Judge denies defense motions for Indy house blast suspect
The defense of a suspect in a 2012 Indianapolis house explosion that killed two people and damaged dozens of homes has been dealt a setback after a judge denied two of its motions.
St. Joseph County
Articles
Appeals panel reinstates med-mal case
A trial court erred in granting summary judgment to a hospital and a doctor who performed a hysterectomy during which an arm board became unattached. After the patient’s arm dangled for much of the surgery, she was diagnosed with nerve damage in her arm.
ESPN sues Notre Dame over police records involving athletes
ESPN has filed a lawsuit against University of Notre Dame, alleging the school is violating Indiana's public record laws by withholding police incident reports about possible campus crimes involving certain student-athletes.
Judicial officers in demand
Seven counties are asking the Legislature for 11 magistrates to handle increasing caseloads.
St. Joseph County’s proposed abortion doctor law stalls
A push in South Bend to require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital has stalled.
Adoption case presents issues of first impression
Adoption laws are evolving, as evidenced by a case before the Indiana Supreme Court and a separate push for a pre-birth abandonment bill aimed at biological fathers who don’t support their baby’s mother during pregnancy.
Indiana woman seeks dismissal of feticide charge
A northern Indiana woman's lawyer is seeking the dismissal of a feticide charge she faces in the death of her baby whose body was found in a restaurant trash bin.
St. Joseph County gets $399,000 grant to fight elder abuse
St. Joseph County will receive a $399,000 Department of Justice grant for training and services designed to combat violence against elderly and vulnerable populations.
Judiciary interim study committee to vote on magistrates
The Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary is expected to vote Thursday on endorsing magistrate judge requests from seven Indiana counties.
Annual Red Masses bless lawyers, judges and government officials
With the start of October comes the celebration of the ancient rite of the Red Mass. Two masses, meant to convey God’s blessing on those who serve the law, will be held in Indiana.
Judiciary study committee to consider new judges, consent to adoption
The Indiana General Assembly’s Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary meets Thursday for the first time this year and will look at the addition of judges in several counties.
Judges affirm convictions in fatal home invasion
The state presented sufficient evidence to support a man’s conviction of robbery, which was based on a theory of accomplice liability, the Court of Appeals ruled. The charge stems from a home invasion in St. Joseph County during a family gathering.
Judges reverse 8 forgery convictions based on fake ballot signatures
A St. Joseph County man charged with multiple counts of forgery after falsifying signatures on an election ballot petition for Barack Obama in 2008 was not prejudiced when the state was allowed to amend the charging information at the end of his trial. But, the Indiana Court of Appeals held the evidence only supports convicting him of one count of forgery, not nine.
St. Joseph Family Justice Center marks 10th year with national event
The Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County, a one-stop help center for victims of domestic violence and their children, is marking the 10th anniversary of its founding with public events and training sessions as it hosts the National Family Justice Center Initiative Wednesday through Friday.
Loss of power disrupts courts in Northern Indiana
A major power outage in Northern Indiana has shut down the federal courthouse in downtown South Bend.
COA heads to northern Indiana for ‘Appeals on Wheels’
The Indiana Court of Appeals will travel to northern Indiana Wednesday to hear arguments in Lake and St. Joseph counties involving two criminal cases.
St. Joseph County plans events to mark passage of crime victims’ legislation
The 2014 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, a law that provides support services and compensation for crime victims.
COA tackles 2 issues of first impression
The Indiana Court of Appeals addressed two new issues in a child solicitation and prostitution case regarding authenticating emails and text messages and whether the defendant’s actions actually constituted a crime.
Judges split over ruling in failed adoption case
A majority on the Indiana Court of Appeals Friday reversed summary judgment in favor of the facilitator of an adoption on a negligence claim brought by the adoptive parents after the baby’s biological father sought and was awarded custody.
Magistrate, expungement bills pass committee
Legislation updating Indiana’s expungement law – including language specifying where a petition for expungement must be filed – is now eligible for consideration by the full House. The expungement bill is one of several that moved out of committee Thursday.