Pence approves mandatory minimums for drug dealing
Gov. Mike Pence toughened sentences for drug dealers Monday, signing legislation that would mandate repeat offenders serve at least 10 years if their crime involves methamphetamine or heroin.
Marilyn Odendahl
Articles
Barnes attorney worked with SCOTUS nominee on OKC bombing trials
When federal Judge Merrick Garland was tapped as the nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States, Indiana attorney Larry Mackey remembered his former boss as a “great guy.”
IU Maurer makes leap in US News rankings
Indiana University Maurer School of Law jumped up nine places in the 2017 national law school rankings, the only Hoosier law school to make such a significant move in the latest list compiled by U.S. News & World Report.
Second round of settlement money coming to IOLTA
Indiana’s IOLTA program is preparing to receive a multi-million dollar boost. The money is coming from a second round of funding released as part of the settlement agreement with the Bank of America as a penalty for financial fraud during the mortgage foreclosure crisis.
Think tank offers new path for law schools
A report released Tuesday from a San Francisco think tank has a simple message for law schools – innovate or die.
Regulations coming for lawsuit funding industry
In the final hours of the 2016 legislative session, the Indiana General Assembly arrived at a compromise which, for the first time, will regulate companies that fund plaintiffs in civil lawsuits in Indiana.
Indiana Tech clears accreditation hurdle
Indiana Tech Law School has been granted provisional accreditation, just months ahead of the graduation of its first class.
Indiana Supreme Court nomination letter sent to Pence
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush sent a letter March 11 describing the three nominees for the state Supreme Court to Gov. Mike Pence.
Indiana Supreme Court nomination letter sent to Pence
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush sent a letter March 11 describing the three nominees for the state Supreme Court to Gov. Mike Pence.
Failing to deliver car titles brings lawsuits from attorney general
Four out-of-business auto dealerships and their owners are the target of lawsuits filed by the Indiana attorney general for violating the state’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.
Indiana and other states choking on EPA’s new Clean Power Plan
The Clean Power Plan, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gases by imposing caps on states regarding carbon dioxide emissions, has incited a backlash that began before the rule was even published in the Federal Register. A coalition of states, including Indiana, is seeking review of the plan in federal court, claiming the rule exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency’s statutory authority.
Willfulness test sets high bar for IP treble damages
A patent infringement fight involving Indiana’s Zimmer Inc. has sparked a judicial debate over how much leeway District Court judges should have when deciding how intentional an infringer’s actions were.
Smaller class sizes cause faculty buyout offers at Valpo Law
In an announcement made Feb. 26, Valparaiso University Law School added itself to the list of law schools shedding faculty in the face of declining enrollment.
Bill giving longer sentences to drug dealers headed to governor
A bill imposing mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders has been approved by the Indiana Legislature and is expected to be signed by Gov. Mike Pence.
Coalition still pushing after hate crime bills fail to advance
Despite a grassroots effort and several bills addressing the issue, hate crime legislation appears to have failed in the Indiana Statehouse.
Historic courtroom illustrations acquired by Library of Congress
Ninety-six original courtroom drawings from high-profile trials over the past four decades have been acquired by the Library of Congress.
ABA push boosts Uniform Bar Exam
During the 2016 American Bar Association Midyear Meeting in early February, the House of Delegates passed a resolution encouraging states to adopt the Uniform Bar Examination. The test, administered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, has already been adopted in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
Lawsuit could upend civil forfeiture in Indiana
A new challenge to Indiana’s civil forfeiture process does not seek to end the practice altogether but its attempts to stop the flow of money into local law enforcement coffers could, ultimately, halt the seizure of property in the state.
Mandatory minimums for drug dealing splits Statehouse
Roughly 18 months after Indiana’s reformed criminal code took effect, emphasizing treatment over incarceration for drug offenses, the General Assembly is considering proposals that would boost certain crimes to a higher level felony, stiffen punishments for possession of controlled substances and make some cold medicine more difficult to purchase.
Attorneys applauded for representing pro bono clients in federal court
The third annual event in a jury room at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Indianapolis was a thank you to all the attorneys who provided pro bono help in 2015 to pro se litigants in either the Civil Trial Assistance Panel or the Mediation Assistance Program.