Vacancy looms as federal judge heads toward senior status
It’s taken a little longer than expected for the Biden Administration to announce a nominee for the Indiana Southern District Court’s impending vacancy.
Daniel Carson
Articles
Softer federal stance on marijuana could boost legalization efforts in Indiana
With the federal government’s recent announcement that it intends to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug with potential medical benefits, some advocates wonder if that could be the game changer that opens the floodgates for legalization in Indiana’s 2025 legislative session.
7th Circuit reverses, finds Evansville police officer entitled to qualified immunity
An Evansville police officer did not violate a man’s Fourth Amendment rights and was entitled to qualified immunity after a physical confrontation resulted in the man being knocked unconscious, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Former HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge joins Taft as new partner
Fudge, a former member of President Joe Biden’s cabinet, brings experience that will help Taft’s Indiana clients deal with toxic “forever” chemicals, brownfields and agricultural issues, the firm’s leaders said.
Indiana Supreme Court suspends Madison Circuit judge 45 days for judicial misconduct
A Madison Circuit Court judge’s repeated poor management practices, including missing entries and orders that led to the dismissal of 16 cases, has drawn him a scathing rebuke and lengthy suspension from the state’s highest court.
FTC’s new noncompete ban allows exceptions for mergers
A sale-of-business provision in the agency’s new rules permits entering into a noncompete with a person who is selling a business or disposing of all of the person’s ownership interest in a business in a “bona fide sale.”
Water systems, manufacturers brace for limits on ‘forever’ chemicals
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took a historic step in April to protect communities from so-called “forever chemicals,” with the federal agency releasing a final rule that established legally enforceable limits.
Small, solo firms grapple with data security, costs
One of the big challenges with data security is keeping in compliance with the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct, which deal with confidentiality of information in the attorney-client relationship.
Corporate transparency: New federal law imposes reporting requirements on some businesses
The law is intended to provide law enforcement with ownership information about many companies for the purpose of detecting, preventing and punishing terrorism, money laundering and other misconduct through business entities.
Development slowly emerges at Indy’s justice campus
The neighborhood Kroger is being renovated, hopes are high for a new restaurant and a $2.1 million trail will soon connect the campus to downtown.
Federal appeals court rejects WISH-TV owner’s racial discrimination claims
The owner of WISH-TV failed to show evidence that a pair of television distributors racially discriminated against him in declining to pay retransmission fees to carry WISH and sister station WNDY-TV, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in affirming a lower court’s decision.
Indiana health care mergers, acquisitions now require 90 days advance notice
Concerned about Indiana’s rising health care costs, the Legislature this year approved a new law that will bring more scrutiny to health care mergers and acquisitions.
AI use in mediation, arbitration gets a closer look
The use of artificial intelligence, and concerns about how safe and secure it is, is an area of discussion that’s touching all facets of law, including mediation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution
Indiana businesses win new protections from lawsuits
Tweaks to tort law were among the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s top legislative priorities this year, but not everyone was happy with all of the tort-related changes that came out of the Indiana General Assembly.
When is an AI-assisted invention eligible for a patent?
It’s a fine line to walk for applicants with artificial intelligence-assisted inventions who want to secure a patent.
Jury awards more than $42M to Avon man with traumatic brain injury from crash with Tesla employee
The jury returned the verdict Wednesday against Tesla Inc. and its long-time employee Kyle Kaszuba for the accident in which motorcyclist Chris Dugan was severely injured. The jury found Kaszuba 70% responsible for the accident and Dugan 30% responsible.
What’s next in FTC lawsuit seeking to block Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons
Traditional antitrust lawsuits have focused on the impact of mergers on consumers. But the Federal Trade Commission’s complaint regarding the proposed Kroger-Albertsons deal also notes that union grocery workers’ ability to leverage the threat of a boycott or strike to negotiate better terms would also be weakened.
Attorneys, businesses await impact of proposed rule to extend OT to more salaried workers
It’s been more than six months since the U.S. Department of Labor announced a proposed new rule to the Fair Labor Standards Act that would extend overtime pay to 3.6 million salaried workers. More concrete action could come by April, but even then the new rule is expected to face legal challenges.
New law will let Indiana juries know about seat belt use in crashes
If someone involved in a car crash isn’t buckled up, an Indiana jury currently isn’t allowed to know that due to the state’s longstanding prohibition on introducing such evidence. That will change as of July 1, thanks to the passage of House Bill 1090.
Father relieved of obligation to pay for daughter’s college, appellate court affirms
There was clear and convincing evidence that a daughter repudiated her father, thus relieving him of his obligation to pay for her college under a marital dissolution decree, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Tuesday.