Longtime Warsaw attorney resigns amid misconduct allegations
A Warsaw attorney with nearly 50 years’ experience has resigned from the Indiana bar after facing an investigation by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
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7th Circuit: Damages proper in contract dispute between welding company, supplier
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed an award of damages to a welding company after finding language in an agreement with a welding supplies distributor did not entitle the latter to deferred payment.
Decatur lawyer convicted of forgery, counterfeiting suspended again
A Decatur lawyer sentenced to nearly nine months for forgery and counterfeiting convictions and disciplined five separate times last year has again been indefinitely suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for noncooperation. The Indiana Supreme Court indefinitely suspended Jill N. Holtzclaw on Thursday, effective immediately.
Trump says he’s declaring emergency to build border wall
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will declare a national emergency to fulfill his pledge to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump said he will use executive powers to bypass Congress, which approved far less money for his proposed wall than he had sought.
Justices consider admissibility of disciplinary history of medical expert
Indiana Supreme Court justices heard oral argument Thursday in a minor fender bender case that resulted in a $1.3 million verdict, considering whether questions regarding a medical expert witness’ disciplinary history and competence should have been admitted.
COA: Stolen gun’s owner shielded from suit in fatal shooting
The Indiana Court of Appeals denied a mother’s argument of negligence against a gun owner whose stolen handgun caused the death of her son. The appellate court found the gun owner was shielded from liability under Indiana Code section 34-30-20-1.
Collector of some 1,000 child-porn images keeps 10-year sentence
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a man’s sentence and convictions for child exploitation and possession of child pornography when it found the heinousness of his crimes warranted the sentence.
7th Circuit reverses decertification of used car dealer class
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a district court’s decision decertifying a class in a used auto dealership’s case when it found the stark change of mind lacked sufficient reasoning.
Dad who beat son, 6, loses parental privilege defense appeal
An Allen County father who repeatedly struck his 6-year-old son in the face causing serious bruising after he accused the child of stealing his cigarettes had no viable claim of parental privilege shielding him from battery convictions.
Judge finds Manafort lied to investigators in Russia probe
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort intentionally lied to investigators and a federal grand jury in the special counsel’s Russia probe, a judge has ruled.
Madison County man’s child molesting, solicitation convictions upheld
An Alexandria man who unsuccessfully moved for a mistrial and challenged evidence the state produced to convict him of child molesting failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that the trial court had erred or that his 12-year executed sentence was inappropriate.
Bar exam review commission opens meetings to public
A 14-member study commission appointed to review the Indiana Bar Exam in light of the ongoing decline in passage rates will hold a series of 10 monthly meetings, all open to the public, at the Indiana Statehouse beginning next week.
Former powerhouse investment broker Buck sentenced to more than 3 years in prison
A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced former powerhouse Merrill Lynch broker Thomas Buck to three years and four months in prison.
Bill sought by child sex abuse survivors rerouted for study
Individuals who were sexually abused as children will have to keep waiting for justice, now that a bill that could potentially give them more time to sue their abusers has been routed for further study.
Suspended special needs trust lawyer faces more theft accusations
A suspended Greenwood lawyer criminally charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his former special needs trust clients around Indiana has been accused in new civil lawsuits of draining another $108,600 from several more trust funds. The additional alleged misappropriations by Kenneth Shane Service drive the alleged missing funds to more than $318,600.
Split COA affirms suppression after faulty controlled drug buy
Police failure to search a party in a controlled drug buy in Muncie and a misleading affidavit to obtain a warrant were sufficient grounds to suppress evidence of cocaine subsequently found in a search of the home the buyer visited, the majority of an Indiana Court of Appeals panel found Wednesday.
State loses appeal to waive teen to adult court in fatal crash case
The state failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that a juvenile court erred in denying a motion to waive to adult court a Vigo County teen accused of causing a fatal car crash.
David, Rush publish dissent as high court lets stand sentencing via video
Indiana’s chief justice and the most senior jurist on the Indiana Supreme Court published a sharp dissent Tuesday from a 3-2 ruling that could pave the way for defendants to be sentenced via video. Chief Justice Loretta Rush and Justice Steven David argued in the minority that defendants have a constitutional right to be physically present when a judge imposes a sentence for a crime.
Convicted drug lord ‘El Chapo’ likely heading to ‘Supermax’
In the world of corrections, there are inmates who pose security risks, and then there’s drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, convicted Tuesday of running an industrial-scale smuggling operation, and who has an unparalleled record of jailbreaks. Experts say Guzman may spend the rest of his life in the federal government’s “Supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado.
7th Circuit remands disability case on ALJ’s improper assessment
A decision denying a man’s application for disability and supplemental security income was remanded after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found an administrative law judge erroneously discredited him and improperly assessed his functional abilities.