In This Issue of Indiana Lawyer

JUNE 10-23, 2020

Peaceful protests over police use of force and racial bias in Indianapolis and around the state turned violent  as police in the state capital launched tear gas and protesters vandalized and destroyed businesses. After protests turned to rage, attorneys familiar with inequities in the justice system said they understood the reason for anger in the streets. And inmates who have sought release from prison or jail due to COVID-19 have seen mixed results.

Top StoriesBack to Top

Protests turn to rage

Peaceful protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd on the last weekend in May in downtown Indianapolis turned violent with police launching tear gas and protesters vandalizing and destroying businesses. Windows were shattered, stores were looted, fires were set and graffiti was spray-painted everywhere. Protests took place across the state including in Evansville, Jeffersonville Fort Wayne, Hammond, Michigan City, South Bend, and Lafayette.

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Attorneys despair, but see reason for anger in the streets

Following a weekend of violent protests in Indianapolis that damaged many downtown businesses, attorney Maurice Scott of Scott Legal & Consulting cautioned against getting distracted by bricks and mortar. “The focus should not be on the property damage,” Scott said. “The focus should be on the people who are not being heard, not being seen and not being part of the decision-making process.”

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Inmates seek prison release due to COVID-19

Almost immediately after the coronavirus reached the United States, criminal justice advocates sounded the alarm on behalf of the incarcerated. Inmates in county jails, state prisons and federal penitentiaries are at a higher risk of contracting the virus, advocates say, simply because of the nature of their living conditions. The result of release efforts has been a mixed bag.

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Helping legal aid: ILAS has full agenda to raise money, build its identity

Even as Indianapolis Legal Aid Society has been successful at bringing in more money from grants and private donors in recent years, the nonprofit is still facing an identity crisis with people getting confused about its name as well as the services it provides. The new chair of the nonprofit’s board of directors is launching an effort to clear the confusion and grow the contributions.

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Death penalty ‘secrecy statute’ now in hands of justices

It’s now year six of an ongoing battle between the Indiana Department of Correction and a Washington, D.C., lawyer who wants to know the drugs used in Indiana’s lethal injection cocktail and who supplies them. In those six years, a public records request, a lawsuit and a legislative change have propelled the dispute to the Indiana Supreme Court, which now has a consequential ruling in its hands.

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FocusBack to Top

OpinionBack to Top

Applegate & Dillman: Tips for long-term care patients’ families during pandemic

Mid-March was likely the last time you saw your loved one in a senior living facility face-to-face. The coronavirus pandemic has led most nursing homes to close their doors or, at the very least, require stringent temperature checks and other precautions for urgent visits. As a result, families are fearful and anxious about the care their relatives are receiving and whether they will be exposed to the virus. Here are some tips for families that may help ease their fears.

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Bar AssociationsBack to Top

IndyBar: Guest Column from IndyBar President-Elect Jimmie McMillian

As President-Elect of the Indianapolis Bar Association, I did not want to write this message about racial injustice. As an American citizen, I regret that I have to write this message about inequality. … But I decided to write this message because as a lawyer and leader of the IndyBar, I believe it is my duty to make you aware that racism and injustice does still exist.

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IndyBar: Support Diverse Students at the 2020 IndyBar “Virtual” Diversity Job Fair

The world has changed around us, but the Indianapolis Bar Association is still committed to helping diverse students find employment and start their legal careers in the booming Indianapolis legal community. It is for that reason we’ve decided to move forward with hosting the 2020 IndyBar Diversity Job Fair in a modified virtual format, and we hope we can count on support from you, the legal community.

 

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