Articles

Appellate court finds lawsuit brought in bad faith

The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today for a fifth time on a contentious family dispute over the estate of deceased parents, affirming a small claims court judgment in favor of two of the siblings for damages and fees against their brother and his wife.

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Justices: BMV can require names to match SSA records

The trial court was correct to find that the public interest in preventing fraudulent use of driver’s licenses trumps some people’s desire to have their commonly used names on their licenses, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled today.

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Justices rule against POA on joint-account funds issue

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled against a woman who was made power of attorney by the man she worked for as a caretaker and opened bank accounts in both their names. The presumption is that the woman’s use of her power of attorney to benefit herself made those accounts invalid, and she failed to overcome that presumption to allow her to inherit the money from those accounts.

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Defendants in will contest must timely answer

In an issue of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals has held that a will contest is a civil action and a defendant in this type of action is required to file an answer or plead to a complaint as provided by the state’s trial rules.

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COA reverses judgment on contract-rescission claim against lottery

The Indiana Court of Appeals will allow lottery scratch-off game players’ claim of contract rescission against the state’s lottery commission to proceed to trial, but the court affirmed summary judgment in favor of the lottery on the other claims filed by the players in a class-action suit.

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COA: variance for residential wind turbine allowed

The Court of Appeals today affirmed a decision from the Warrick Superior Court that found the Board of Zoning Appeals of the
Area Plan Commission of Warrick County was right in allowing a 20-foot variance for the construction of a residential wind
turbine.

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High court remands Medicaid case to lower court

The Indiana Supreme Court ordered a Marion Superior Court to let Medicaid recipients involved in a decades-long lawsuit present
evidence to demonstrate the transportation they may be entitled to by law and if they have been or will be denied services
because of lower pay rates to Medicaid transportation providers.

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7th Circuit upholds Indiana’s judicial canons

At a time when the legal community is caught up in controversies about how judges are selected and whether they can remain
impartial, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in on that national debate and ruled that states have the authority
to self-regulate on those issues as it relates to judicial canons.

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Court rules on first impression FLSA issue

In denying summary judgment for either party in a dispute involving the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. District judge
noted the issue appears to be one of first impression in the 7th Circuit.

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COA addresses inverse condemnation issues

Inverse condemnation was the issue of the day for two Indiana Court of Appeals panels, with one case raising issues regarding
fraudulent concealment and the statute of limitations.

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COA: attorney’s statement binding

The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed partial summary judgment for Noble Roman’s Inc. in-store franchisees’ claim
for constructive fraud because the franchisees’ then-attorney admitted that they were only pleading actual fraud against
the company and that admission is binding.

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Court upholds judgment in legal malpractice suit

The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment in favor of an attorney and law firm in a legal malpractice suit, although
the judges didn’t agree on the professional obligations of the firm based on its contract.

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Judges split in adopted trust-beneficiaries matter

In an issue of first impression regarding the retroactivity of a 2003 amendment to the state’s trust code, the Indiana
Court of Appeals was divided on whether adopted children should have been included as beneficiaries of a trust.

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