Indiana law firms part of biggest combinations in 2019
The year 2019 broke the record for U.S. law firm mergers and acquisitions with 115 combinations announced, including Indianapolis offices in some of the biggest deals unveiled.
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Split COA reduces manslaughter sentence after judge’s ‘compensation’
A split Indiana Court of Appeals panel has reduced a man’s voluntary manslaughter sentence after finding the judge who sentenced him did so in part “to compensate for what he believed to be an erroneous verdict.”
Redistricting reform advocates pushing for transparency
Redistricting reform advocates are taking a slightly different approach at the Republican-controlled Indiana Legislature this year, as they make more transparency the priority ahead of lines being redrawn in 2021.
Appeals court weighs Mueller grand jury access for Congress
Democrats in Congress are seeking access to secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, arguing in court Friday that it is relevant to President Donald Trump’s impeachment and could even be a basis for additional accusations against him.
Indiana GOP holding off teacher pay action in 2020 session
Members of the Republican-dominated General Assembly return Monday to the Statehouse in Indianapolis for their 2020 session, during which they will face continued calls from teacher unions and Democrats for better teacher pay and less reliance on standardized student test scores for evaluation of schools and educators.
New pretrial release rule adds risk assessments for booked inmates
A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials say. Criminal Rule 26, which set Indiana’s new pretrial release protocols, was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2017, but it didn’t take effect statewide until Jan. 1.
Report blames 65 Indiana child deaths on abuse or neglect
A new report shows that 65 Indiana children died from abuse or neglect during 2018, the same number as its last year-long review. The Indiana Department of Child Services said it investigated 242 child fatalities that happened in 2018, determining 26% of those deaths were from abuse or neglect.
Judge: Muncie man charged in 2018 murders to act as own attorney
An Indiana man charged in the 2018 slayings of two people found in a nature preserve and an abandoned farmhouse will act as his own attorney, a judge has ruled. Madison Circuit Court 6 Judge Mark Dudley granted Daniel Lee Jones’ request to act as his own lawyer, but his public defender will serve as stand-by counsel during the trial.
Bradford elected COA chief judge, succeeding Vaidik
The judges of the Indiana Court of Appeals have elected Judge Cale Bradford to serve for the next three years as the lower appellate court’s chief judge. He succeeds Judge Nancy Vaidik, whose term as chief expired last month. Bradford, whose term began Jan. 1., has served on the Court of Appeals for nearly 13 years.
Tippecanoe Co. prosecutor to lead prosecutors’ association
Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Patrick Harrington will serve as president of the Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Inc. in 2020 following his recent election to the post.
Indiana asks SCOTUS to uphold Louisiana admitting-privileges abortion law
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has requested that the United States Supreme Court uphold a Louisiana law requiring all ambulatory surgical centers, including abortion clinics, to hold admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.
2020 ICLEO applications available
Applications are now available for the 2020 Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity program may now do so, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Friday.
Supreme Court officially makes Karozos state public defender
Indiana’s new state public defender was officially appointed Monday with an order from the Indiana Supreme Court. Amy E. Karozos will begin her four-year term as state public defender Jan. 13.
Senator tries again to ban Indiana vouchers over gay firings
A proposal aimed at banning private schools that discriminate against gay employees and students from receiving Indiana voucher program money is being backed by the state’s Republican school superintendent.
No charges against ex-senator over Indiana lobbying contract
Prosecutors have decided a former Indiana state senator won’t face criminal charges over possible violations of state lobbying laws involving his work with the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs.
Former DCS worker seeking dismissal of criminal case
The former DCS worker facing criminal charges is scheduled to be in Madison Circuit Court Friday, arguing the indictment against him should be dismissed because not only are the allegations too vague to comply with state law and constitutional guarantees, but also because he is protected by immunity.
Indiana man faces trial in 1994 Wisconsin murder case
A judge ordered an Indiana man to stand trial for the 1994 death of a woman who was strangled and run over with a car in Madison, Wisconsin. Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn said during a hearing Thursday that there’s enough evidence for 52-year-old Willie L. Coleman to be tried for first-degree reckless homicide in the Nov. 4, 1994, death Lula Cunnigan.
Hobart man gets 65 years for female co-worker’s slaying
A northwestern Indiana judge sentenced a man to the maximum 65 years in prison Thursday for fatally stabbing a female bartender at the tavern where he worked as a bouncer. A Porter County jury in November found Christopher Dillard, 53, of Hobart guilty of murder in the slaying of 23-year-old Nicole Gland.
Indiana school bus safety program nets nearly 2,700 tickets
Indiana police departments issued nearly 2,700 tickets and 1,400 warnings for unsafe driving around school bus stops and routes during a two-month enforcement program, state officials announced Thursday.
2 charged in man’s fatal beating in Indiana forest face joint trial
Two men accused of beating a man to death with a pipe in a northern Indiana forest are facing a joint trial in April.