Jury convicts former Portage mayor of bribery in retrial
A federal jury convicted a former northwestern Indiana mayor on a bribery charge Friday in his retrial on allegations he solicited and accepted a $13,000 bribe from a trucking company.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
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Southern Indiana District Court on list for more judges
The Judicial Conference of the United States is asking Congress to create 79 new judgeships in federal courts across the country, including adding two new permanent judges in the Southern Indiana District Court.
Maley: Recurring removal issues show numerous pitfalls
Removal from state court to federal court is a routine aspect of federal court practice, though one fraught with procedural pitfalls. Federal judges in Indiana frequently address removal issues, yet errors continue.
Report: Federal civil cases soared, criminal filings fell in 2020
In a year unlike any other, marked by an unrelenting pandemic and social unrest, the federal judiciary witnessed a dramatic surge in civil case filings while criminal matters sharply declined. The national trend, however, was not the experience of Indiana’s federal courts.
ALJ’s denial of disability benefits over potential side effects upheld
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed an administrative law judge’s decision that a northern Indiana woman is not disabled, finding that any conclusions about her medication’s side effects would be pure speculation.
Woman’s 30-year federal sex trafficking sentence upheld on appeal
A northwestern Indiana woman who operated three massage spas and was convicted of sex trafficking in a case a federal court called “a modern form of slavery” lost an appeal of her conviction and 30-year sentence Thursday.
Insurer must pay malpractice settlement, 7th Circuit affirms
Judgment against an insurer in the most recent decision involving a nearly 20-year-old medical malpractice case was affirmed Tuesday by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Jury selection set in ex-Portage mayor’s bribery retrial
Jury selection is set to begin Monday in a former northwestern Indiana mayor’s long-delayed retrial on a federal charge alleging that he solicited a bribe from two businessmen.
Goshen bankruptcy preparer pleads guilty to federal indictment
A nonlawyer who prepared bankruptcy petitions for northern Indiana clients has pleaded guilty to two counts of subornation of perjury for falsely claiming in court filings that she was paid half the fee she actually charged clients.
Indiana woman admits spending $86K in public funds on self
A Jay County woman has pleaded guilty to diverting more than $86,000 in public funds and spending it on personal indulgences during her time as a township trustee.
Web Exclusive: Lozano Bar supports Latino lawyers with personal, professional resources
Shared experiences bring people together. That’s particularly true of the members of the Rudy Lozano Bar Association, a northwest Indiana group dedicated to serving Latino legal professionals. Formerly known as the Northwest Indiana Hispanic Bar Association, the group filed articles of incorporation under its new name in February 2020. Its namesake is the late federal Judge Rodolfo “Rudy” Lozano, who died in July 2018.
Farmworkers awarded $460K in wage theft, labor trafficking judgment
A northern Indiana federal court has ordered a farm in Fowler and its owners to pay more than $460,000 in compensation and damages to nine farmworkers who alleged they were forced to work without pay, housed in abysmal conditions and threatened, among other claims.
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.
Suspended attorney sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for tax evasion
A former Schererville personal injury and medical malpractice attorney who pleaded guilty to tax evasion has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. The attorney, who was suspended from the practice of law last year, also was ordered to make restitution of more than $1.7 million.
7th Circuit extinguishes fraudster-arsonist’s appeal
A convicted insurance fraudster whose M.O. was arson has lost his appeal of his mail fraud convictions, with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejecting his argument that evidence of arson was improperly admitted at his fraud trial.
Hammond man facing federal drug sentence charged in Capitol breach
A Northwest Indiana man charged with participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol could face trial in Washington on misdemeanor counts. The man had been awaiting sentencing in a separate case involving gang-related drug conspiracy charges.
Northern District seeking new clerk as Trgovich to retire
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana is accepting applications for a new clerk of court in anticipation of a vacancy in the post this summer. The current clerk, Robert N. Trgovich, has announced he will retire this summer.
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.”
Former Whiting mayor who stole money to gamble avoids prison
A former Whiting mayor who pleaded guilty to charges that he spent about a quarter-million dollars in campaign funds to gamble and pay personal bills avoided prison on Wednesday when a federal judge ordered he be placed on two years’ probation and home detention for one year.