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

Religious camp loses appeal against Rush County CAFO

A Rush County religious camp has lost its appeal of the grant of a confined animal feeding operation to a local farm after the Indiana Court of Appeals found the Rush County Board of Zoning Appeals did not err in approving the CAFO.

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COA reinstates fraud, bad faith suit against State Farm

A fraud suit against State Farm Insurance brought by one of its insured will continue in trial court after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday there were genuine issues of material fact precluding the grant of summary judgment to the insurer.

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Bill proposes court OK CHINS removal from foster care

A bill pending before an Indiana Senate committee would place additional requirements on the Department of Child Services before removing a child from long-term foster care, though DCS representatives object to the bill on the basis of court caseloads and child safety.

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COA affirms escape conviction in home detention case

A person’s home is considered a “place of lawful detention” if the person has been sentenced to home detention, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday in a decision that upheld a woman’s felony escape conviction.

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Divided COA again allows sentence modification in fixed-sentence agreement

A divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals has ordered a trial court to reconsider a sentence modification for an offender who agreed to a fixed-sentence plea agreement, a ruling that goes against proposed legislation currently pending before an Indiana Senate committee. However, in his first writing as an appellate senior judge, former Indiana Supreme Court Justice Robert Rucker dissented from the majority ruling.

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Divided COA upholds absentee juvenile delinquent adjudications

A divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld additional delinquency adjudications and findings of probation violations against a Lawrence County teen after determining the teen was in procedural default when he failed to appear for his fact-finding hearings. Chief Judge Nancy Vaidik, however, dissented on statutory grounds.

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7th Circuit reverses death sentence for murderer Baer

Despite the “atrocious” nature of a murderer’s crimes, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed his death sentence in a habeas petition, finding prosecutorial misconduct and misleading jury instructions likely influenced the jury’s decision to sentence him to death.

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Justices consider delinquent adjudications for teen who threatened school

In the fall of 2015, a Seymour High School student began planning a “Columbine-style” attack on his school specifically targeting two students — a girl he had a crush on, and the other boy that girl liked. The plan was reported and foiled without any harm, but now the Indiana Supreme Court must decide whether delinquent adjudications imposed on the high school conspirator will stand.

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Testimony begins on Sunday alcohol sales legislation

The Indiana House Public Policy Committee received overwhelming support for proposed legislation that would allow for Sunday carryout alcohol sales during testimony on Wednesday, with retailers from both the liquor store and big-box retailers supporting the measure. A Senate panel also was to consider its Sunday sales bill.

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Sentence modification bill inspired by COA ruling

A recent Indiana Court of Appeals decision that prosecutors say went against longstanding practices in the sentence modification process has sparked a conversation in the Indiana legislature about courts’ discretion to modify sentences stemming from fixed-sentence plea agreements.

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Sign here: Millennials increasingly seek prenups to protect their assets

While they are often portrayed as monetary safeguards for the rich and famous, prenuptial agreements have been appealing to a different demographic in recent years: millennials. In fact, about 51 percent of family law attorneys within the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said they have noticed an increase in the number of young couples seeking premarital agreements.

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Law offers varied answers to sexual harassment questions

Employment law and sexual harassment attorneys say the law provides answers for when conduct crosses the line from objectionable to actionable, though sometimes those answers can be hard to prove. That’s why they say it’s important from both an employer and employee perspective to take steps to protect yourself from ending up in a compromising situation.

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