Ex-Charlestown zoo owner released from jail as nonprofit is dissolved
The controversial owner of a now-defunct Charlestown zoo is vowing to “prepare for war” after his roadside attraction was formally dissolved.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
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Indiana election suit plaintiffs waiting for fees, watching voting statutes
In the only election lawsuit the state did not appeal, the plaintiffs have filed a third request with the Southern Indiana District Court for more time in filing a petition for attorney fees.
Arbitrators deny J.P. Morgan’s request for damages against three former advisers
An arbitration panel has denied J.P. Morgan Securities LLC’s request to collect more than $1.5 million in damages and fees from three former Carmel employees who left the firm to join Raymond James & Associates in 2018.
Lawsuit claims IU violated Constitution in search of ID card data
Four students at Indiana University Bloomington who were part of an investigation into allegations of hazing at a fraternity have filed a federal lawsuit and are trying to block the school from accessing the swipe data from students’ ID cards without a warrant.
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.
High court won’t extend Wisconsin’s absentee ballot deadline
The Supreme Court is siding with Republicans to prevent Wisconsin from counting mailed ballots that are received after Election Day.
Federal court rejects archdiocese’s religious exemption claim in Roncalli case
Ruling the religious exemption in Title VII should be narrowly construed so as to avoid stripping employees of all protections against discrimination, the Southern Indiana District Court denied a motion for judgment on the pleadings by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in a lawsuit brought by a guidance counselor who was fired from her job at Roncalli High School for being in a same-sex marriage.
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.
7th Circuit upholds noon Election Day deadline for receipt of absentee ballots
Absentee ballots received by local election officials after noon on Election Day will not be counted, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled, reversing a lower court that had issued an injunction in light of likely mail slowdowns caused by a surge in mail-in voting due to the pandemic.
Fighting words: Pro se’s 20-year legal battle morphs into crusade over perceived unfairness
Peter Prostyakov, a native of Moscow who’s now a U.S. Citizen living in Carmel, details what he concedes is his convoluted journey into the federal judicial system, where he believes courts act unfairly toward him and other self-represented litigants.
In abortion regulation suit, judge’s split opinion lets some claims proceed
Laws regarding the regulation of abortion clinics in Indiana that were challenged by the operators of a South Bend clinic that opened last year were upheld in part by a federal judge’s ruling, but the suit also was allowed to continue in part.
7th Circuit fast-tracks appeal over noon Election Day deadline for receipt of absentee ballots
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has given parties just days to file briefs in an expedited appeal over a state law requiring election officials to receive absentee ballots by noon on Election Day. The court’s fast track positions it to rule on the matter just weeks ahead of the Nov. 3 election, while it issued a sharply divided opinion Thursday upholding a somewhat similar law in a Wisconsin case.
7th Circuit affirms restrictions on absentee voting; judge stays injunction in noon deadline case
The effort to allow all Hoosiers to vote by absentee ballot in the November presidential election has been blocked by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals which, in an echo of the state’s argument, found Election Day is too close to make any changes now. In a separate case, a judge temporarily stayed pending appeal an order blocking an Indiana law that requires absentee ballots be received by noon to be counted.
AG Hill appeals ruling blocking noon Election Day absentee receipt law
Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office is appealing a judge’s ruling that absentee ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 must be counted. Meanwhile, the state acknowledged in its filing that election officials are taking steps to count those ballots if the judge’s order stands.
Hearing officer recommends dismissal of Mackey discipline case
The attorney discipline case accusing high-profile Barnes & Thornburg partner Larry Mackey of an improper relationship with the ex-wife of a former Fishers money manager client who was convicted of securities fraud should be dismissed, the hearing officer in his case has recommended.
Challenges to Indiana voting laws pile up in 7th Circuit, which will livestream one today
Indiana’s prohibition against no-excuse absentee voting goes before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday afternoon, with the plaintiffs trying to convince the appellate panel to reverse the district judge’s ruling and allow all registered Hoosier voters to cast their ballots by mail in the Nov. 3 presidential election. The federal appeals court will livestream oral arguments in the case.
Southern District Court to discuss suffrage at history symposium
The struggle for women’s suffrage in Indiana will take center stage at the 13th annual Court History and Continuing Legal Education Symposium next month in the second presentation of a three-part symposium hosted by the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
Federal judge blocks Indiana’s noon deadline for receiving mail-in ballots
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a state law that declares mail-in absentee ballots late and invalid if they aren’t received by noon on Election Day.
‘Her Honor’: New painting reflects strength, diversity of women judges on Southern Indiana District Court
Looking up from her desk, Southern Indiana District Court Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson can have a moment of joy in a year where, as she noted, joyful moments have been too few. The object of her respite is “Her Honor,” a newly finished painting that depicts her and her female colleagues against a background of colorful bursts and expression to commemorate the achievement of women in the 100 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment.
State opposes ‘last minute change’ to polling hours law
The state of Indiana is trying to stop a federal judge’s ruling that would allow Hoosier voters themselves to go to state court and file for an extension of polling hours if problems arise with balloting on Election Day.