Legal malpractice arguments focus on whether crime victim lost settlement chance
Can agency immunity cover a lawyer's failure to file a tort claim notice and lawsuit?
Dave Stafford
Articles
Lack of statewide will procedures leaves unanswered questions about official documents
The final stop for a last will and testament in the e-filing era depends on where in Indiana an estate is opened and what the local probate court demands, at least for now.
Ex-prosecutor faces discipline for failing to disclose false testimony
A former Porter County deputy prosecutor and a member of the Valparaiso City Council faces sanctions from the Indiana Supreme Court for allegedly withholding from the defense that an alleged victim said he had been coached to lie and had recanted allegations of sexual abuse.
State agrees to pay family $25M to settle DCS case
Indiana will pay $25 million to conclude a northern Indiana family’s decade-long legal fight to clear their names after the Department of Child Services falsely prosecuted them for their daughter’s death.
Suit: ‘Scheme to scam’ put dubious charges on Vectren bills
An untold number of Vectren utility customers were duped into paying dubious utility-line protection plan charges that went to a different company after Vectren presumably took a kickback on the charge, a proposed class-action lawsuit claims.
Appeal: Commercial court, without notice, idled worker
One of the first appeals from an Indiana Commercial Court alleges the specialized docket touted as a speedier, more efficient means of resolving complex business disputes operated in secret to keep a glass-industry engineer out of a job in his profession for a year.
Courier deliveries diminishing with e-filing
Courier services, once vital for law firms, are adapting to e-filing by offering different services.
With aid from legal community, juvenile dog-training effort offers many rewards
Superintendent Terrance Asante-Doyle has witnessed what happens when his charges at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center get to offer obedience training to dogs from Indianapolis Animal Care, who, like them, are often victims of abuse, exploitation or neglect.
Company must face fired worker’s religion discrimination claim
A company that admitted a worker should not have been fired must defend against his claims that he was discriminated against because of his religious beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Columbus-based NTN Driveshaft Inc. denies that a human resources manager fired Jeffrey L. Jackson for unlawful or discriminatory reasons, instead […]
Appeals court vacates multiple domestic violence convictions
Multiple domestic violence convictions against a man accused of repeatedly beating and choking his wife were vacated Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals, along with his adjudication as a habitual offender.
COA affirms $2.13M award against trucking firm in crash
A Tippecanoe County jury’s award of $2.13 million in damages to a woman permanently injured in a crash that killed her fiancé was affirmed Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Justices rule police may get cell location data without warrant
A criminal suspect had no expectation of privacy regarding the cellphone location information police obtained without a warrant before his arrest, a divided Indiana Supreme Court ruled in a 3-2 opinion issued Thursday.
Judge approves $227M in FedEx driver suit settlements
FedEx Corp. will pay more than $227 million to settle some of the long-running lawsuits brought by drivers in Indiana and 18 others states who claim they were undercompensated because the company classified them as independent contractors rather than full-time workers.
Common Cause, NAACP sue over Marion County early voting
Marion County’s single location for early voting provides unequal access to the ballot, argues a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by Common Cause and the NAACP. Plaintiffs in the case allege Indianapolis’ sole early voting precinct is discriminatory and constitutes voter suppression.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s legal team races to meet challenges, rev up new events
Jimmie McMillian traded his partner position at the state’s largest law firm a year ago for a new legal career at perhaps Indiana’s most iconic and storied place, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But like any top-level racer living the dream, McMillian’s fast to pass praise to his crew.
Unique Indy merit-selection system replaces voided elections, faces likely challenges
Judges in Indianapolis won’t have to worry about running for election in the future, but they will face up-or-down retention votes under a bill signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb April 27. The system to replace the current one ruled unconstitutional was adopted by lawmakers despite warnings that the new system also is spoiling for a fight in court.
Charter school facing suit warns of potential ‘chaos’
An Ellettsville charter school affiliated with a religious institution warns that if a federal lawsuit targeting the school’s state funding is successful, similar charter schools statewide could face “chaos.”
Suit takes aim at Indiana religious-affiliated charter schools
A Monroe County nonprofit organization has sued the state and a charter school, seeking to block its funding because the group argues that taking tax dollars from public schools for the benefit of private religious institutions violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Indy judges to have closed-door interviews before retention nod
Marion Superior judges would appear behind closed doors before a committee comprised mainly of political appointees who would recommend whether jurists should or should not be retained in office, according to a bill that passed the General Assembly.
Indiana judge co-chairs ABA program aiming to increase diversity in judicial chambers
Law student Diego Wu’s dream job is working as a law clerk in a judge’s chambers, but he never dreamed of what judges told him they look for when they evaluate candidates for those typically one- to two-year positions.