Former Lake Station mayor, wife sentenced in gambling scheme
The former mayor of Lake Station will serve four years in prison and pay tens of thousands of dollars in fines for using campaign money and city food pantry funds to gamble.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
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Residents of contaminated Indiana complex sue city officials
Residents forced to move out of a northwest Indiana public housing complex because of high levels of lead in the soil are suing city officials and the companies they say are responsible.
Judge: Elkhart school’s Christmas program didn’t violate law
A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that an Elkhart high school's Christmas program last year didn't violate constitutional prohibitions against the endorsement of religion by public entities.
Insurance fight prolongs Hartford City junk yard’s pollution
Five years of court battles haven't resolved the blame game between a western Indiana junk yard and one of the nation's largest insurance companies over water pollution.
Fired Elkhart city attorney files federal suit against mayor
A female Elkhart city attorney who claims the newly elected mayor fired her because he “wanted my own guy” has filed a federal lawsuit alleging her First Amendment rights were violated. She also claims age discrimination and violation of the Equal Pay Act.
South Bend family questions $18 award for police abuse
The family of a black teenager who was punched and handcuffed by three South Bend police officers then subdued with a stun gun in a case of mistaken identity is questioning why jurors awarded them just $18 in a lawsuit accusing the officers of violating his constitutional rights.
Disabled passenger’s PI suit against Austrian Airlines stays in Indiana
A Crown Point woman who claims employees of Austrian Airlines broke her leg after failing to accommodate her disability may proceed with her federal lawsuit in Hammond, a judge has ruled.
Inmate suit alleging no water for 10 days proceeds
An inmate who claims corrections officers at Westville Control Unit refused to provide him water for 10 days in December 2015 may proceed with his suit against them alleging cruel and unusual punishment, a federal judge ruled.
Federal court: Disbarred lawyer can’t seek judgeship
A disbarred Goshen lawyer who wanted to run for judge of Elkhart Circuit Court got nowhere trying to convince a federal judge he was wrongly denied the opportunity.
Gary bar loses by default, owes fight promoter $6,000
A Gary bar that allowed patrons to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship broadcast must pay more than $6,000 in damages for failing to pay for a license to air the broadcast, a federal judge ruled.
What’s in a name? Litigation, if it’s Square Donuts
A federal judge last week kept alive a lawsuit filed by a northern Indiana maker and seller of Square Donuts against Square Donuts Inc., the Terre Haute-based company that sells its trademarked treats mostly across the four corners of southern Indiana.
Official to plead guilty to tax assessment shakedown
A northwest Indiana assessor's office employee will plead guilty to allegedly shaking down businesses in exchange for reducing their tax assessments.
Court: Deputies may face personal liability in false-arrest case
Two Kosciusko County sheriff’s deputies may face personal liability stemming from a wrongful arrest and false imprisonment case, a federal judge has ruled.
Insurer who paid wrong party doesn’t have to pay correct one
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for an insurance company that acknowledged paying a death benefit to the wrong party but successfully argued that the proper recipient waived its right to the proceeds by allowing the wrong party to claim the money.
St. Joe Circuit judge named as new federal magistrate
St. Joseph Circuit Judge Michael G. Gotsch is moving from one court to another this year. The judge, who decided not to run for re-election, has been selected to serve as a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Ruling: Simon must face anti-trust suit from competitor
Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group must face an anti-trust lawsuit from a competitor that developed a northern Indiana shopping center near a Simon mall, a federal judge has ruled.
Northern District case filings plummet, federal courts report shows
Case filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana fell 43.9 percent between 2014 and 2015, according to statistics released Tuesday in the 2015 Judicial Business of the United States Courts report.
2 more join federal suit challenging live Nativity scene
Two more parents have joined a federal lawsuit challenging a northern Indiana school district using a live Nativity scene as part of its annual Christmas show.
Donnelly hopeful Indiana’s federal court vacancies will be filled soon
With U.S. District Judge Robert Miller Jr. preparing to take senior status in January, Indiana will have three judicial vacancies to fill on the federal bench.
Retiring federal Judge Robert Miller Jr. praised for legal analysis and temperament
With the exception of the year Judge Robert Miller Jr. spent clerking for the late U.S. District Judge Robert Grant, he has spent his entire working life wielding a gavel. He served for 11 years in St. Joseph Superior Court before his appointment to the federal bench.