Security concerns should be part of record
The Indiana Supreme Court wants state trial judges to offer written guidance if and when courthouse or jury security concerns
come up during trial.
Court opinions
Articles
Court rules on sex offender status decisions
Tackling the issue of who determines whether a convicted sex offender is considered a “sexually violent predator,”
the Indiana Court of Appeals today issued the latest ruling in a line of cases about the state’s sex offender registry
and how convicts’ names are removed.
Judges rule on child molesting statute of limitations
Addressing an issue that’s been litigated back and forth on appeal for more than 20 years, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided today that a statute of limitations on felony child molesting begins running once the actions stop and the victim is no longer being prevented from telling authorities.
Justices rule on East Chicago casino-revenue case
The Indiana Supreme Court has dodged a question about whether state lawmakers should be able to cram multiple unrelated issues into a single piece of legislation, leaving in place what some call the practice of “legislative logrolling” that hasn’t been specifically shot down in almost four decades.
7th Circuit rules against Indianapolis attorney
An Indianapolis attorney has lost a federal appeal that involves his being forced to resign as manager of the title insurance
division after writing a memo that criticized his boss.
7th Circuit to rehear Second Amendment case
Advocates of domestic-violence victims and gun owners have their sights set on an upcoming oral argument at the 7th Circuit
Court of Appeals in Chicago. The case of interest raises the issue of whether someone who has been convicted of a domestic-violence
misdemeanor should be able to have a gun for hunting purposes.
Justices rule company engaged in UPL in trust mill case
The Indiana Supreme Court orders an Indianapolis-based company to stop engaging in any conduct that might be considered unauthorized
practice of law.
RICO case against former East Chicago mayor nets $108M in damages
A federal judge has ordered an ex-mayor and top allies to pay more than $108 million in damages for a voting scandal a decade
ago, but in doing so he’s rejected the Indiana Attorney General’s most novel and far-reaching legal arguments in a landmark
civil racketeering case centered on public corruption in East Chicago.
Legislature, courts navigate uncertainty about registry laws
Hoosier lawmakers are revising state law following the confusion created by an Indiana Supreme Court ruling last year, which
involves how convicted sex offenders can be removed from a statewide registry if they believe registration wasn't required
at the time of their conviction.
Little court guidance on repressed memory litigation results in trial court split
Reaching into a person's mind to revive repressed memories is an issue that's settled law in one sense,
but what remains unsettled is how such memories are used during litigation and whether a lawsuit should be tossed or allowed
to proceed to trial.
Suit filed after statute of limitations end
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment for a company that purchases and collects charged-off credit card debt, ruling the statute of limitations prevented the company from going after a delinquent consumer.
Circuit Court upholds attorney-fee reduction
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals wasn't swayed by an attorney's arguments that the amount of attorney's fees he was entitled to shouldn't have been reduced by nearly $90,000.
COA upholds eviction action
A trial court properly treated a couple's action against the man who agreed to purchase a house from them
as an eviction, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded. The court also analyzed for the first time the nature and effect of
a pre-closing possession agreement like the one in the instant case.
Justices overturn man’s registration requirement
A Grant Superior judge erred in sentencing a man to register as a sex offender because that requirement wasn't in place at the time he committed his crime, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled.
Appellate court upholds murder conviction
Although the trial court erred in finding a police officer was a skilled witness uniquely qualified to assess a murder victim's truthfulness, it was a harmless error because his testimony was an admissible lay observation, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded today.
Law clear only guarantor’s signature needed
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled on a guaranty issue today that is "so well-settled" in state law that the judges had difficulty finding recent cases restating it.
COA rules on first impression railroad issue
In an issue of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded a Federal Employer Liability Act claim premised on
unsafe ballast isn't precluded by Federal Railroad Safety Act regulations of ballast in a man's suit for injuries
he sustained while employed with a transportation company.
COA lengthens defendant’s sentence
The Indiana Court of Appeals revised a defendant's sentence for rape and other convictions, but it may not have been what the man had in mind when he appealed. In a rare move, the Court of Appeals increased his sentence by 25 years.
Appellate court upholds guardian appointment
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the appointment of a third-party guardian for an incompetent adult because a disinterested person may hopefully prevent unnecessary disputes caused by mistrust between the woman's children and husband.
COA split on whether company can repurchase stock
A panel of Indiana Court of Appeals judges disagreed as to whether a company's attempt to exercise its option to repurchase stock had occurred in a timely manner under a shareholders' agreement.