Feds seek 15-month prison term for former Whiting mayor
Federal prosecutors are recommending a 15-month prison sentence for the former mayor of Whiting, who pleaded guilty to fraud and a tax crime.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Articles
Unwanted exposure: In right of publicity suits, models seek damages from adult clubs they say used images without permission
Professional models from across the globe are suing four Indiana strip clubs for using their photos without permission to advertise establishments located in Fort Wayne, Hammond and Indianapolis. The models are invoking Indiana’s Right of Publicity Statute, one of the strongest such laws in the nation.
Senate Committee holds Kirsch’s nomination to succeed Barrett
The Senate Judiciary Committee held consideration of Thomas Kirsch’s nomination until its Dec. 10 meeting, putting the U.S. Attorney for the Northern Indiana District’s confirmation to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a tight race against the clock.
Federal courts invite families to celebrate Bill of Rights through virtual event
As courts nationwide are celebrating the anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution’s first 10 Amendments during the month of December, families are invited to join in during a Wednesday evening event.
Investor loses appeal of ruling in favor of futures association
A derivatives investor whose longtime association with a trader soured before the trader was barred from dealing in commodity futures lost his appeal of a ruling in favor of the entity that regulates those traders.
Lawsuit settled over Indiana sheriff’s shoving of teenager
A federal lawsuit over allegations that the Allen County sheriff shoved a 15-year-old boy after drinking alcohol at a festival has been dismissed after the county agreed to a settlement.
Ex-Purdue prof, wife get probation for research funds fraud
A former Purdue University professor and his wife have been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a combined $1.6 million in restitution after pleading guilty to using more than $1 million in federal research funds for their own personal expenses.
Jury duty? No thanks, say many, forcing trials to be delayed
Jury duty notices have set Nicholas Philbrook’s home on edge with worries about him contracting the coronavirus and passing it on to his father-in-law, a cancer survivor with diabetes in his mid-70s who is at higher risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19.
Sentencing set for ex-Whiting mayor over campaign fund misuse
A former northwestern Indiana mayor faces a January sentencing after pleading guilty to charges that he illegally used public campaign donations to cover gambling losses.
Dozens of district courts suspend jury trials as COVID-19 cases surge
As a sharp rise in coronavirus cases sweeps the nation, nearly two dozen U.S. district courts – including both in Indiana – have ordered for the suspension of jury trials or grand jury proceedings, federal courts announced.
Southern District to halt trials, naturalizations due to COVID-19
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana announced Friday it is suspending jury trials and cancelling naturalization ceremonies in response to the continuing surge of COVID-19 cases in the state.
Hammond loses motion to dismiss after counsel makes misleading representation
An employment discrimination lawsuit against the city of Hammond will proceed after a federal court denied a motion to dismiss, finding counsel for the city had made misleading representations about her knowledge of the plaintiff’s hospitalization for a stroke.
Judge changes course, opts to keep ex-mayor’s bribery case
A federal judge who last week recused herself from the bribery case of a former northwestern Indiana mayor has changed course and will preside over the man’s retrial after all.
Indiana Northern District judge recuses herself from Portage mayor’s bribery retrial
A federal judge has recused herself from the bribery case of a former northwestern Indiana mayor only days after setting a date for his retrial in that case.
7th Circuit affirms consecutive federal, state sentences for South Bend crimes
How should federal judges decide whether sentences in federal prosecutions should run consecutively to or concurrently with sentences in unrelated state prosecutions? The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals tackled that question in a Monday decision, affirming a man’s decades-long sentence for his part in a South Bend kidnapping.
Indiana woman gets 6½ years for financing terrorism
An Indiana woman who pleaded guilty to providing financial support to the Islamic State group has been sentenced to 6½ years in prison, the Justice Department said Monday.
Ex-Portage mayor faces retrial on bribery charge
A former northwestern Indiana mayor is facing a December retrial on a federal charge alleging that he solicited a bribe from two local businessmen.
Gang member who says he beat up R. Kelly sentenced in deaths
A convicted gang member who said he beat up jailed R&B singer R. Kelly in a Chicago cell in August has been sentenced by an Indiana court to life in prison for a racketeering conviction that involved two 1999 murders.
Web Exclusive: Jury social media cautions revamped
Twenty years ago, most people learned about major court cases and trials from newspapers or local television stations. But with myriad online distribution channels and social media available at virtually everyone’s fingertips, staying up to date with the latest news has become and more accessible than ever.
Retired Magistrate Judge Cherry to serve Southern District as criminal duty magistrate
A retired magistrate judge of Indiana’s Northern District Court has been temporarily assigned to provide targeted assistance in the Indianapolis division of the Southern District Court, Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson announced Thursday.