Marion County Jail beating lawsuit proceeds
A judge has refused to dismiss a federal lawsuit in which a man claims guards at the Marion County Jail stomped and beat him, leaving him with broken ribs, then refused to allow him to file a grievance.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Articles
Reversal: Plasterer union’s ‘alter ego’ lawsuit reinstated
A union lawsuit alleging that a family plastering business invented an “alter ego” to dodge a judgment against it of nearly $200,000 was reinstated Tuesday by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorney awarded $150K for infringement of Indy photo
An Indiana attorney and hobbyist photographer who has sued dozens of people for the unauthorized use of a copyrighted image has been awarded more than $150,000 for the willful infringement of his photo of the Indianapolis skyline.
Man convicted of bogus liens on judges loses appeal
A man who used the sovereign citizen tactic of filing phony liens against multiple Indiana federal judges lost his appeal Monday. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Brent A. Swallers' conviction of filing a false lien and encumbrance against a federal judge
Appeal rejected in plot targeting Noblesville lawyer
A woman's appeal of her federal guilty plea in a murder-for-hire case targeting a Noblesville attorney was dismissed by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a case the panel said resembled “the plot of a mediocre novel.”
Drug dealer who kidnapped stripper’s siblings loses appeal of life sentence
A Detroit drug dealer who orchestrated the Indianapolis kidnapping of the minor brother and sister of a stripper who stole from him will spend the rest of his life in prison, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday.
Challenge to Indy panhandling code proceeds in federal court
A federal lawsuit against the Indianapolis police chief will continue after a district court judge declined to abstain from hearing the case alleging a local ordinance restricting panhandling is unconstitutional.
Advocates: Abortion ruling continues unconstitutional trend
As the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky marked yet another legal victory in a challenge to an Indiana abortion law, the leaders of the organizations say they hope state lawmakers will begin to see what they say is the futility of the annual passage of abortion-restricting legislation.
7th Circuit strikes down Indiana abortion ultrasound law
A 2016 law requiring Indiana women who choose to have an abortion to first view an ultrasound of the fetus at least 18 hours in advance was struck down Wednesday by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Marion County 2018 satellite voting sites approved
Marion County voters will be able to vote in one of six satellite voting locations in the 2018 general election, officials announced Wednesday in response to a federal court order. A consent decree entered earlier this month required the county to establish at least five early-voting locations.
Lawyer’s Indy skyline photo on trial in infringement case
More than 18 years ago, an attorney with a photography hobby took a photo of the Indianapolis skyline that would later become the subject of dozens of copyright infringement lawsuits he filed against defendants across the country. One of those cases came to trial Tuesday in a contentious, seven-hour hearing that also put the photo itself on trial.
Barnes & Thornburg lawyers filling Indiana federal judiciary
When the White House nominated Hoosier Damon Leichty to a federal district judgeship, it was the second time the Trump Administration has chosen an attorney working at Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Indiana to fill a judicial vacancy.
Transgender student seeks injunction in bathrooms lawsuit
A federal judge is weighing whether to grant a preliminary injunction to allow an Evansville transgender student to use male bathrooms.
Driver wins $500K judgment in Gibson County truck crash
A motorist injured when his vehicle was struck by a semi-truck whose driver was distracted by a dropped cellphone was awarded a $500,000 damages verdict in federal court in Evansville last week. Magistrate Judge Matthew Brookman entered judgment in favor of motorist Michael J. Smith and his wife, Marcia Smith, and against defendants Gregory Peterson and Triple B Trucking.
Floyd County officials reach tentative settlement in jail death
A sheriff’s department in southern Indiana has reached a tentative settlement with the father of a woman who died in detention.
Muncie’s former building commissioner admits corruption
Muncie’s former building commissioner has agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges. In an agreement filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, Craig Nichols pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. Nichols faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
Federal judge admonishes attorney after jailhouse ‘ruckus’
Plaintiffs’ counsel who took selfies with inmates and acknowledged causing a “bit of a ruckus” during a jail inspection got handed a protective order as well as a sharp rebuke from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
Barnes partner tapped to fill last Indiana vacancy in federal judiciary
Damon R. Leichty, partner in the South Bend office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, has been nominated to serve as a judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, potentially filling the last empty seat in the federal judiciary in Indiana. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Leichty will fill the vacancy created when Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., took senior status in January 2016.
Consent decree gives Marion County more early voting sites
The Marion County Election Board has agreed to open five additional satellite locations for early in-person voting starting with the 2018 general election, settling a lawsuit brought in 2017 by Common Cause Indiana and the NAACP. Senior judge Sarah Evans Barker of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana signed on Tuesday a consent decree offered by the plaintiffs and defendants.
Excessive force claim to proceed against IMPD SWAT officer
A Fourth Amendment excessive force claim against an Indianapolis police officer will continue after a federal judge denied the officer’s motion for summary judgment on Tuesday. The SWAT officer is accused of assaulting a suspected drug dealer in his home after executing a no-knock warrant.