Officials warn flood victims in the state to be wary of disaster opportunists
Authorities are now warning those reeling from the floods that ravaged northern and southern Indiana against these scammers.
St. Joseph County
Articles
COA affirms summary judgment for estate on negligence claim
An Indiana couple trying to bring a negligence claim against the lessor of a home with an allegedly-defective handrail can pursue neither a negligence per se argument nor a private-right-of-action argument, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Tuesday opinion discussing the differences between those doctrines.
Justices deny transfer to child molesting case
A northern Indiana child molester will not be permitted to argue his case before the Indiana Supreme Court after a majority of justices denied his petition to transfer, though two dissenting justices found omissions in the record that they believe warranting their review of the case.
South Bend settles excessive force lawsuit for $15K
The city of South Bend agreed to pay a man $15,000 to end a federal lawsuit alleging that a police officer used excessive force while arresting him during a 2014 traffic stop.
Appellate court remands for amended Abstract of Judgment
An Indiana trial court must enter an amended Abstract of Judgment for an offender recommended for the Indiana Department of Correction’s Purposeful Incarceration program after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the initial order did not explicitly allow for a sentence modification.
Michigan man gets probation in crash that killed Granger couple
A Michigan man who caused a crash that killed a northern Indiana couple has been sentenced to one year of probation.
Inmate found dead at St. Joseph County Jail
A male inmate at the St. Joseph County Jail was discovered dead in his cell during a routine check Sunday. The inmate had been housed alone in a medical cell, according to Sheriff Michael D. Grzegorek.
St. Joseph County Election Board seeks Braun investigation
The election board in the home county of Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly wants an investigation into whether Republican candidate Mike Brain filed bogus signatures to get on the primary ballot.
Applications open for coming Court of Appeals vacancy
Northern Indiana judges and lawyers may now apply to succeed long-serving Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Michael Barnes, Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush announced Wednesday.
COA affirms dismissal of malpractice suit against Barnes
A South Bend-based staffing company has failed to state a claim for relief in its legal malpractice complaint against Barnes & Thornburg LLP, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Tuesday opinion upholding the dismissal of the complaint against the law firm.
Barnes’ retirement from COA caps 40 years of public service
At 70, Judge Michael Barnes could continue to serve on the Indiana Court of Appeals for another five years before facing mandatory retirement. Instead, he’s thinking young. “Age and grandchildren change one’s perspective,” he said.
COA rejects murderer’s ineffective counsel arguments
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the denial of a murderer’s post-conviction relief petition, finding neither his trial nor his appellate counsel provided ineffective assistance.
Rethinking bail: Pretrial release and apps among trends here and nationwide
The drumbeat to reexamine the practice of cash bail in Indiana and nationally has grown louder in recent years as jails groan under the weight of overpopulation. A court pilot program in Indiana assesses risk while a private initiative in New York uses computing power to raise money to pay bail for nonviolent arrestees.
Attorney who failed to file appeal then lied about conduct suspended
An attorney who failed to timely file an appellant’s brief for a client seeking an expungement then lied about his work on the case has been suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for at least 90 days.
COA upholds summary judgment for bar
A northern Indiana man injured by robbers outside of a bar is not entitled to damages from the bar, the Indiana Court of Appeals wrote Wednesday, drawing on Indiana Supreme Court precedent to determine the man’s injuries were not foreseeable and the bar did not owe him a duty.
South Bend prosecutor looking into untested rape kits
A northern Indiana county prosecutor says he doesn’t know why hundreds of rape kits were not sent away to a crime lab for testing.
South Bend airport chief appointed to JNC
South Bend International Airport director Michael Daigle has been appointed to the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission as one of three lay representatives on the seven-member panel.
Court values land at 4 times St. Joseph County’s offer
A St. Joseph County official said he’s surprised a 37-acre tract in New Carlisle the county hopes to buy has been valued by court-appointed appraisers at more than four times what the county offered its owner.
Indianapolis police killing of driver gets new prosecutor
A judge on Tuesday appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into the fatal shooting of an unarmed black driver by Indianapolis police officers nearly two months ago.
State to retry man in St. Joe triple-murder case
A St. Joseph County man twice convicted in a triple homicide and sentenced to death will receive a third trial after the state announced Friday it had taken steps to begin a retrial.