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Olivia Covington

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

Divided justices uphold guilty but mentally ill verdict in Southport pastor’s murder

A bench verdict of guilty but mentally ill against a woman twice convicted — and twice cleared by reason of insanity – in the 2012 shooting of a Southport pastor will stand after a majority of the Indiana Supreme Court found sufficient demeanor evidence to reject the woman’s insanity defense. But the two-justice dissent pointed to testimony from three experts to support their opinion that Lori Barcroft was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct at the time of Jaman Iseminger’s murder.

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7th Circuit upholds child porn prison sentence

A Bedford man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child porn has failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to order a resentencing, with the court finding that the terms of the man’s plea agreement were not breached.

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Report: Law firms fail at collecting client satisfaction feedback

According to a new report, only 4 percent of nearly 2,000 lawyers surveyed regularly collect formal client feedback in the form of surveys, interviews, etc., to measure client satisfaction. The dearth of law firm client satisfaction data complicates business development and referral prospects.

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Judge’s failure to sign commitment order splits COA

For the second time in little more than one month, the Indiana Court of Appeals has addressed the issue of the Marion Superior Court ordering civil commitments by the judge summarily approving commitment orders signed by commissioners or magistrates without signing the orders. But unlike a prior ruling, the COA on Wednesday found that issue waived, though a dissenting judge argued litigants cannot waive the issue of a judge’s failure to perform a statutory duty.

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Stepdad who exposed self to teen loses indecency appeal

A northern Indiana man who exposed himself to his stepdaughter’s teenage friend has lost his appeal of his public indecency conviction and sentence, with the Indiana Court of Appeals finding sufficient evidence and the man’s criminal history supported the trial court’s decisions.

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Charter school religion suit defendants awarded costs

After dismissing a First Amendment complaint that alleged a Monroe County charter school violated religious protection laws, a district court judge has awarded the Indiana superintendent of public instruction nearly $1,500 in costs and is considering an award of more than $1,800 for the school.

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COA: Defendant with transcript has no right to trial recording

A trial court’s decision to decline to provide a criminal defendant with an electronic recording of his trial has been upheld, with the Indiana Court of Appeals ruling the defendant did not have a right to the electronic copy because he already had received the trial transcript.

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IU McKinney students learn lawyerly skills through improv

Lawyers must learn to adapt to the constant barrage of information being thrown at them, and at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, students recently had the chance to hone their active listening and quick-thinking skills through an unusual teaching method — an improv workshop.

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Professor: Regulation of lawyer speech undermines judiciary

Legal professionals work within the Rules of Professional Conduct, so they don’t want to make any comments that might be perceived as unduly critical of others in the profession — a profession built largely on respect and civility. But according to an Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law professor, the unease surrounding Rule 8.2(a) is not a matter of respect, but rather a matter of lawyer fear.

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Judge lets Tippecanoe Right to Life free speech case proceed

A Tippecanoe County anti-abortion group’s free speech lawsuit against the local public transportation company will continue after a district court judge denied Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation’s motion for judgment on the pleadings.

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Ex-judge accused of sex-based harassment tentatively settles

A former Huntington County judge has reached a tentative settlement with his accuser in a sex-based harassment case brought by a county probation officer who alleged the judge engaged in a “campaign of sex-based harassment, discrimination, and retaliation” that “created a hostile and oppressive workplace environment.”

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