US inmate scheduled to be executed tests positive for virus
A federal prisoner scheduled to be executed just days before President-elect Joe Biden takes office has tested positive for coronavirus, his lawyer said Thursday.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
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Southern District suspends in-person trials till March
The Indiana Southern District Court has suspended all in-person jury trials until next year, a move announced just days after the Indiana Supreme Court implemented the same restrictions in state court due to the pandemic. Federal in-person jury trials in the Northern District also have been continued until at least late January.
Men convicted in 70s-themed armed robberies lose resentencing appeal
Two men who committed a string of armed robberies in 2015 while donning 1970s-themed disguises could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that their new sentences should be reversed.
7th Circuit vacates judgment, dismisses HOA debt dispute
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has tossed a dispute over unpaid homeowners’ association fees, finding that a letter sent to a couple who owed thousands to their HOA did not cause them any concrete harm.
Mothers in birth certificate case win at US Supreme Court
In an order issued Monday, the United States Supreme Court denied certiorari in an Indiana birth certificate case, ending the state’s long-running fight to prevent non-birth mothers in same-sex marriages from being listed as a parent on their children’s birth certificates.
US executes Louisiana truck driver who killed daughter, 2
The Trump administration continued its series of post-election federal executions Friday by putting to death a Louisiana truck driver who severely abused his 2-year-old daughter for weeks in 2002, then killed her by slamming her head repeatedly against a truck’s windows and dashboard.
AG Hill sues Nevada company for fraudulent sale of 3M masks
A Nevada company already facing a federal lawsuit in Indiana for efforts to defraud the state into buying respiratory masks the company didn’t have access to is now facing a state-court complaint brought by the Indiana attorney general.
Inmate scheduled for Thursday execution asks 7th Circuit for a stay
With mere hours left before his scheduled execution, Brandon Bernard is awaiting a decision from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that could delay his death by lethal injection.
Judge declines to stop federal executions because of COVID
A federal judge in Indiana has declined to put a hold on upcoming federal executions, finding that although the executions likely present a COVID-related risk, the inmates who sued to stop the executions have not shown that they personally will be at risk of contracting the virus.
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.
Judge denies Thursday execution stay as pause urged due to COVID
An Indiana judge has declined to stay a federal execution scheduled for Thursday at the Terre Haute federal prison. Meanwhile, another judge is considering whether the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means all upcoming executions should indefinitely be put on hold.
Blind voters claim Indiana absentee voting system is discriminatory
A group of blind Hoosiers and their advocates have filed a lawsuit against Indiana, claiming the state’s absentee voting scheme that forces them to “permit virtual strangers to fill out their ballots” violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Southern District Court announces appointment of newest magistrate judge
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana announced its newest magistrate judge on Friday, who will help alleviate the overwhelming caseload faced by one of the busiest federal court districts in the country.
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.
Female tenant settles sexual harassment suit against Indianapolis landlord
An Indianapolis landlord has agreed to pay nearly $46,000 to settle a lawsuit that alleged he proposed exchanging sex for rent from a female tenant who lost her job during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full 7th Circuit rejects federal execution appeal over mental capacity
In a 7-2 decision, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected a federal death row inmate’s request for an en banc rehearing after a panel of the court in October refused to stay his execution due to his claimed mental incapacity.
Trial postponed in case of alleged excessive force in Muncie
A judge has granted a long delay in the trial of three Muncie police officers who were charged in an investigation of excessive force.
Federal judge strikes Terre Haute zoning ordinance that blocked strip club
A federal judge has seemingly made a way for a new strip club to open in Terre Haute by granting a preliminary injunction against a zoning scheme that has kept the club from opening.
Judge: Kosher meals don’t infringe on Muslim inmate’s rights
A Muslim inmate in the Indiana Department of Correction is not entitled to a halal diet, a federal judge has ruled, finding that the inmate failed to prove that eating a kosher diet instead would violate his Islamic beliefs.
Indiana Southern District closes clerk’s offices to public
Federal court clerk’s offices across the Southern District of Indiana are now closed to the public indefinitely as the months-long COVID-19 pandemic continues.