Judge: School district violated transgender students’ rights
A federal judge has found that an Indiana school district violated a transgender student’s civil rights by not allowing him to use male bathrooms at school.
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COA remands case to clarify who should set sliding scale fees
The Indiana Court of Appeals has remanded a case after finding no clarification from the trial court as to whether Marion County Community Corrections was intended to evaluate a man on a sliding scale of fees for his home detention costs.
DNA testing developing, strengthening wrongful conviction cases
The science of DNA testing is evolving, and that’s a good thing for wrongful conviction reform advocates like Fran Watson. She talked about the changes Friday before a session of the Indiana State Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Conference in French Lick.
COA affirms BZA’s denial of fire department’s residential property use
A Southern Indiana volunteer fire department faced the heat after the Indiana Court of Appeals sided with a local board of zoning appeals to deny the department’s application to use a residential home as an emergency sub-station.
Lawmaker: Recording at famed Indiana farm politically driven
Video exposing alleged animal abuse at a famous northwestern Indiana dairy farm is politically motivated, said an Indiana lawmaker who drafted legislation in 2013 that would have barred undercover video filming at the state’s agricultural operations.
Judgment for IndyCar upheld in Panther Racing suit
The Indiana Court of Appeals on Thursday affirmed that a sponsorship agreement between IndyCar and a now-defunct racing team did not prevent IndyCar from providing another team access to space in the Fan Village at races on the circuit.
Man’s conviction for harassing DCS case manager stands
A man convicted of harassing his Department of Child Services case manager to the point that she quit her job and moved to another county lost an appeal of his conviction Thursday, failing to convince the appellate court that the offense didn’t occur in Indiana.
Resentencing ordered in former Lake County sheriff’s wire-fraud case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered for resentencing for a former Lake County sheriff convicted last year on bribery and wire fraud charges, vacating some of his counts for insufficient evidence.
Application period open for Lawrence Circuit Court judgeship
Attorneys who want to be the next Lawrence Circuit Court judge have about three weeks to let Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb know. The application window for those interested as serving on the trial court bench in Bedford is open until June 28.
7th Circuit: Evidence found during unlawful drug raid still admissible
Convictions were affirmed for a man whose home was illegally searched by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which uncovered 10 pounds of methamphetamine inside. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found that although the DEA should have obtained a search warrant first, the evidence was still admissible.
Police: Woman tried to hide syringes in her son’s pocket
A Muncie woman faces preliminary neglect charges for allegedly trying to hide syringes, one of them uncapped, in her son’s pocket.
Animal abuse alleged at northern Indiana’s Fair Oaks Farms
Retailers began pulling Fairlife products from their shelves Wednesday as police investigated alleged animal abuse after an animal rights group released graphic video showing workers kicking and throwing young calves at an Indiana dairy farm that’s a popular destination for school field trips.
IPAC chief Powell stepping down in October; successor chosen
A new leader has been selected to head the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council as longtime executive director David Powell announced his retirement from the role Thursday. Powell has been a leading Statehouse voice advocating on criminal law matters for nearly a decade.
Unruly defendant rightly tossed from court, COA rules
A Montgomery County man thrown out of his own trial for disruptive conduct has failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that he was wrongly denied his right to be present. But the appellate panel did vacate one of the man’s convictions on double jeopardy grounds.
7th Circuit debt collection ruling creates split among circuits
A woman who wasn’t informed she needed to respond to a debt collection letter in writing lost at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, whose ruling that the collection agency simply made a mistake that didn’t cause her any injury created a split among circuit courts. Three judges authored a published dissent from a subsequent denial of rehearing en banc.
Indiana Supreme Court blocks disputed Brownsburg annexation
Brownsburg has lost its final bid to annex nearly 4,500 acres of land after fighting residents who objected all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court. Justices ruled the town “did not satisfy its burden of proving it had met the statutory requirements for annexing the disputed territory.”
Justices: Trucking contract jurisdiction dispute may yield new rules
The Indiana Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a Hoosier trucking company’s amended complaint regarding a clause in a driver’s contract, although it found error with the dismissal’s basis on lack of personal jurisdiction. Justices also said this case will prompt consideration of rules so litigants can move to enforce contractual forum-selection clauses.
9th Circuit weighs if climate change violates children’s rights
In a Portland, Oregon, courtroom packed with environmental activists, federal judges wrestled Tuesday with whether climate change violates the constitutional rights of young people who have sued the U.S. government over the use of fossil fuels.
Nurse who battered stroke patient gets probation
An Indiana nurse convicted of battering a hospital stroke patient has been sentenced to six months of probation.
Man appeals convictions in double murder over Prada purse
A Fort Wayne man convicted of fatally shooting two people while trying to retrieve a luxury purse is appealing his convictions and 170-year sentence.