Articles

Cooper out, county moving on

Former Johnson County Prosecutor Bradley Cooper told his domestic violence victim and former fiancée in court on July 17, “I did it. I did it all,” as a judge accepted his guilty plea to felony counts that terminated his ability to serve in his elected office and jeopardize his license to practice law. Cooper’s longtime deputy, Joe Villanueva, was sworn in the same day as interim prosecutor.

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Suspended Indianapolis attorney charged with theft

An Indianapolis attorney who was charged two years ago with indecency and public nudity after allegedly exposing himself to two high school girls basketball teams has been accused of taking more than $53,000 from a client. Raymond Fairchild has been charged with theft as a Level 5 felony for allegedly taking $53,226.35 from the proceeds of a client’s litigation settlement, according to a release from Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry’s office.

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US attorney general says encryption creates security risk

U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that increased encryption of data on phones and computers and encrypted messaging apps are putting American security at risk. Barr’s comments at a cybersecurity conference mark a continuing effort by the Justice Department to push tech companies to provide law enforcement with access to encrypted devices and applications during investigations.

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15 apply for Lake County judicial vacancy

More than a dozen applicants are seeking to fill a Lake County judicial vacancy created by a judge’s retirement earlier this month. The vacancy in Lake Superior Court, Civil Division 6 was opened up when Judge John Pera retired July 1.

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Indiana Legislature seeks to separate from AG in sexual harassment lawsuit

The Indiana House of Representatives and the Indiana Senate have filed separate motions in federal court to represent themselves in the sexual harassment lawsuit against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill Jr., claiming the state’s top lawyer cannot adequately defend their interests. Majority leaders of both the House and Senate announced late Monday afternoon they had hired outside counsel and are trying to intervene in the litigation brought by four women against Hill and the state of Indiana.

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Equifax to pay up to $700M in data breach settlement

Equifax will pay up to $700 million to settle with the U.S. and states over a 2017 data breach that exposed Social Security numbers and other private information of nearly 150 million people. The settlement with the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as 48 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, would provide up to $425 million in monetary relief to consumers, a $100 million civil money penalty, and other relief.

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Mother: Indiana family will sue cruise company over toddler’s death

There are “a million things” the cruise company could have done to prevent the death of an 18-month-old Indiana girl who fell to her death from an open window on a cruise ship in Puerto Rico, the toddler’s mother said in an interview broadcast Monday. Speaking publicly for the first time since Chloe Wiegand died, her mother, Kimberley Wiegand, told NBC’s “Today ” show that her family will sue Royal Caribbean Cruises for “not having a safer situation on the 11th floor of that cruise ship.”

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South Bend police to get body camera upgrades after shooting

The Indiana city where Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is mayor is updating its police officers’ body camera technology following the recent fatal police shooting of a black man. The technology upgrades will mean officers’ body cameras can be activated manually or automatically when a squad car door is opened.

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