COA says golf cart use is par for the course during the game
A man’s negligence claim against a golf teammate who struck the back of his golf cart cannot succeed because driving a golf cart is normal behavior for participants in the sport.
Court opinions
Articles
Greenfield police officer loses suit over discipline for profane texts
A Greenfield police officer has lost his federal lawsuit filed against the city after he was suspended for allegedly sending profane text messages that insulted and threatened his superior officers.
ISP officer loses whistleblower appeal
State workers alleging retaliation for whistleblower activities must first exhaust all administrative remedies before suing, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday, affirming a trial court ruling against a 27-year Indiana State Police officer.
7th Circuit affirms jury verdict in injured railroad worker’s suit
A jury correctly ruled against an employee of the railroad company CSX Transportation Inc. who sued his employer after an on-the-job accident that resulted in severe back pain, citing evidence that proved the pain existed before the accident, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decided Thursday.
COA affirms woman’s involuntary commitment despite moot appeal
Although the term of her commitment in an Indiana mental health facility had already expired, the Indiana Court of Appeals chose Thursday to hear a woman’s moot appeal of her commitment and affirm it, writing that the case needed to be heard as a matter of great public importance.
COA will not allow specialized driving privileges for man with 27 traffic violations
An Indiana man now living in Mississippi whose Indiana driver’s license was suspended for life after more than two dozen traffic violations cannot receive special Indiana driving privileges that would enable him to obtain a license in Mississippi.
Homeowner can be liable for party injuries resulting in death, but not for furnishing alcohol
The Indiana Supreme Court held Wednesday that a woman whose party guest died at her home after a drunken brawl could be considered negligent because she did not seek care for the guest, but not on the basis of supplying alcohol to the men involved in the fight.
IN Supreme Court holds that bar shooting was not foreseeable
After deciding that foreseeability in the context of duty in a negligence case is different than in the context of proximate cause, the Indiana Supreme Court held Wednesday that a Grant County bar was not negligent in a shooting that injured three people because the shooting was not foreseeable.
Supreme Court upholds burglar’s sentence, rejects COA assessment of appellate argument
The Indiana Supreme Court affirmed Tuesday a burglar’s felony conviction and sentence, but also rejected a harsh Court of Appeals assessment of the his argument appealing his sentence.
7th Circuit upholds drug offender’s conviction, vacates life sentence
A man convicted of multiple drug offenses and sentenced to a life term in prison will soon receive a new sentence after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated it on Tuesday.
Indiana Supreme Court upholds decision granting convicted felon’s motion for relief
The Indiana Supreme Court will allow a convicted felon to bring his case for post-conviction relief back to court to be heard on the merits after finding that his motion for relief was filed in a timely manner, despite a seven-year delay.
Justices dismiss misconduct charge against White County deputy prosecutor
The Indiana Supreme Court has entered judgment in favor of a White County attorney after finding that the state Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission failed to prove that the attorney had violated a rule of professional conduct, resulting in a man’s erroneous convictions of child molestation.
Appeals court rules that DCS employee can proceed with caseload claims
An employee of the Department of Child Services can continue in her complaint that alleges violations of the state-mandated caseload maximums despite a ruling that the employee has no private right of action under Indiana Code.
COA reaffirms decision in church breach of contract case
The Indiana Court of Appeals granted a church’s petition to rehear its breach of contract case and reaffirmed its previous ruling that the church had failed to carry out the terms of the lease in question.
Stanley ruling extends to government medical reimbursements
The Indiana Supreme Court on Friday extended the admission of evidence of reduced health care payments in personal injury suits to include reimbursements from government payers.
COA prevents INDOT from seeking more than $100k in damages after bridge accident
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of summary judgment for the Indiana Department of Transportation after the department had argued that it should be allowed to seek the more than $100,000 it spent to repair a state bridge damaged in an accident, an amount that was double the estimated cost.
Stepfather’s molestation convictions affirmed
A former stepfather accused of molesting his 6-year-old stepdaughter on multiple occasions cannot have his convictions or sentenced reduced after the Indiana Court of Appeals found Friday that there was enough evidence to support his 32-year sentence.
COA upholds judgment against ex-husband accused of violating protective order
The Indiana Court of Appeals found Friday that an Allen County man must serve out his prison sentence after he knowingly violated the protective order his ex-wife had taken out against him and that he intentionally locked her out of a house that legally belonged to her.
Appeals panel affirms murder conviction, sentence
An Indianapolis man who objected to his murder trial being scheduled later than permissible under the speedy trial rule failed to persuade the Indiana Court of Appeals to reverse his murder conviction.
Divided COA tosses $2M DUI crash verdict over old convictions
The majority of an Indiana Court of Appeals panel held Thursday that a drunken driver’s decades-old convictions for alcohol-related offenses were irrelevant and prejudicial in a civil suit following a personal-injury crash. A dissenting judge, though, wrote the admissibility of such evidence should go to its weight rather than its age.