Two law firms with southern Indiana presence to merge Jan. 1
The merger will unite more than 325 attorneys in 14 offices across four states.
Southern Indiana
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Female judges encourage women to seek out the bench, become ‘seed planters’
Women who aspire to become judges need mentors and role models to help show the way. One longtime Indiana appellate judge shared the value of such encouragement that speaks to the experience of many female jurists: “She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. That caused me to apply.”
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Making history: Pratt first African American chief judge of Southern District
New Southern District of Indiana Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt Pratt is focused on steps to reopen courthouses to the public as the country hopes to be quelling the COVID-19 virus and advocating in Congress for a new judgeship to help handle the court’s excessive caseload.
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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.
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AG Barr in Indianapolis discusses efforts to reduce violent crime
The last time William Barr was attorney general of the United States, violent crime in the nation was at an all-time high. And now, after years of decline, the year of COVID has created another surge. The nation’s top law enforcement official stopped in Indianapolis on Thursday to address crime-fighting strategies.
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Articles
Boy found dead in April identified, mother 1 of 2 suspects
A boy found dead inside a suitcase last spring in rural southern Indiana has been identified as a 5-year-old from Georgia, and police said Wednesday that the child’s mother and another woman are suspects in his death.
Justices grant transfer in disputed energy utility case, deny nine others
Indiana Supreme Court justices granted transfer to one case last week regarding a dispute that resulted in a reversal for several environmental groups against a southern Indiana electric company.
Federal judge denies injunctive relief to USI student suspended for sexual assault
A University of Southern Indiana student who was suspended for three semesters for sexual assault has failed in his bid to obtain a court order allowing him to return to the Evansville university immediately.
Man faces murder charge after girlfriend’s remains found
A southern Indiana man was jailed in connection with the death of his 37-year-old girlfriend whose remains were found in a shallow grave.
Federal court dismisses claim by Conrad Hotel in downtown Indy for insurer to cover COVID-19 losses
An Indianapolis hotel that shut down temporarily – and at one point completely – last year due to plummeting occupancy rates during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has struck out in a fight with its insurance company over a breached contract after a Southern Indiana District Court judge ruled for the insurer.
Nearly half of eligible Hoosiers now vaccinated for COVID-19
Nearly half of Indiana residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus despite a continuing drop in the number of Hoosiers getting the jab each day.
Ponzi schemer Cochran escalates fight for early release on COVID grounds
Jim Cochran, the former Indianapolis businessman serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the massive Fair Finance Ponzi scheme, is asking a Chicago appeals court for early release on the grounds that his health problems could make contracting COVID-19 lethal and that he has undergone a religious conversion that no longer makes him a risk to society.
Judge upholds Indiana laws restricting wine deliveries
Indiana laws restricting the delivery of wine to consumers have been upheld by a federal judge who rejected constitutional challenges from an out-of-state retailer, in contrast to another recent ruling in a case challenging state alcohol licensing laws.
Judge blocks ‘discriminatory’ residency, sales requirements for alcohol permits
An Indiana law requiring bars and restaurants owned by out-of-state entrepreneurs to gross more than $100,000 in food sales each year to receive an Indiana alcohol permit has been permanently struck down as unconstitutional by a federal judge.
Garcia sworn in as Indiana Southern District magistrate judge
The first Hispanic judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has officially taken his seat on the bench.
COA majority holds Clark Co. REMC breached insurance contract, but dissent finds ‘logical fallacy’
A local utility breached its contract with its former directors when it revoked their health insurance coverage, a majority of the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled. A dissenting judge, however, found that the majority engaged in a “logical fallacy” in holding that the utility was obligated to continue providing coverage to the plaintiffs.
Druidism must be recognized in Department of Correction, judge rules
Druidism could soon become a formally recognized religion within the Indiana Department of Correction after a federal judge granted injunctive relief to a prisoner who claimed his religious rights were violated by the lack of communal Druid services in the DOC.
Man sentenced 75 years for bomb threats, extortion
A California man accused of making online threats to bomb two suburban Indianapolis high schools in addition to a slew of other crimes was sentenced Friday by a federal judge to 75 years in prison.
Indiana Southern District to resume in-person jury trials in April
The Southern Indiana District Court has announced plans to resume in-person jury trials in April following a months-long hiatus due to the pandemic. Jury trials in Southern District courts are expected to resume April 5, and clerk offices in all divisions will reopen to the public next week.
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.
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.
COA rules against gun range owners despite officials’ failure to take oaths
Though certain Jefferson County officials failed to take their oaths of office, that failure does not invalidate the officials’ zoning complaint against a local couple, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
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.
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.