Brisco, Lund nominated to IN Northern District Court
St. Joseph Superior Judge Cristal C. Brisco and Elkhart Superior Judge Gretchen S. Lund were nominated to the federal bench in a Wednesday announcement from the White House.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
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Benched basketball player denied injunction against coach for ‘slight, speculative’ harms
A federal judge has denied a benched girls basketball player’s request for a preliminary injunction against her coach and school district, determining the teen’s alleged harms are “slight, speculative, and economic.”
Judge denies motion to dismiss complaint brought by employee whose wife’s insurance was canceled just before cancer surgery
A man’s complaint against his employer after insurance coverage for his child and wife, who has breast cancer, was canceled can proceed with his claim after a federal judge denied the company’s motion to dismiss.
School district, ex-wrestling coach who slapped student win summary judgment in federal court
A former high school wrestling coach who slapped a student and the school district he worked for have won summary judgment in federal court on claims filed by the student and her mother.
Former Elkhart police officer gets 1 year for civil rights violations
A former officer with the Elkhart Police Department was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for his role in assaulting a handcuffed detainee, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
IN Northern District posts opening to fill potential Kolar magistrate vacancy
With Indiana Northern District Magistrate Judge Joshua Kolar awaiting a confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the district court is preparing to fill the anticipated magistrate judge vacancy.
DCS employees sued in federal court in continued fallout from child death case
Two Indiana Department of Child Services case workers and a former director in LaPorte County are facing a federal lawsuit over a 4-year-old who was tortured and killed by his parents, the most recent development in the legal fallout from the child’s death.
Distributor made ‘commercially reasonable’ efforts to sell products, 7th Circuit affirms
A group of medical device firm shareholders failed to show that a distributor didn’t make a reasonable effort to sell their products, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday.
IN Northern District, 7th Circuit still waiting for vacancies to be filled: Magnus-Stinson announcement means IN Southern District will also soon have an opening
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson has announced she will be assuming senior status in July 2024. That means the Biden administration will need to fill another federal judicial vacancy in Indiana.
Kolar fields 1st questions from Senate Judiciary Committee as 7th Circuit nominee
The nominee to fill an Indiana vacancy on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals faced some challenging questions on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as he took a first step toward possible confirmation by the full U.S. Senate.
Federal magistrate denies recusal motion in Purdue Title IX lawsuit
A federal magistrate judge in the Indiana Northern District Court has denied a motion to recuse brought by a male student at Purdue University who was expelled after the school determined he had sexually assaulted a female student.
7th Circuit certifies question of what constitutes ‘arson’ to IN Supreme Court, stays appeal challenging enhanced sentence for felon-in-possession conviction
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is asking the Indiana Supreme Court to provide guidance on what constitutes “arson” under state law.
IN Northern District celebrates retiring Senior Judge Miller
The Indiana Northern District Court will formally present a resolution to Senior Judge Robert Miller Jr. on Friday to celebrate the renaming of one of the South Bend courtrooms in his honor ahead of his retirement this month.
Gender identity, sexual preference not established rights to privacy in criminal/child welfare cases, 7th Circuit affirms
A district court ruled correctly in granting summary judgment and denying a transgender man and his significant other’s claims that they had their rights to privacy violated, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed.
IN Northern District magistrate Kolar tapped to replace Kanne on 7th Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana Magistrate Judge Joshua P. Kolar has been nominated to fill the vacancy on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals created by the death last summer of Judge Michael Kanne.
Federal judge vacates verdict in civil rights suit against Hammond, former officer after parties settle
A federal judge has agreed to vacate a jury verdict that awarded a man $25.5 million in his lawsuit alleging a now-retired police officer violated his civil rights and deprived him of a fair trial. The parties requested vacatur after reaching a settlement.
Vehicular hijacking constitutes ‘crime of violence’ for sentence enhancement, 7th Circuit affirms
A man’s conviction for aggravated vehicular hijacking met the criteria to be classified as a crime of violence for the purposes of a sentence enhancement, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed.
Brady named IN Northern District chief judge
Judge Holly Brady is the new chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, replacing now-Senior Judge Jon DeGuilio.
7th Circuit: Discrepancy between jury instructions, indictment doesn’t change conviction in child sexual exploitation case
A discrepancy between the jury instructions and indictment didn’t warrant overturning a man’s conviction in a child sexual exploitation case, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in affirming a district court’s decision.
7th Circuit affirms verdict, summary judgment in excessive force suit against deputies
A man who was hit and tased by law enforcement after his mother requested a wellness check failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that the sheriff’s deputies entered the home unlawfully and used excessive force.