Indiana legislative session at halftime: what lives or died
Indiana lawmakers have reached halftime in this year’s legislative session, which has been marked more by plans deferred and legislation killed than major accomplishments.
civil rights
Articles
ACLU: Indiana prison violated blind inmate’s rights
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Indiana Department of Correction, alleging that prison officials are discriminating against a blind former inmate by refusing to let him participate in a literacy program to get his sentence reduced.
Suit from truck driver shot by Merrillville police proceeds
The town of Merrillville and one of its police officers lost their bid for summary judgment on a truck driver’s excessive force claim after a district court judge determined questions of fact exist as to whether the officer was justified in shooting the driver during an altercation.
Hill joins 10-state amicus brief in defense of police officers
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has joined a 10-state amicus brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case he said could make police officers’ jobs more difficult.
Ex-trooper Camm’s $30 million lawsuit dismissed
A $30 million lawsuit brought by former Indiana State Police trooper David Camm was dismissed Monday by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in New Albany. Camm was twice convicted, but ultimately found not guilty of the murder of his wife and children in a third trial.
Hate crime bill dies in Senate committee
Hate crime legislation has again failed in the Indiana Statehouse after Senate Republicans could not reach a consensus on what the bill should include.
Senate panel to take up hate crimes bill — again
An Indiana Senate committee will take up a bill targeting hate crimes — again.
Human rights fellowship open to ND law students
University of Notre Dame Law School is encouraging first- and second-year law students to apply for a summer fellowship from the law school’s Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Indiana delegation seeks federal designation for Kennedy-King Park
Indiana legislators on Capitol Hill have filed companion bills that would give national recognition to the site where Robert F. Kennedy consoled and calmed an Indianapolis crowd after the assassination of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Marion County to expand early voting, switch to vote centers in 2019
Voters in Marion County will have more options starting with the 2019 elections due to long-debated changes approved Wednesday that expand early voting and create vote centers in the county.
7th Circuit: Suit against Evansville, Kentucky police may proceed
A federal complaint alleging coercion, constitutional violations and falsification at the hands of Evansville and Kentucky police officers investigating a murder will continue after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined qualified immunity was not appropriate for certain claims against the officers.
IMPD excessive force claim proceeds to trial
The City of Indianapolis has lost its summary judgment argument on an excessive force claim after a district court judge determined genuine issues of material fact exist as to whether the city’s policies led two police officers to use excessive force against a veteran.
Coalition denounces proposed ICE detention center in Elkhart
Opponents are stepping up efforts to stop a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in northern Indiana ahead of a county rezoning decision.
Advocates: Indiana’s prosperity depends on hate crime law
Emphasizing the economic as well as social benefits of hate crime laws, an energic and diverse crowd rallied inside the Indiana Statehouse Tuesday in support of two bills that would add penalties for crimes motivated by bias.
Law offers varied answers to sexual harassment questions
Employment law and sexual harassment attorneys say the law provides answers for when conduct crosses the line from objectionable to actionable, though sometimes those answers can be hard to prove. That’s why they say it’s important from both an employer and employee perspective to take steps to protect yourself from ending up in a compromising situation.
Indianapolis receives worker’s “chronic body odor” lawsuit
Indianapolis is being sued by a former courts official who alleges that she was fired after she installed air fresheners to combat a co-worker’s “obnoxious chronic body odor.”
COA affirms dismissal of Johnson County public defender suit
A case challenging the constitutionality of Johnson County’s contract-based public defender system will not proceed after the Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday upheld the dismissal of the case against several Johnson County judges, attorneys and commissioners.
7th Circuit affirms ruling for employer on discrimination claims
Indiana’s Southern District Court properly granted summary judgment to a black man on a discrimination case against his former employer after finding the man failed to prove his termination was based on discriminatory practices, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
COA hears challenge to Johnson County public defender system
As a statewide task force begins the process of analyzing deficiencies in Indiana’s indigent defense services, a group of Johnson County criminal defendants sought to keep alive a lawsuit against their court-appointed public defenders. The defendants Thursday urged the Indiana Court of Appeals to reinstate their suit alleging ineffective assistance of counsel before their cases have concluded.
City, Confederate veterans to enter mediation over statue
A city attorney says Memphis, Tennessee, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans will enter mediation over the removal of a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest from a public park.