Indiana’s courthouses receive renewed attention ahead of state bicentennial
Chris Flook has an eye for Indiana’s courthouses and courthouse squares. He’s photographed all 92.
Dave Stafford
Articles
In monster-truck bankruptcy, courts errantly denied ex-wife’s claim
Federal Bankruptcy and District courts wrongly denied a woman’s claim against the estate of her ex-husband and business partner who owed her money after they divorced and unwound a monster-truck business for which she had lent money.
COA affirms post-conviction relief for ineffective counsel
A man who was convicted of multiple felonies related to a two-day instance of domestic violence in which he “terrorized” his girlfriend in their apartment will be resentenced on a lesser charge on one conviction.
Appeals court affirms out-of-state placement of child with father
A mother whose son was placed with his father in California after the Department of Child Services found her children to be children in need of services failed to convince a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals that the placement was erroneous or that the DCS didn’t make a reasonable effort to preserve the family.
Bill pledges greater gun immunity, protection for judges
Judicial officers would be granted the same ability to carry firearms and immunity as law enforcement officers under a bill introduced by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Humvee maker, defense giant BAE wrangle over $277M judgment
A dispute over the true cost of Humvee body armor rushed to the battlefield in the deadliest days of the Iraq war has resulted in a court battle that includes suggestions that one of the world’s top defense contractors may have serious business problems as it argues against posting full security for a $277 million judgment.
Lauren Spierer civil suit moves forward
Two of three grounds for a civil lawsuit in the June 2011 disappearance of Indiana University student Lauren Spierer will move forward, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, partially denying a motion to dismiss filed by the two remaining defendants.
Judge rejects Notre Dame bid for injunction on contraception coverage
A federal judge denied the University of Notre Dame’s request for an injunction blocking the “contraception mandate” in the Affordable Care Act that requires employers to provide insurance coverage for birth control.
7th Circuit ‘astonished’ by denial of disability for man in ‘awful shape’
Judges of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Friday slapped down the denial of disability benefits for a man they said was among the most severely disabled applicants they had ever seen.
Settlement reached in online payday loan class action
More than 6,500 Hoosiers will share $1.35 million in a class-action settlement reached in long-running litigation against an online payday lender that in some cases charged finance fees that exceeded 1,000 percent annual percentage rates.
JQC: Strike Judge Brown’s apology, support from Sullivan in discipline case
Marion Superior Judge Kimberly Brown’s last-minute apology and vouching from former Indiana Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. should not be considered in her disciplinary case, the Judicial Qualifications Commission argued in a brief filed Thursday.
Man’s molestation post-conviction bid fails on appeal
A Morgan County man failed to convince a Court of Appeals panel that ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial misconduct should entitle him to relief from a child molestation conviction.
Appeals court slashes contamination award from $154,632 to $7,383
Court-ordered environmental damages caused by PCB contamination at a Churubusco industrial site were reduced from a total of $154,632 to $7,383 on Thursday by a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Federal judge orders new trial in felony gun possession case
Finding the interests of justice require a new trial for a man convicted of a federal gun crime in which the government withheld potentially exculpatory evidence, Judge William T. Lawrence granted his request Wednesday in the Southern District of Indiana Terre Haute division.
Man’s second federal child-porn conviction sticks, 7th Circuit rules
A man whose first federal child pornography conviction was reversed on appeal struck out in his second appearance before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals after he was reconvicted of the same 16 counts.
State appeals ruling against right-to-work law
Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced Wednesday the state has asked the Indiana Supreme Court to reverse a Lake County judge’s order invalidating the right-to-work law that bans compulsory union dues.
Fees against IHSAA for unreasonable litigation upheld
The Indiana High School Athletic Association should pay for its insistence on enforcing rules that courts repeatedly said were arbitrary and capricious, an appeals panel ruled Tuesday.
Reversal: Insurer had duty to provide dental office full coverage
An insurer that for decades wrote policies for a dental office had a special duty to advise the office about coverage and ensure the office was fully covered, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday in reversing summary judgment in favor of the insurer.
Supreme Court revives Rockport plant proposal
The Indiana Supreme Court revived a controversial state-backed deal that would facilitate construction of a $2.7 billion coal-using synthetic natural gas plant in Rockport. The decision likely sets up another round of state regulatory review if developers choose to move forward.
Advocates say justice was delayed, but deal positive for Gingerich
More than three years after 12-year-old Paul Gingerich was improperly sentenced as an adult to 30 years in prison for his role in a killing, he now has a chance to be free at 18 – an imperfect result, advocates say, that nonetheless might be the best possible under the circumstances.