The conviction and 50-year sentence imposed on a man who molested a 3-year-old was affirmed Wednesday by an Indiana Court of Appeals panel, which rejected his arguments that a statement he made to officers was wrongly admitted and that his sentence was inappropriate.
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the most recent reporting period.
On June 22, the Trump administration’s new Navigable Waters Protection Rule went into effect and was immediately subject to multiple legal challenges throughout the country. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule is likely to have far-reaching impacts on the development and use of land across the United States.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Keith M. Brown v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
20A-CR-559
Criminal. Reverses Keith Brown’s conviction for Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. Finds the evidence was insufficient to support Brown’s conviction.
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a motion to expedite the appeal of the challenge to the state’s restrictions on absentee balloting, rejecting Indiana’s request to pump the brakes.
A man convicted of intimidation after posting a threatening video meant for a police officer did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Monday that his jury panel was unfair or that his conviction should be overturned.
The grant of a motion to suppress all evidence found in a man’s home during a search by police has been reversed, with the Indiana Court of Appeals finding a reasonable probability for law enforcement to believe that a stolen gun would be there.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Franciscan ACO, Inc., Franciscan Alliance, Inc., and Charlotte Sweezer v. Vaughn Newman, as personal represenatative of the Estate of Virginia Newman
19A-CT-2465
Civil tort. Reverses the denial of Charlotte Sweezer, Franciscan ACO Inc. and Franciscan Alliance Inc.’s motion for partial summary judgment on a wrongful death claim brought by Vaughn Newman as personal representative of the Estate of Virginia Newman. Finds no genuine issue of material fact exists, so the Lake Superior Court erred in denying the motion for partial summary judgment. Remands for proceedings.
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed the denial of partial summary judgment in a wrongful death case brought by the estate of a woman killed while in the care of a professional health care group.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Jerry Wayne Smith v. State of Indiana
20A-CR-672
Criminal. Reverses Jerry Wayne Smith’s sentence for his conviction of Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. Finds the 365-day sentence, with 185 days suspended to probation and 180 days served consecutive to the 277 days for a probation violation, is inappropriate. Remands to the Vermillion Circuit Court to impose a sentence of 365 days, with 20 days to serve and 345 days suspended to probation.
A man who picked up his first of several criminal charges at age 64 amid signs of undiagnosed mental illness and was subsequently ordered to spend 15 months behind bars on misdemeanor charges received an inappropriate sentence, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
The state of Indiana has been ordered to respond by Monday to an appeal in a federal lawsuit seeking no-excuse absentee voting in the Nov. 3 general election, signaling the appellate court in Chicago may fast-track the challenge over mail-in voting just over two months ahead of the election.
Sarah Johnson v. Northeast School Corporation
19-2870
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Terre Haute Division. Judge James Sweeney, II.
Civil. Affirms the Southern District Court’s entry of summary judgment to North Central High School (Farmersburg) and Northeast School Corporation on Sarah Johnson’s claims that both entities inadequately responded to her alleged of sexual harassment, therefore violating Title IX, 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a). Finds Johnson has waived any arguments regarding the district court’s evidentiary rulings and that NESC was not deliberately indifferent to Johnson’s claims of sexual harassment.
A woman who argued that her western Indiana high school inadequately responded to her alleged sexual harassment while she was a student there did not sway the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a federal judge’s grant of summary judgment to the school on her claims.
A judge in Washington halted the federal government’s planned Friday execution of a man who kidnapped, raped and killed a 10-year-old Kansas girl, saying the law requires the government to get a prescription for the drug it plans to use.
A federal appeals court is being asked to take an expedited appeal of a ruling against no-excuse absentee voting in Indiana’s Nov. 3 general election, or to enter an immediate injunction that would permit all Hoosiers to vote by mail due to the pandemic.
A man who waited two months to seek reinstatement of a dismissed negligence claim against an Indianapolis school corporation will not be able to pursue his claim further after the Indiana Supreme Court determined his reinstatement bid was actually a collateral attack on a trial court order.
Indiana Supreme Court
Benjamin S. Smith v. Franklin Township Community School Corporation
20S-CT-98
Civil tort. Affirms the denial of Benjamin Smith’s motion for reinstatement of his lawsuit against Franklin Township Community School Corporation. Finds Smith cannot use a Trial Rule 41(F) filing to collaterally attack the merits of the dismissal order. Also finds Smith failed to preserve a substantive challenge to the dismissal decision, so the Marion Superior Court acted within its discretion when it denied his motion for reinstatement.
A father who disregarded court-mandated drug screens, left his child with a relative and refused to participate in services lost his termination of parental rights appeal Tuesday. One judge, however, would have reversed based on the facts of a case that began with the child’s removal due to mother’s drug use and what the dissenting judge saw as “an effort to punish Father.”
Indiana Court of Appeals
Shiel Sexton Company, Inc., et al. v. Joshua Towe
18A-CT-01446
Civil tort. Affirms in part the Marion Superior Court’s grant of summary judgment to Joshua Towe as to Circle B Construction Systems’ assumption of a duty to protect Towe. Remands for further proceedings as to breach, causation, and damages. However, reverses the trial court’s grant of summary judgment to Towe as to the assumption of a duty by Shiel Sexton, and remands for the trial court to enter summary judgment for Shiel Sexton as it had no duty to protect Towe.