Widow wrongly denied hearing challenging late spouse’s will
A long-married Terre Haute woman who received just a small portion from her husband’s will when he died was wrongly denied her day in court, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.
Dave Stafford
Articles
First impression: Court may consider facilitated communication
The Indiana Court of Appeals in an issue of first impression Wednesday affirmed a trial court ruling that allowed a disabled minor to testify in a civil trial using facilitated communication.
Man who killed IU student charged with law school 1L’s prior rape
Three years before a man raped and killed an Indiana University student in 2015, leaving her body to be found in a wooded Brown County ravine, he sexually assaulted an IU Maurer School of Law student just before she started her first year, authorities say.
Untested rape exam kits number thousands in Indiana
Like many states, Indiana has a problem — mountains of untested rape exam kits in local law enforcement agencies that contain DNA evidence potentially identifying sex offenders. Indiana’s backlog of untested kits is certainly in the thousands. Victim advocates say the question is, how many thousands?
Criminal code reform packs jails with Level 6 felony inmates
Nearly half the people housed in Indiana jails were there on a low-level felony charge, and in some counties, this population by itself exceeded the capacity of local jails.
Lawyers could be liable for staff misuse of confidential records
Indiana lawyers could face potential ethical liability if their paralegals or other staff misuse confidential information from online case records.
Online legal services coming, but ethical questions remain
Web-based legal service providers have their sights set on expanding their offerings in Indiana, and they’ll need lawyers in the state to do it. Trouble is, no one has yet determined whether some of the companies’ business models may violate rules of professional conduct.
COA affirms judgment for defense in annuity fraud suit
A woman who claimed sellers of annuities she purchased over the years committed fraud in misrepresenting fees associated with surrendering the investments lost her appeal of judgment in favor of the defense.
Ruling in Cook medical-device patent case tightens venue rule
A Delaware federal judge’s ruling this week in a medical-device patent-infringement suit against Bloomington-based Cook Medical further tightens venue choice rules in patent cases that were limited in a Supreme Court holding this year.
Class action granted in Pulaski courthouse ADA suit
A federal judge has certified a class action in an Americans With Disabilities Act lawsuit alleging the Pulaski County courthouse in Winamac is not accessible to people with disabilities.
Judge’s order calls out lawyer who accused magistrate judge of bias
An Indianapolis lawyer representing a disabled former student in a lawsuit against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology was referred for a refresher course on legal ethics by a federal judge.
Ruling against wrongly detained drug court participants appealed
Eighteen people who sued after they were jailed without due process while participating in the Clark County Drug Court program have appealed summary judgment against them in their civil rights lawsuit against officials who formerly oversaw the program.
Court upholds jury verdict for 8 fired Anderson workers
Eight fired city of Anderson employees who won a $731,994 damages award after a jury trial successfully rebuffed the former mayor’s request for judgment overturning the verdict or a new trial.
Lawyers could be liable for staff misuse of confidential records
Indiana lawyers could face potential ethical liability if their paralegals or other staff misuse confidential information from online case records.
Charter School Act challenge cites ‘pervasively sectarian’ sponsor
A group challenging the constitutionality of Indiana’s Charter School Act argued in court filings this week that the sponsor of the school it named in its federal lawsuit “is pervasively sectarian and was allowed to reverse a discretionary decision of state officials.”
Doctor must face civil trial in 2013 Lake County Jail death
A physician must face trial on a federal lawsuit alleging he was deliberately indifferent to the physical and mental illnesses of a man who died in 2013 after spending nearly four months in the Lake County Jail awaiting trial.
Criminal code reform review: Low-level felonies soar, jails feel brunt
The number of people serving time in local jails instead of the Department of Correction on low-level felony convictions rose 177 percent in the two years since Indiana’s criminal code reform took effect, and 28 percent more were people convicted of the new Level 6 felony compared to the prior Class D felony.
Indiana corporate counsel chapter to host first annual meeting, gala
Members of the Indiana chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel spoke, and the organization listened, planning its first annual meeting this month for the French Lick Resort and Spa.
Lawyer accused of stealing from special-needs trusts
Charged with theft, Kenneth Service faces a widening investigation into client accounts missing several hundred thousand dollars.
Despite boost from Trump administration, coal faces rocky prospects
Coal is still king when it comes to power production in the Midwest, but despite a presidential cheerleader for the industry, changes in motion for years coupled with market forces are dimming the outlook for an ancient fossil fuel in sharp decline.