Indiana Court Decisions – April 22-May 5, 2021
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
Court opinions
Articles
Opinions May 11, 2021
The following 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion was posted after IL deadline on Monday:
Katherine Black v. Cherie Wrigley
20-2656
Civil. Affirms a jury’s verdict against Katherine Black in her defamation dispute with Cherie Wrigley and denies her request for a new trial based on her assertions that the Northern District Court of Illinois erred in several ways. Finds no errors warrant a reversal of the jury’s verdict.
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.
Opinions May 10, 2021
Indiana Court of Appeals
Karl Woodall v. State of Indiana
20A-CR-00862
Criminal. Affirms Karl Woodall’s murder conviction and the Marion Superior Court’s grant of the State of Indiana’s motion for a mistrial on grounds of jury taint. Finds Woodall was not subjected to procedural double jeopardy upon retrial. Finds the trial court did not commit fundamental error in instructing the jury or in conducting the sentencing hearing.
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.
Opinions May 7, 2021
The following 7th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion was posted after IL deadline Thursday:
United States of America v. Adonnis Carswell
20-1036
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division. Judge Holly A. Brady.
Criminal. Affirms Adonnis Carswell’s convictions of four drug and firearm offenses, including possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Finds that the judge who issued the search warrant intended for Carswell’s home had a reasonable basis for thinking evidence of drug and firearm crimes was likely to be found there. Also finds the prosecution’s closing arguments were not improper, did not make Carswell’s trial unfair and did not deny him due process of law.
Opinions May 6, 2021
Indiana Court of Appeals
Juventino V. Ramirez v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
20A-CR-1982
Criminal. Affirms Juventino V. Ramirez’s conviction of Level 4 felony child molesting. Finds the Allen Superior Court’s rulings on Ramirez’s discovery requests were not an abuse of discretion, nor did they violate his constitutional rights. Also finds the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it denied Ramirez’s motion for a continuance, did not allow him to make an offer of proof of a recording of a forensic interview, allowed a witness to give vouching testimony or in instructing the jury. Finally, finds that even if the trial court abused its discretion in allowing vouching testimony or hearsay, the error was harmless.
Justices reject appeal to make public Indianapolis’ Amazon HQ2 offer
The Indiana Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a tax trade publication that sought disclosure of tax dollars and incentives Indianapolis and the state offered Amazon in the city’s failed attempt to lure the online retail giant’s coveted second headquarters project known as HQ2.
Opinions May 5, 2021
The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Tuesday:
Zachariah Brian Wright v. State of Indiana
20S-LW-260
Life without parole. Affirms the denial of Zachariah Brian Wright’s request to self-represent, and his sentence of life without the possibility of parole plus 18 years for his convictions of murder, Level 3 felony criminal confinement, Level 6 felony theft, Level 5 felony burglary and Level 2 felony attempted burglary. Finds that Wright’s waiver of the right to counsel was knowing and voluntary, but because his waiver was neither unequivocal nor intelligent, the Boone Superior Court properly denied his request. Also finds Wright’s sentence was not inappropriate in light of the nature of his offenses or his character. Remands for the correction of a minor oversight in the sentencing order. Justice Mark Massa concurs in result with separate opinion. Justice Geoffrey Slaughter dissents with separate opinion.
COA rejects challenge to text message evidence, upholds meth dealing conviction
A man convicted of dealing meth based largely on text messages failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that the messages were improperly admitted at his trial.
Split Supreme Court upholds denial of LWOP defendant’s pro se request
A Boone County murder defendant convicted and sentenced to life without parole failed to convince a majority of the Indiana Supreme Court that the trial court improperly denied his request to proceed pro se. The majority provided an analysis for considering pro se requests in capital and LWOP sentences, but minority justices raised concerns about the majority “till(ing) new constitutional soil.”
Opinions May 4, 2021
Indiana Court of Appeals
National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jennifer Finnerty, Individually and as Personal Representative of the Estate of Cullen Finnerty, and Carol Anderson, Individually, and as Personal Representative of the Estate of Neal Anderson, and Maura Solonoski, Individually, and as Attorney-In-Fact for Andrew Solonoski Jr.
20A-CT-1069
Civil tort. Dismisses the NCAA’s appeal of the denial of its protective order to quash the depositions of Mark Emmert, Donald Remy and Dr. Brian Hainline. Finds the NCAA’s repetitive motion for a protective order/motion to reconsider did not extend the time for an interlocutory appeal of the Marion Superior Court’s denial, so the appeal is untimely. Also finds there are no extraordinarily compelling reasons to consider the merits of the appeal. Judge Elizabeth Tavitas dissents with separate opinion.
Hospital indemnity claim against doctors subject to med-mal act, COA rules
Indemnity claims brought by one health care provider against another are subject to the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday, finding the language of the MMA is not limited to claims brought by patients or their representatives. The court issued its ruling in a case involving a dispute between a hospital and independent radiologists.
NCAA bid to shield executives from concussion suit depositions dismissed
Indianapolis-based NCAA’s appeal seeking to bar depositions of key executives in a concussion-injury lawsuit filed by the estates of former college football players was dismissed Tuesday. A divided Indiana Court of Appeals panel found the appeal untimely.
SCOTUS denies juvenile LWOP sentence appeal in 1994 Ball State murder
The United States Supreme Court waited exactly three years to reject the appeal petition of a defendant sentenced to life without parole for a murder he committed near Ball State University 27 years ago when he was 17.
COA affirms relief from default judgment for defendant claiming identity theft
Default judgment against a man claiming to be the victim of identity theft in a criminal case was properly set aside, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The court held that the man was not required to provide a factual basis for his defense in the initial stages of the proceeding.
Opinions May 3, 2021
Indiana Court of Appeals
Service Steel Warehouse Co., L.P. v. United States Steel Corp.
20A-CC-1643
Civil collection. Reverses the entry of partial summary judgment in favor of United States Steel Corp. on Service Steel Warehouse Co.’s mechanic’s lien foreclosure claim. Finds Indiana’s mechanic’s lien statute does not require on-site labor for subcontractor status, and the essential feature making one a subcontractor, rather than a material supplier, is the performance of a definite and substantial portion of the project’s prime contract. Also finds Service Steel’s mechanic’s lien is not barred by the supplier-to-supplier prohibition. Finally, finds the Lake Superior Court erred in granting summary judgment on favor of U.S. Steel. Remands for further proceedings.
Opinions April 30, 2021
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
USA v. David Gibson and Jerry Harris
20-1236 & 20-2234
Appeals from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division. Judge Jon E. DeGuilio.
Criminal. Affirms the Northern District Court’s denial of Jerry Harris and David Gibson’s motion to suppress evidence collected from cellphone tracking that revealed a heroin drug-trafficking scheme, as well as their respective sentences for conviction of conspiring to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
An unusual coalition as Supreme Court rules for immigrant
An unusual coalition of Supreme Court justices joined Thursday to rule in favor of an immigrant fighting deportation in a case that the court said turned on the meaning of the shortest word, “a.”