Former exec loses appeal to keep his stock in $20M filtration firm
The case involved whether a co-founder of Anderson-based Hy-Pro Corp. owned stock in the business when it was sold in 2017.
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Articles
7th Circuit affirms dismissal of killer’s habeas petition
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday affirmed the dismissal of a convicted killer’s habeas petition alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, agreeing that his attorney’s alleged errors did not prejudice him.
Ex-nursing home CEO taking fight against Barnes & Thornburg to 7th Circuit
James Burkhart, who led American Senior Communities, had argued Barnes & Thornburg failed to disclose a “profound conflict of interest” that compromised its representation of him.
Justices consider hearing a case on ‘most offensive word’
In a case focusing on elevator graffiti, Robert Collier is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether a single use of the N-word in the workplace can create a hostile work environment, giving an employee the ability to pursue a case under Title VII of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.
7th Circuit reverses conspiracy convictions for trustee’s administrative assistant in official misconduct case
The administrative assistant to the former Calumet Township Trustee who pled guilty to federal charges has had her own convictions related to wire fraud reversed after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found she should have been granted a mistrial on Fourth Amendment grounds.
7th Circuit reverses for deceased woman’s estate in fatal South Bend officer crash
The case began in 2018 after a police officer responded to a non-emergency call at a South Bend “hot spot” where a speeding vehicle was seen, despite not being assigned to the call and five other officers already on their way there.
COA reverses for stepmother in denied adoption petition case
A stepmother who was denied her petition to adopt her husband’s children will be given a second chance, after the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed and found the children’s biological mother’s failure to communicate with her children was not justifiable.
Indiana Court Decisions – April 22-May 5, 2021
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
7th Circuit affirms verdict against law professor in defamation dispute
A law school professor suing for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that the jury was wrong to reject her claims.
Justices to hear certified questions in medical malpractice case
The case stems from claims Jeffrey Cutchin brought against Sylvia Watson after she ran a red light and struck his vehicle, killing his wife and daughter.
7th Circuit finds search warrant of suspected drug dealer’s home valid
A northern Indiana man could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that a search of his home that revealed drugs and firearms was baseless and that he endured prosecutorial misconduct during his trial.
Man convicted of child porn not entitled to relief over criminal procedure rule, restitution dispute
A debate over a federal criminal procedure rule and a restitution order did not sway a 7th Circuit Court of Appeals panel, which upheld a man’s conviction and sentence for child pornography.
Ponzi schemer Cochran escalates fight for early release on COVID grounds
Jim Cochran, the former Indianapolis businessman serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the massive Fair Finance Ponzi scheme, is asking a Chicago appeals court for early release on the grounds that his health problems could make contracting COVID-19 lethal and that he has undergone a religious conversion that no longer makes him a risk to society.
7th Circuit: Convicted heroin conspiracy leaders lose suppressed evidence argument
Two men at the top of a heroin drug conspiracy were unable to sway the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a Friday decision to reconsider granting their motion to suppress evidence.
Census Bureau: 70% of voters cast ballots early or by mail
More than two-thirds of all U.S. citizens of the voting age population participated in the 2020 presidential election, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, and 69% of those cast ballots by mail or early in-person voting — methods that Republicans in some states are curtailing.
Indiana Court decisions – April 8-21, 2021
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
7th Circuit: 47-year sentence affirmed for Indiana man in armed robbery crime spree
A Hoosier man caught after leading a string of armed robberies in the Midwest could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that both his conviction and sentence should be overturned and vacated.
7th Circuit rules for egg supplier in spoiled contract case
Despite a buyer’s ruffled feathers, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld judgment for an egg supplier in a contractual dispute. Further, the appellate panel remanded for the calculation of interest and fees resulting from the cracked relationship.
SCOTUS wants Indiana to respond to absentee voting suit
U.S. Supreme Court justices want Indiana to justify its absentee voting restrictions and have formally requested the Indiana Attorney General’s Office to respond to a constitutional challenge after the state previously waived its right to reply.
7th Circuit proposes local fee order rule changes
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has proposed revisions to its local fee rule that would strike the explicit current local attorney admission fee of $15 and replace it with language referring to the court’s attorney admission local fee order. That order currently sets the fee at $15, as well.