Opinions Nov. 12, 2012 ILD
State and federal courts are closed Nov. 12 in observance of Veterans Day. No court opinions were posted.
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State and federal courts are closed Nov. 12 in observance of Veterans Day. No court opinions were posted.
A food service worker at Ball State University who claims that the college bears responsibility for racial discrimination by coworkers will have her case heard this month by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Retired Knox County judge and civic leader Edward Charles Theobald died Nov. 9.
An Allen County man’s argument that the state’s Sex Offender Management and Monitoring Program is unconstitutional will be heard Tuesday by a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Federal prosecutors on Friday charged eight alleged Imperial Gangsters street gang members in a 41-count indictment that expands on previous homicide and drug trafficking charges.
The following are not-for-publication opinions issued by IL deadline. For publication decision(s) are detailed in the stories above.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Kelly Millard v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1204-CR-297
Criminal. Affirms conviction of operating a vehicle while intoxicated as a Class D felony.
Travis Reagle v. State of Indiana (NFP)
29A05-1206-CR-332
Criminal. Affirms trial court’s order that the sentences for Class A felony rape and Class B felony burglary be served consecutively.
In Re the Term. of Parent-Child Rel. of D.T.: S.T. v. The Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
34A05-1205-JT-228
Juvenile termination of parental rights. Affirms trial court’s decision to terminate mother’s parental rights to infant son, D.T.
Timothy Allison v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1204-CR-277
Criminal. Affirms trial court’s sentence following the revocation of probation. Holds that Allison should have raised his argument that his initial sentence was illegal on direct appeal or in a petition for post-conviction relief.
In the Matter of the Term. of the Parent-Child Rel. of I.C., J.C, and P.C.: E.C. v. Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
49A02-1204-JT-273
Juvenile termination of parental rights. Affirms trial court’s termination of father’s parental rights over his three minor children.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Amerisafe Risk Services, Inc., and Leerae Riggs v. The Estate of Hazel D. Wadsack, deceased, by Ronald J. Wadsack as Personal Rep., and Ronald J. Wadsack, individually
88A01-1204-CT-144
Civil tort. Reverses trial court denial of plaintiff’s request for dismissal, holding that the court lacked jurisdiction in the case. The estate of an injured worker’s mother sued the worker’s compensation insurer, claiming that the mother died as a result of emotional distress over the insurer’s handling of her son’s claim. The appeals court held that the Wadsacks had not exhausted appeals through the Worker’s Compensation Board, which the court determined had proper jurisdiction because the Wadsacks’ claim was derivative of their son’s claims for benefits.
Attorneys from the Indianapolis Bar Association will offer free legal advice through Legal Line, a call-in service, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The number to call is 317-269-2000.
Federal prosecutors this week indicted five people and three affiliated companies on charges of defrauding Medicaid of millions of dollars, according to the office of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana David Capp.
The mother of an injured worker whose estate claims she died due to emotional distress caused by an insurer’s handling of her son’s case cannot directly sue the insurer before exhausting the regulatory process, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
The following are not-for-publication opinions issued by IL deadline. All for-publication decision(s) are detailed in the stories above.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Jeff Clade v. Hunt Construction Group, Inc. (NFP)
49A02-1206-CT-509
Civil tort. Reverses summary judgment in favor of Hunt Construction Group on Clade’s negligence claim and remands with instructions.
T.B. v. Review Board of the Indiana Dept. of Workforce Development and A.R. (NFP)
93A02-1112-EX-1143
Agency appeal. Affirms denial of request to reinstate appeal.
Clay R. Firestone v. State of Indiana (NFP)
32A01-1201-PC-32
Post conviction. Grants petition for rehearing and reaffirms denial of petition for post-conviction relief.
Troy Phillips v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A04-1203-PC-152
Post conviction. Affirms denial of petition for post-conviction relief.
F.M., Mother v. N.B., Father (NFP)
71A05-1206-JP-291
Juvenile. Reverses denial of motion to continue. Remands for a new hearing.
Brian E. Graves v. State of Indiana (NFP)
16A01-1205-CR-227
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class B felony escape.
Jason Bond, David Lear and Leslie Bridges, et al. v. Veolia Water Indianapolis, LLC, Veolia Water North America Operating Service, LLC and The City of Indianapolis, Dept. of Waterworks (NFP)
49A02-1202-CC-147
Civil collection. Affirms dismissal of case for unjust enrichment, breach of contract and violation of the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Zachary A. Sebastian v. State of Indiana (NFP)
52A02-1205-CR-372
Criminal. Affirms sentence following guilty plea to Class C felonies reckless homicide and carrying a handgun without a license.
