State public defender Stephen Owens retiring in December
After more than eight years in office, Indiana Public Defender Stephen Owens will retire at the end of 2019.
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St. Joseph lab assistant fired over alleged clean-urine scam
A St. Joseph County lab assistant has been fired after he was arrested on suspicion of selling clean urine to people on probation who are subject to drug testing, the county courts said in a statement. Raymontow Davis was fired after his arrest Tuesday, the St. Joseph Circuit Court said in a press release Thursday afternoon.
Former IU McKinney dean Lefstein dies at 82
Norman Lefstein, dean emeritus of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and renowned legal scholar in the fields of criminal justice, indigent defense and professional responsibility, died Thursday. He was 82.
Candidate’s suit challenges caucus to pick Johnson County prosecutor
The selection of a new Johnson County prosecutor will continue as scheduled Thursday night, even though one of the candidates filed a lawsuit attempting to stop the Republican Party caucus to select a successor to Bradley Cooper, who was removed from office.
Woman freed after murder conviction vacated in 2001 slaying
An Indiana woman who successfully argued she had ineffective legal counsel at her murder trial for the 2001 slaying of her boyfriend in Lafayette during a sex game has been released.
Survey: Most law school grads say job hunt taking longer than expected
Recent law school graduates have been surprised to discover that finding work actually takes work, according to results of a survey released Monday. However, other recent surveys have found employment increasing overall for newly minted lawyers.
One of five suspensions lifted for Fort Wayne attorney
A Fort Wayne attorney’s suspension for noncooperation has been lifted, but Indiana Supreme Court justices say his remaining suspensions in several other cases will remain in effect.
Judge orders opioid maker to pay $572 million in landmark opioid lawsuit
An Oklahoma judge on Monday found Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries helped fuel the state’s opioid crisis and ordered the consumer products giant to pay $572 million, more than twice the amount another drug manufacturer agreed to pay in a settlement.
Muncie attorney gets 180-day suspension
A Muncie attorney previously convicted of drunken driving charges has been suspended from the practice of law for 180 days without automatic reinstatement for his professional misconduct, including his failure to reimburse lienholders, obtain consent from clients with conflicts of interest and give notice of his felony conviction.
Lawsuit filed over shooting last year by South Bend officer
A man who was badly injured last year after being shot by a South Bend police officer claims in a lawsuit he was the victim of excessive force. The lawsuit filed in St. Joseph County says 28-year-old Terrance Eppenger suffered an unspecified permanent disability from the March 2018 shooting by officer Samuel Chaput.
COA takes declaratory judgment case to Greensburg high school
An Indiana Court of Appeals panel is set to hit the road Friday to hear oral arguments in a case involving unpaid rent for a leased property used to house minimum security prisoners in Madison County.
Director hired to oversee administrative law judges
Matthew A. Brown, deputy director of operations at the State Personnel Department, has been selected to serve as the first director of the new Office of Administrative Law Proceedings. He will start in his new role Sept. 1.
Judicial Conference seeks comment on proposed rule amendments
The Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to appellate, bankruptcy and civil rules.
Church: First Amendment protects decision to fire gay Indianapolis teacher
Catholic church leaders in Indianapolis are citing the First Amendment as a defense to a lawsuit filed by a teacher who was fired because he’s in a same-sex marriage.
Indiana DOC doesn’t have the drugs to kill death row inmates
The Indiana Department of Correction has confirmed the state doesn’t have the necessary drugs to execute any of the eight men who are on death row.
Indiana’s lawsuit against opioid maker Purdue Pharma proceeds
Indiana’s lawsuit against drug maker Purdue Pharma for the company’s alleged role in contributing to the state’s opioid crisis is moving forward after surviving a motion to dismiss.
Local legal tech company Doxly acquired by Chicago-based firm
Doxly, a local legal tech firm that helps clients collect and manage legal documents through a cloud-based platform, has been acquired by Litera Microsystems, a Chicago-based provider of document-management software.
Indiana AG asks high court to take up Munster Schools retirement pay dispute
Indiana’s attorney general is turning to the state’s high court in his battle to force two retired school superintendents to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars. Attorney General Curtis Hill recently filed a petition asking the Indiana Supreme Court to accept transfer of his civil lawsuit against former School Town of Munster superintendents William Pfister and Richard Sopko.
Lake County announces 3 finalists to succeed Pera
Two magistrate judges and a town court judge have been selected as finalists to fill a judicial vacancy in Lake Superior Court, Civil Division 6.
Asian Pacific American Bar to host regional conference, George Takei
Indiana’s chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association is hosting the national bar association’s regional conference later this month, bringing a famed member of the “Star Trek” cast to the Hoosier state.