IL Staff

A Lake County juvenile court will once again allow cameras in to capture the inner workings of the court for a nationally broadcast documentary.Indianapolis documentary filmmaker Karen Grau will have access to Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura’s courtroom in Crown Point to film and produce six, one-hour documentary programs. The goal of the series is to shed light on the issues facing the courts and children served by the court. Because of the nature of the documentary, the Indiana Supreme Court authorized…

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana wants to hear from you. The court is seeking public comment on the revision of certain local rules. The proposed revisions look to modify Local Rule 5.1 – general format of documents presented for filing, Local Rule 6.1 – extensions of time, and Local Rule 56.1 – summary judgment procedure. Changes have also been made regarding the discipline imposed by other courts, reinstatement, and the service of papers and other notices.The…

A Carroll Circuit judge received a public admonition from the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications today in lieu of filing formal disciplinary proceedings. Hon. Donald Currie was arrested in December 2007 for public intoxication after a police officer saw the judge outside of his car near Interstate 65 in Boone County. The judge pleaded guilty to the Class B misdemeanor in Boone Circuit Court and is currently serving a one-year probationary sentence in Boone County. According to the public admonition, both…

The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear arguments in Valparaiso Monday in a case involving an automobile accident and the statute of limitations to amend a complaint.The panel of Judges John Sharpnack, Nancy Vaidik, and Michael Barnes will be asked to decide in Tim Sinks v. Krista L. Caughey, 49A04-0709-CV-502, whether the trial court erred in denying Sinks’ motion to dismiss and allowing Caughey to amend her complaint. Caughey was rear-ended by a pickup truck, and she relied on the information…

The three-judge panel of L. Mark Bailey, Cale Bradford, and Melissa May travel to southern Indiana to hear arguments before the Sherman Minton Inns of Court in Jeffersonville on April 9. The judges will hear the case Indiana Department of Natural Resources v. Lake George Cottagers Association, No.76A03-0708-CV-381, at 5:30 p.m. at the banquet hall Kye’s I, 500 Missouri Ave., Jeffersonville. At issue is who owns the land beneath a dam – the state or the Cottagers Association – and who…

An Indianapolis personal injury lawyer will spend time in prison for committing tax fraud by underreporting his income.U.S. District Judge Larry J. McKinney of the Southern District’s Indianapolis Division sentenced Robert E. Lehman to eight months in prison and six months of home detention after he pleaded guilty to making a false federal income tax return.Lehman filed false personal income tax returns with the IRS in 2002, 2003, and 2004, by understating his business income. When he paid his clients from…

A deputy Allen County prosecutor died suddenly March 16 after a short illness. John William Archer was 58. Archer, a lifelong Hoosier, was born in Hartford City and earned his bachelor’s degree at Wabash College. He earned his J.D. at Valparaiso University School of Law. He spent 20 years in the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office and served as section head of the misdemeanor court. Prior to that, he owned Ruby Red Hot Records, a reflection of his love of music. He is survived…