Indiana Court Decisions – March 24-April 6, 2022
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the latest reporting period.
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Work in progress: Juvenile justice mental health, safety concerns addressed in new law
Concerns about the safety and well-being of Hoosier youth housed in juvenile justice facilities across the state have drawn attention from the U.S. Department of Justice on multiple occasions. Action was taken to remedy those concerns, but the root of the problem facing Indiana’s juvenile justice system is still wound in a tangled mess that lawmakers and juvenile advocates are trying to unravel.
Web Exclusive: Lawyers debate how IP laws apply to NFTs
Over the last three years, non-fungible tokens have gone from niche to mainstream. But with the new digital marketplace has come more questions than answers for lawyers — particularly in the realm of intellectual property.
Hammerle on… “Uncharted,” “The Outfit” and reliving the Oscars
Indianapolis criminal defense attorney Bob Hammerle gives us his take on “Uncharted” and “The Outfit,” plus his thoughts on this year’s memorable Oscars ceremony.
Indiana law students learn etiquette do’s and don’ts
While studying and test-taking often create stress, a new program is aimed at helping alleviate some of the anxieties Indiana law students may feel in the social realm of the legal profession. The Indiana State Bar Association recently teamed up with Notre Dame Law School, Indiana University Maurer School of Law and IU McKinney School of Law to put on etiquette dinners for students.
IndyBar: Intentional Investment: Providing Opportunities to the Next Generation of Lawyers
What is leadership? This is a question I endeavored to answer when I took former Dean Andy Klein and professor Susan Brooks’ Leadership in the Law class at IU McKinney this past fall.
Indiana Lawyer announces 2022 Leadership in Law honorees: Senior Judge Barker receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Indiana Lawyer is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2022 Leadership in Law Awards, who will be honored at a recognition breakfast on June 1.
DTCI: Inter vivos transfers and ad mortem transfers
Transferring realty out of an estate assists the common goal of avoiding probate by eliminating the real estate from the threshold value calculation. Inter vivos and ad mortem transfers are the two means of avoiding such inclusion.
Under the spotlight: IN Supreme Court candidates face myriad of legal, personal questions
The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission didn’t shy away from big topics during the second round of Indiana Supreme Court interviews on April 5, prodding to see where candidates would land on questions ranging from underrepresentation on the bench to influences of personal bias in judicial philosophy to how much consideration judges should give the legislative branch.
Departing dean showed ‘true leadership’: Parrish leaves strong legacy as he prepares to depart IU Maurer
Austen Parrish has announced his decision to leave IU Maurer to become dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law in Irvine, California. On Aug. 3, he will join the young West Coast school that enrolled its first class in 2009 and boasts a reputation for innovation.
IndyBar: The Importance of the Indianapolis Bar Association Diversity Job Fair
Now that registration has opened for the 2022 Indianapolis Bar Association Diversity Job Fair, I thought it would be the perfect time to attest to the invaluable opportunity the Diversity Job Fair was for me and encourage other law students to attend this year.
Deal or no deal? Mediators, attorneys say ADR may not be best route for M&A transactions
Some could argue that alternative dispute resolution is the solution to speeding up the process for M&A deals stuck in limbo, but both mediators and M&A attorneys alike agree mediation and arbitration are not the routes they’d choose in most situations.
IndyBar: Indiana Disability Rights Named 2022 Community Empowerment Fund Grant Recipient
Advanced directives are essential tools for ensuring one’s wishes for medical and end-of-life treatment are known. Unfortunately, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities are often overlooked in discussions surrounding advanced directives. Thanks to a $35,000 grant from the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, a new program from Indiana Disability Rights will empower these individuals to make their important end-of-life choices known.
Citizens Energy sues apartment complexes for $1.3M in unpaid bills
Citizens Energy Group has filed suit against the owners of three Indianapolis apartment complexes over more than $1.3 million in unpaid utility bills, alleging they defrauded both the energy giant and residents.
Former employers lose again in breach-of-confidentiality appeal, but attorney fees partially overturned
A breach-of-confidentiality dispute between concrete-industry employees and their former employer returned to the Court of Appeals of Indiana for a second time but largely yielded the same result on Tuesday. However, one of the companies did score a partial win as the COA overturned an award of attorney fees.
Columbus car dealership secures Tax Court reversal on base rate application concerns
The Indiana Tax Court has reversed for a Columbus car dealership after finding that three appeals it filed regarding errors in the assessments of its property between 2016 and 2018 presented questions about the objective application of an already-determined base rate prescribed by a land order.
Tax Court reverses assessment because of possible ‘math error’
Finding a math error is objective rather than subjective, the Indiana Tax Court has revived the appeal of a property owner who argued the Bartholomew County assessor calculated his property tax assessment using the wrong base rate.
Oklahoma governor signs bill to make abortion illegal
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, as part of an aggressive push in Republican-led states across the country to scale back abortion rights.
Accounts deceivable: Email scam costliest type of cybercrime
Business Email Compromise scams are a type of crime where criminals hack into email accounts, pretend to be someone they’re not and fool victims into sending money where it doesn’t belong. These crimes get far less attention than the massive ransomware attacks that have triggered a powerful government response, but BEC scams have been by far the costliest type of cybercrime in the U.S. for years, according to the FBI—siphoning untold billions from the economy as authorities struggle to keep up.
Plea deal rejected by 3 ex-officers in George Floyd’s death
Prosecutors revealed Monday evening that they offered plea deals to three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd, but said at a hearing that the defendants rejected them.