in Indy
Almost 100 individuals accused of violent crime in Indianapolis have been arrested and charged through a federal program designed to decrease violence across major U.S. cities, the Department of Justice has announced.
Lawsuit challenges Indiana laws on disposal of fetal remains
An Indianapolis abortion clinic is suing the state of Indiana, challenging provisions of a state law upheld last year by the U.S. Supreme Court requiring fetal remains to be buried or cremated after an abortion.
Year in Review: COVID-19 changed our lives, dominated 2020 news
Despite a landmark election, a Hoosier’s appointment to the United States Supreme Court and countless major developments in the Indiana legal community, this year belonged to the coronavirus, Indiana Lawyer’s top story of 2020.
US inmate scheduled to be executed tests positive for virus
A federal prisoner scheduled to be executed just days before President-elect Joe Biden takes office has tested positive for coronavirus, his lawyer said Thursday.
Men convicted in 70s-themed armed robberies lose resentencing appeal
Two men who committed a string of armed robberies in 2015 while donning 1970s-themed disguises could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that their new sentences should be reversed.
7th Circuit vacates judgment, dismisses HOA debt dispute
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has tossed a dispute over unpaid homeowners’ association fees, finding that a letter sent to a couple who owed thousands to their HOA did not cause them any concrete harm.
Mothers in birth certificate case win at US Supreme Court
In an order issued Monday, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari in an Indiana birth certificate case, ending the state’s long-running fight to prevent non-birth mothers in same-sex marriages from being listed as a parent on their children’s birth certificates.
US executes Louisiana truck driver who killed daughter, 2
The Trump administration continued its series of post-election federal executions Friday by putting to death a Louisiana truck driver who severely abused his 2-year-old daughter for weeks in 2002, then killed her by slamming her head repeatedly against a truck’s windows and dashboard.