Trump’s new Justice Department leadership orders a freeze on civil rights cases
Attorneys in the department’s Civil Rights Division were ordered not to file any new complaints, amicus briefs or other certain court papers “until further notice.”
civil rights
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‘I believe in miracles’: Talevski family cheers SCOTUS decision, but questions still linger
Susie Talevski’s father was the catalyst behind the decision in Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, et al. v. Talevski, which held that the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act creates individually enforceable rights.
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HHC of Marion County seeks to roll back private right of enforcement
In hindsight, attorneys say, the footnote in the brief to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals filed by the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County provided the clue for what has since come.
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Indy woman tries to aid incarcerated son filing pro se lawsuits against prison guards
A pair of complaints filed in 2021 by Pendleton Correctional Facility inmate Danny Johnson is showing the lawsuits can add to the frustration and sadness felt by the families who have relatives behind bars.
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Advocates ask U.S. Supreme Court to review Indiana absentee voting laws
Hoosiers who unsuccessfully pushed for no-excuse absentee voting in Indiana during the 2020 election are turning to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming the constitutional arguments they raised will become even more pertinent as some state legislatures are already trying to restrict mail-in balloting.
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Justice Department and the city of Memphis to address results of scathing police investigation
The fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers after he ran away from a traffic stop in January 2023 exposed serious problems in the Memphis Police Department, from the use of excessive force to its mistreatment of Black people in the majority-Black city, a federal investigation has found.
Conservative foundation backs Brownsburg teacher in transgender pronoun case
A conservative education foundation filed an amicus brief on Thursday in support of a former Brownsburg teacher who was forced to quit his job at a public school after he chose not to use preferred pronouns when identifying transgender students.
Attorney General Rokita warns universities they could lose funding due to antisemitism on campuses
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sent letters to multiple universities Monday as a warning that those schools are required to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by combating all forms of antisemitism on their campuses or they could lose federal funding.
7th Circuit finds care facility not liable for alleged harassment in employment discrimination case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a Newburgh-based long-term care facility was not liable for alleged harassment in an employment discrimination case filed on behalf of Black employees.
Contingency-fee forfeiture prosecutions not unconstitutional, federal judge rules
Indiana’s practice of allowing private prosecutors to collect a contingency fee on forfeiture proceeds is not a violation of due process, a federal judge has ruled.
Corydon woman’s amended civil rights complaint dismissed with prejudice in federal court
A Black Corydon woman’s amended civil rights complaint failed to present sufficient claims against several town defendants and Harrison County commissioners, a federal judge ruled in dismissing the lawsuit with prejudice.
As SCOTUS prepares to consider Martinsville schools transgender bathroom case, ACLU urges justices to deny cert
As the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to take a case ordering an Indiana school district to allow a transgender boy to use the facilities that align with his gender identity, the ACLU of Indiana is urging the high court to reject the case.
Corydon woman’s federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations dismissed without prejudice
A federal judge has dismissed without prejudice a civil rights complaint filed by a Black woman from Corydon who alleges she was denied full access to the town’s public utilities and faced harassment and threats while living there.
Supreme Court rejects appeal of former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin’s appeal of his conviction for second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd.
Federal court hears arguments in Haitian immigrants’ challenge to Indiana law that limits driver’s license access to certain Ukrainians
A federal judge heard arguments Friday from lawyers for a group of Indiana residents from Haiti who are suing the state over a law that allows immigrants in the U.S. on humanitarian parole to get driver’s licenses, but only if they are from Ukraine.
Mistrial declared after federal jury deadlocks in trial of ex-officer in deadly Breonna Taylor raid
Jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict on federal civil rights charges Thursday in the trial of a former Louisville police officer charged in the police raid that killed Breonna Taylor, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial.
Former Gary police officer sentenced to year in prison for violating handcuffed man’s civil rights
A former Gary police officer was sentenced Wednesday to a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to violating a handcuffed man’s civil rights by using excessive force while arresting him.
Ex-officer Derek Chauvin makes another bid to overturn federal conviction in murder of George Floyd
Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin is making another attempt to overturn his federal civil rights conviction in the 2020 murder of George Floyd, saying new evidence shows that he didn’t cause Floyd’s death.
Former Brownsburg music teacher seeks summary judgment in federal religious freedom case
A former Brownsburg High School music teacher who sued the school corporation after refusing to follow its policy for addressing transgender students is now seeking summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
Former Elkhart police officer gets 1 year for civil rights violations
A former officer with the Elkhart Police Department was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for his role in assaulting a handcuffed detainee, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
IU settles civil rights lawsuit, police chief out after parking fee arrest
Indiana University’s police chief is out, and the university has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit after a graduate student said two IU Police Department officers violated his rights when he was arrested for an unpaid $3 parking fee.
4 former officers plead not guilty to federal civil rights charges in Tyre Nichols beating
Four former Memphis police officers pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal civil rights charges in the violent beating and death of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop nine months ago.
Indianapolis officer gets 1 year in prison for kicking handcuffed man in face during arrest
An Indianapolis police officer who pleaded guilty to kicking a handcuffed man in the face during a 2021 arrest was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison Friday by a judge who said the attack “shocked the conscience.”
City employee amends discrimination complaint against City of Valparaiso, adds Title VII claim
A longtime employee for the City of Valparaiso has amended her complaint against the city with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.