The City of Shelbyville, Indiana and Shelbyville Board of Works and Safety v. Frank P. and Shirlene Sundvall (NFP)
73A01-1203-PL-98
Civil plenary. Reverses denial of the city’s motion for summary judgment in an action initiated by the Sundvalls. Remands for further proceedings.
No Indiana opinions were released by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals prior to IL deadline. The Indiana Supreme Court and Tax Court released no opinions prior to IL deadline.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Jerome Michael Burton v. State of Indiana
45A03-1201-CR-6
Criminal. Reverses denial of motion to dismiss the charge of failure to register as a sex offender. Remands with instructions. Wallace applies and the ex post facto provision of the Indiana Constitution prevents the application of Indiana’s Sex Offender Registry Act to require Burton, a resident of Indiana, to register as a sex offender for an offense committed in Illinois in 1987.
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled it’s a violation of the ex post facto provision of the state’s constitution to require a man who committed a sex crime in Illinois, but now lives in Indiana, to register in Indiana because the laws requiring him to register in both states were enacted after he committed the crime in Illinois.
Bankruptcy cases filed in federal courts for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30 were down 14 percent as compared to fiscal year 2011, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts announced Wednesday. Filings are down more than 11 percent in the Northern and Southern District courts of Indiana.
Attorneys can get two hours of free continuing legal education credit at a public access seminar next week in Greenfield, the last in a statewide series this year. The event is open to the public and will focus on Indiana’s public records and open government meeting laws.
The following are not-for-publication decisions released by IL deadline. For publication decisions are detailed in the stories above.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Cornelius Hooten v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A02-1204-CR-266
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class A misdemeanor carrying a handgun without a license.
Cameron Williams v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A04-1109-PC-502
Post conviction. Affirms denial of petition for post-conviction relief.
John Salter v. State of Indiana (NFP)
27A02-1203-CR-275
Criminal. Dismisses appeal of conviction following guilty plea.
In the Matter of C.C., (Minor Child), a Child in Need of Services; M.W., Mother v. Indiana Dept. of Child Services, Child Advocates, Inc. (NFP)
49A04-1203-JC-127
Juvenile. Affirms adjudication of 17-year-old C.C. as a child in need of services.
In the Matter of the Parent-Child Rel. of: K.E.G.-H. and D.G. v. The Indiana Dept. of Child Services (NFP)
51A01-1204-JT-174
Juvenile. Affirms termination of parental rights.
LaQuinton Leonard v. State of Indiana (NFP)
71A03-1203-CR-128
Criminal. Affirms conviction and sentence for murder.
Cherie Solms v. Michael Solms (NFP)
27A02-1204-PO-279
Protective order. Reverses dismissal of petition for an order of protection against Michael Solms. Remands with instructions.
Brian Gale Waters v. Indiana Real Estate Commission, et al. (NFP)
49A02-1112-MI-1165
Miscellaneous. Reverses and remands with instructions to dismiss Waters’ complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
Brandon Price v. State of Indiana (NFP)
49A04-1203-CR-154
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class B felony possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, reverses public defender fee and remands for further proceedings.
Vincent O. Dates v. State of Indiana (NFP)
84A05-1203-CR-134
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class A felony dealing in cocaine.
Thomas Dudley and Barbara Dudley v. The Estate of Earl Studtmann (NFP)
46A03-1204-PL-147
Civil plenary. Reverses entry of summary judgment for the estate and remands for further proceedings.
James S. Shidler v. State of Indiana (NFP)
37A05-1204-CR-186
Criminal. Affirms conviction and sentence for Class A felony conspiracy to commit murder.
Adrian Lotaki v. State of Indiana (NFP)
71A03-1106-PC-284
Post conviction. Affirms denial of petition for post-conviction relief.
Indiana Supreme Court
Michael Kucholick v. State of Indiana
12S02-1211-CR-630
Criminal. Justices grant transfer and order Kucholick’s sentence for Class C felony criminal recklessness and Class B misdemeanor criminal mischief revised to the advisory term of four years, all executed. Summarily affirms Court of Appeals decision in all respects. Chief Justice Dickson dissents, believing the trial court’s sentence of seven years should be affirmed.
In a divided per curiam opinion released Wednesday, the Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer to a case and agreed that a man’s aggregate sentence for criminal recklessness and criminal mischief should be revised to four years.
A former employee is entitled to commissions owed to him after he left a real estate company, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Wednesday. The judges also found the ex-employee is entitled to prejudgment interest.
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a decision by a DeKalb Superior judge that Fred and Mary Anna Feitler were personally liable for unpaid bills to subcontractors on their home, which was being constructed on land owned by a trust to which they were sole beneficiaries.