Articles

Opinions Dec. 13, 2021

Court of Appeals of Indiana
Abram Lamar Glover v. State of Indiana  
21A-CR-1422
Criminal. Affirms Abram Glover’s convictions for Level 6 felony strangulation and Level 6 felony domestic battery. Finds the Knox Superior Court did not abuse its discretion in how it regulated the form and substance of Glover’s jury selection or when it denied Glover’s motion for a mistrial and instead admonished the jury not to consider E.A.’s statement. Also finds the state’s comment in its opening statement was not prosecutorial misconduct and that it did not place Glover in “a position of grave peril to which he would not have been subjected otherwise.”

Read More

Opinions Dec. 10, 2021

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Nickolas Seekins v. CHEP USA and CHEP Recycled Pallet Solutions, LLC
20-3270
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Civil. Affirms the Indiana Southern District Court’s grant of summary judgment to CHEP USA and CHEP Recycled Pallet Solutions in a dispute with Nickolas Seekins. Finds CHEP did not owe Seekins a duty of care under Indiana negligence law after his lost his foot in a work-related accident. Also finds the district court did not err in granting summary judgment to CHEP.

Read More

Inmates seeking COVID compassionate release face higher hurdle with 7th Circuit ruling

Since March 2020, attorney Kathryn DiNardo has taken up dozens of cases through the Indiana Federal Community Defenders from inmates hoping to be released early because of the pandemic. Those cases are but a drop in the bucket of inmates who have applied for compassionate release, and a July ruling from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has seemingly further dwindled their chances of success.

Read More

Opinions Dec. 1, 2021

Court of Appeals of Indiana
State of Indiana v. Brian Koorsen and Kelly Hoffman
20A-PL-2306
Civil plenary. Reverses the Hamilton Superior Court’s decision that landowners Brian Koorsen and Kelly Hoffman accepted the state of Indiana’s $45,000 settlement offer and were entitled to an additional $171,640.56 in litigation expenses. Finds that because the landowners did not mutually assent to the state’s offer to settle the cause for $45,000, the trial court erred in entering a judgment against the state for $216,640.56. Remands for further proceedings.

Read More