Tim Durham fails to convince judge to reduce 50-year sentence
Convicted Ponzi scheme leader Tim Durham failed Friday afternoon in his bid to get his 50-year prison sentence reduced.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Articles
Judge tosses Angie’s List suit, but gives investors chance to refile
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a class-action fraud lawsuit against Angie's List Inc., concluding plaintiffs failed to show that sharp cuts to membership fees the company rolled out in 2013 demonstrated the inaccuracy of executives' prior claims about its business model and caused the stock price to fall.
Hussmann to retire from Southern District
U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann Jr. has announced plans to retire Jan. 31, 2016, opening another vacancy in the Indiana federal judiciary.
Southern District seeks comment on proposed rule changes
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is currently seeking comments on proposed revisions to two local rules dealing with filing records under seal.
Bankruptcy lawyer’s unruly conduct draws warning
A Terre Haute lawyer’s behavior at a bankruptcy court proceeding last week so alarmed parties involved that U.S. marshals were called, according to an order warning he could face discipline for his conduct.
Magistrate chides ‘bloated filings’ in long-running gun dispute
A federal magistrate judge in a protracted trademark dispute over the design of competing firearms took aim Tuesday at lawyers he said were slowing the case.
Indiana senator calls for judicial nominating commission
Sen. Dan Coats is calling for the appointment of a commission to assist in finding and nominating candidates for the vacancies on the federal bench.
Mediation Assistance Program appoints counsel to help litigants settle cases
The program, started in 2009, matches attorney volunteers with pro se litigants as they enter settlement talks. In its inaugural year, MAP appointed legal counsel to two settlement conferences. By 2013, MAP attorneys assisted in 43 conferences.
3 brothers plead guilty to massive biofuels scam
Three brothers have pleaded guilty to participating in a biofuels scam that federal investigators are calling “one of the largest tax and securities fraud schemes in Indiana history."
Federal court rejects Dearborn judges’ immunity defense
A deaf man’s discrimination lawsuit against three judges in Dearborn County can proceed according to a March 30 ruling in federal court.
Federal judge fines abusive filer $1,200, bars future suits
A man who’s filed nearly four dozen lawsuits against defendants from “Bobby” to President Barack Obama lost his federal court privileges this week.
Courts closed in southern Indiana due to weather
Severe weather and emergency travel restrictions have closed several federal courts in southern Indiana. The Evansville and New Albany offices of the U.S. District and Bankruptcy courts for the Southern District of Indiana are closed Thursday. The Clark County Government Building, which houses the Circuit courts, is also closed.
Patients sue Lilly, claim Cymbalta withdrawal hazards
Two federal lawsuits filed in Indianapolis allege Eli Lilly’s top-selling antidepressant Cymbalta caused almost immediate dangerous withdrawal symptoms when patients attempted to stop using the medication.
Indy Land Bank trial could turn on government wiretaps
Reginald T. Walton is guilty of "very poor judgment" and "ethics violations," and also "did a pretty good job concealing" his involvement in private real estate partnerships during his tenure leading the Indy Land Bank, but he's not guilty of any crime, his attorney argued in federal court Wednesday.
Chronic litigator’s suit seeking $3 trillion tossed with warning
A federal judge has had about enough from a litigant who has brought so many frivolous lawsuits that he may be barred from filing future complaints.
Amended complaint: Marion County inmates held days after release ordered
Released inmates in Indianapolis are subjected to a “standard operating procedure” of re-arrest and being held behind bars – sometimes for days – after being acquitted, freed by a judge or posting bond, alleges an amended federal complaint filed against the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.
Indiana same-sex couple files suit to get both names listed on birth certificate
A married lesbian couple filed a complaint in federal court charging Indiana is violating their constitutional rights by not listing both their names on their child’s birth certificate.
Southern District applauds work of attorney volunteers
The 61 Indiana attorneys who provided pro bono hours in the Southern District of Indiana last year were recognized Thursday for their efforts during the second annual Pro Bono Appreciation Breakfast.
Ex-Martin County judge pleads guilty to failing to pay income tax
One-time Martin Circuit judge and county prosecutor Robert J. Howell pleaded guilty Friday to charges that he failed to pay more than $66,000 in taxes on receipts from his law firm in Loogootee.
Nominee for Southern District bench could be named by summer
The vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana could be filled by the end of the year, according to Indiana’s Democratic U.S. senator.