Articles

Southern District finds ‘immediate need’ to remove, amend death penalty rule

The Indiana Southern District Court determined there was an immediate need to delete Local Criminal Rule 6-1 ­– Petitions Under 28 U.S.C. Section 2254 or 2255 in Cases Involving a Sentence of Capital Punishment, according to a Monday notice. In response, the rule was replaced with the adoption of Local Criminal Rule 38-2 – Cases Challenging the Conviction and/or Sentence Where a Sentence of Death Has Been Imposed.  

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General Assembly: Indiana isn’t ‘employer’ in groping suit against Hill

The Indiana House and Senate are doubling down on their argument that Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill cannot adequately represent their interests against discrimination and retaliation allegations brought by three legislative staffers against Hill and the state. In new court filings, the two legislative bodies say they are the entities that are legally considered the women’s employers, so they alone have the right to defend their sexual harassment prevention and response policies against the harassment allegations.

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7th Circuit rules against inmate’s FOIA requests in triple-murder

A Southern District Court judge’s order that the federal government disclose personal information stemming from a triple murder it had previously refused to turn over has been reversed. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found that public interest does not support the information’s disclosure, simultaneously affirming that certain documents were protected by an exception of the Freedom of Information Act.

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Blind Hoosiers claim Indiana failing to provide access to benefits programs

Claiming “systemic violations of the civil rights of blind Indiana residents,” two individuals and the National Federation of the Blind filed a complaint in federal court Tuesday against the directors of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and the Indiana Division of Family Resources. The plaintiffs assert the defendants failed to provide printed communications about government benefits in alternative formats, such as Braille, and instead directed the blind individuals to have sighted third parties read the materials to them.

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