Editor

Olivia joined Indiana Lawyer as a reporter in September 2016 and was promoted to managing editor in April 2018. Olivia has experience reporting on local, state, and federal government entities, including the state and federal court systems. She has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for her work individually and with the Indiana Lawyer staff each year since she joined IBJ Media.

First job: Watering flowers around the yard for my dad
Favorite movie: Tie between The Devils Wear Prada and Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Favorite book: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (seeing a pattern?)
Personal hype song: “Respect” by Aretha Franklin
Hobbies: Reading, biking, taking walks, listening to music

Articles

Statute of limitations bars medical negligence case

After a dermatology appointment left a Marion County woman with facial discoloration that never went away as her doctor said it would, the woman sought damages in a negligence complaint. However, because she failed to prove that she “later learned” that her injury was worse than she thought, the Indiana Court of Appeals held that the woman’s claim cannot proceed in court because it was not timely filed.

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COA: Only property owned prior to final separation can be included in marital pot

Only property that is owned or acquired before the date a dissolution petition is filed in a divorce proceeding can be included in the marital pot, the Indiana Court of Appeals found Thursday in an opinion that overturned a lower court’s decision to include stock options vested after the date of a couple’s final separation in the marital pot.

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COA: Exigent circumstances justified warrantless search

An Indiana State Police detective did not violate a man’s constitutional rights when he searched a bag in the man’s vehicle without a warrant because there were exigent circumstances that made the warrantless search reasonable, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Thursday.

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Justices seek to define ‘indisputably’ in K-9 case

After leading South Bend police officers on a five-minute vehicular chase through city streets, Royce Love eventually stopped his van and was ordered to exit it. Love’s account of what happened next varies significantly from the officers’ account, and that disparity was the main issue the justices of the Indiana Supreme Court sought to resolve when they heard arguments in the case Thursday.

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Rush Rucker

Rush touts pro bono, partnerships in State of Judiciary

More than 7,000 Indiana attorneys donated more than 220,000 hours of pro bono service to Hoosiers in need last year, numbers Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush said reflect the state judiciary’s commitment to a collaborative approach to the practice of law.

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Electronic copies of warrants are equal to paper copies

An electronic version of a signed search warrant is legally considered the equivalent of a paper warrant, the Indiana Court of Appeals has held, so a man’s constitutional rights were not violated when an officer drew his blood after showing him only a photo of a warrant in an email.

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BLE members dismissed from suit challenging notice, bar exam constitutionality

A federal judge has declined to hear a recent law school graduate’s case against the members of the Indiana Board of Law Examiners, citing precedent that requires federal courts to abstain to from hearing certain ongoing state proceedings. But the judge did require the state to respond to the plaintiff’s claims that portions of the bar exam are unconstitutional.

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Divided COA: Man can’t use RFRA to avoid taxes

A divided Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday that a Marion County man cannot avoid paying income taxes using a religious freedom defense, with the majority writing that the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act allows for the collection of taxes in the furtherance of a compelling government interest.

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Link between addiction, criminal justice discussed with legislators

In Indianapolis, a person is more likely to die from a drug-related incident than a car crash. This and other drug-related facts where shared with the members of the Indiana House Courts and Criminal Code Committee at a meeting Wednesday. Representatives from the state’s judicial branch were invited to share progress and their concerns regarding Indiana criminal code reform with lawmakers.

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Justices consider PCR waiver in death penalty case

After a public defender failed to secure a statutorily required signature on Kevin Isom’s petition for post-conviction relief, Isom, a convicted murderer who has been sentenced to death, lost confidence in his legal team. He refused to provide his signature after the error was discovered, vowing not to sign unless he was appointed new counsel.

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COA vacates arbitration award for lack of agreement

The Indiana Court of Appeals vacated an arbitration award Thursday after determining that an arbitration agreement did not exist, thus making the arbitration proceedings between a Lake County couple and an automotive company pointless.

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COA considers liability in sheriff’s office suicide case

After the wife of a Harrison County sheriff’s deputy killed herself with her husband’s gun while he was off duty, the sheriff’s office and her estate began debating a single question: was the deputy acting in the line of duty when his wife committed suicide?

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