COA dismisses divorce appeal for untimeliness
The Indiana Court of Appeals has dismissed an appeal of an order dissolving a LaPorte County couple’s marriage after finding that the appeal was not filed within the correct timeframe.
Olivia Covington
Articles
COA: Illinois sex offender must register in Indiana
An Illinois sex offender now living in Indiana must keep his name on the Indiana sex-offender registry after the Indiana Court of Appeals found Wednesday that there was no ex post facto violation in applying the state’s registration tolling statute to the man after he moved to Indiana.
COA allows juvenile expungement despite pending charge
The Indiana Court of Appeals has allowed a Marion County man’s juvenile record to be expunged after finding that a criminal charge that was filed against him after he filed a petition for expungement cannot be held against him in the expungement case.
COA prevents INDOT from seeking more than $100k in damages after bridge accident
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of summary judgment for the Indiana Department of Transportation after the department had argued that it should be allowed to seek the more than $100,000 it spent to repair a state bridge damaged in an accident, an amount that was double the estimated cost.
Lawyer’s breast cancer diagnosis inspires launch of solo practice
It was supposed to be a routine mammogram, just something Mary Foley Panszi had to do. But when she received a breast cancer diagnosis, her life and career changed.
Another tool for courts, police to combat drug abuse
Through Recovery of Indiana, a behavioral health program aimed at reducing drug abuse rates across the state, the Front Door Opiate Reduction Initiative is launching in new locations in Indiana to give courts and law enforcement officers additional options besides jail time for drug offenders struggling with serious addictions.
COA: Court should have given inmate more time to pay fee
The Indiana Court of Appeals decided Monday that the Bartholomew Circuit Court erred when it gave an inmate only 30 days to pay a court filing fee and subsequently dismissed the complaint the inmate had tried to file.
Stepfather’s molestation convictions affirmed
A former stepfather accused of molesting his 6-year-old stepdaughter on multiple occasions cannot have his convictions or sentenced reduced after the Indiana Court of Appeals found Friday that there was enough evidence to support his 32-year sentence.
COA upholds judgment against ex-husband accused of violating protective order
The Indiana Court of Appeals found Friday that an Allen County man must serve out his prison sentence after he knowingly violated the protective order his ex-wife had taken out against him and that he intentionally locked her out of a house that legally belonged to her.
COA: Man in bar fight can’t seek damages based on default
A Lake County man cannot seek damages against another man he was involved in a bar fight with after the Indiana Court of Appeals decided Friday that the plaintiff waited too long to bring up the defendant’s default in court.
Judge denies summary judgment for jailers accused of excessive force
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Terre Haute decision, denied a motion for summary judgment brought by four Terre Haute jail officers who have been accused of using excessive force against a former inmate.
Indiana judicial leaders honor Judson after 40 years with state judiciary
Judges and attorneys from around Indiana gathered together Wednesday to honor a member of the Indiana Supreme Court family who they say is the reason the court has operated effectively and efficiently for the last 40 years.
7th Circuit allows Michigan man to sue Indiana body shop for fire that destroyed his vehicle
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned summary judgment in favor of a northern Indiana body shop Wednesday after finding that a Michigan man has legal ground to sue the body shop for a fire that destroyed his car.
COA: Hotel did not conspire to commit theft from guests’ room
The Indiana Court of Appeals decided Wednesday that an Evansville hotel cannot be considered negligent after its employees allowed a man into a guest room without the guests’ permission, resulting in the theft of the guests’ personal property.
COA maintains that belatedly filed records result in dismissal
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed an Allen Superior Court decision after finding that the trial court erred when it did not dismiss a case despite the fact that the record was not filed in a timely manner.
City of Elkhart, Martinsville police facing lawsuits after deleting Facebook posts
After preventing local residents from commenting on their official Facebook pages, the city of Elkhart and the Martinsville Police Department are being sued for alleged violations of citizens’ First Amendment rights.
7th Circuit rejects former Bloomington employee’s request to defer restitution
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a former Bloomington city employee’s argument that his restitution debt should be deferred to his release from prison because he is limited to paying only 10 percent of his income toward that debt each month.
Judge: East Chicago Housing Authority must stop warrantless home searches
The city of East Chicago and its housing authority have been ordered to stop what the ACLU of Indiana is calling “warrantless, nonconsensual entry” into residents’ homes after a district court ruled that doing so violated Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful search and seizure.
Justices consider rights of privacy vs. public safety in 4th Amendment case
At the center of an Indiana Supreme Court oral argument Thursday was the question of when exigent circumstances and an officer’s community caretaker role trump a citizen’s right to protection from unlawful searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment.
COA orders better findings of fact in parental rights case
The Indiana Court of Appeals rejected Thursday a trial court order terminating a St. Joseph County woman’s parental rights to her daughter and instead ordered the trial court to present more specific findings of fact to support the termination.