Lawyers face scooter liability confusion; bill seeks regulations
As scooter accidents mount, liability has become a significant issue for lawyers representing clients involved in crashes, and at least one lawmaker has proposed statewide regulations.
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Admission of evidence in teen’s murder case not an abuse of discretion, COA rules
A man convicted of murder as a teen unsuccessfully argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals that evidence in his case was erroneously admitted, with the appellate court instead finding the trial court did not abuse its discretion.
COA says immigrant’s PCR petition was 12 years too late
An immigrant woman who waited 12 years to seek relief from a forgery conviction has lost the appeal of the denial of her post-conviction relief petition, with the Indiana Court of Appeals finding the woman did not provide a credible explanation for the delay.
‘Meager weight’ of mitigating factors could not overcome attorney’s deficient performance
Although the Indiana Court of Appeals agreed the relationship had broken between a Fort Wayne criminal defense attorney and his client, it did not find that the 130-year sentence handed down would have been significantly less if defense counsel had offered mitigating circumstances.
Divided COA rules against grain farmer in statutory dispute
A Putnam County farmer will only be partially compensated for grain he deposited with a failed grain elevator after a divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected his reading of the relevant compensation statute.
Supreme Court committee seeks comment on amendments to ‘lazy judge’ rules
The Indiana Supreme Court is seeking comment on proposed changes to trial rules that govern what happens if a trial judge fails to timely rule on a motion and that would remove Supreme Court involvement in the appointment of a special judge. The court’s Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure is considering amendments to Indiana Trial Rules 53.1 and 53.2.
Committee seeks comment on court-administered alcohol, drug program amendments
The Indiana Judicial Conference Board of Directors and Court Alcohol and Drug Program Advisory Committee are seeking public comment on proposed amendments to rules for court-administered alcohol and drug programs. Amendments have been proposed for sections 19, 22, 27, 30 and 31 to the rules, and the creation of a new section concerning chemical testing has also been proposed.
NCSC essay contest on free speech open to students
Indiana students in third grade and up are invited to participate in an essay contest in recognition of National Law Day on May 1. Entrants in each category must pen a 100-word essay in response to this year’s question, “Should there be limits to free speech? Why or why not?”
Competency to be reviewed for man charged in 2 slayings
Competency evaluations will be reviewed for a man charged in the fatal shootings of a woman whose body was found in an abandoned rural central Indiana farmhouse and a man found slain at a nature preserve in Anderson.
Man pleads guilty in death of woman shot through wall
An Evansville man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for the death of a neighbor who was killed when a bullet traveled through an apartment wall.
IMPD officers sued for destroying homeless camp
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two as yet unidentified Indianapolis police officers, alleging they unlawfully seized and destroyed the belongings of five homeless individuals who had been living under a railroad bridge.
Insurer has no duty for contamination at Gary airport
The city of Gary’s lawsuit seeking payment for cleaning up contaminated property near the Gary/Chicago International Airport has stalled after the Indiana Court of Appeals found the business owner’s insurer had no duty to indemnify.
Survivor benefits not excluded from marital assets, COA says
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a trial court’s division of a divorced couple’s marital property, finding the wife’s survivor benefit from her ex-husband’s pension could not be excluded from the marital assets.
COA affirms injunction preventing auto racing at Kosciusko Co. fairground
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed injunctive relief for several Kosciusko County homeowners when it found they had standing as successors to enforce a prior covenant preventing motorized racing on a local fairground.
False informing conviction reversed for Monrovia dog owner after attack on mini horse
A Monrovia man found guilty of failing to inform an officer that a dog who killed a mini horse was inside his home had his conviction reversed Thursday, with the Indiana Court of Appeals finding that the man's failure to provide any information about the whereabouts of the dog could not be considered false informing.
Supreme Court to travel, invites amici in smartphone privacy case
The Indiana Supreme Court will hit the road early next year to hear oral argument in a first impression case involving smartphone privacy. Justices also have invited amicus parties in the case as they seek to determine whether law enforcement can force a woman to unlock her phone as part of a criminal investigation.
Federal court rebuffs latest Monarch-linked liquor law challenge
An Indiana motor carrier’s attempt to transport liquor for a Michigan City wholesaler has been blocked by the Southern Indiana District Court, which found the proposed arrangement could potentially circumvent Indiana’s three-tiered alcohol distribution and sales system.
Panel explains ruling rejecting South Bend abortion clinic
Indiana officials say they rejected a nonprofit’s request to open an abortion clinic because necessary information wasn’t disclosed on an application.
Organization wants Jackson County to remove Nativity scene
An organization that promotes the separation of church and state wants Jackson County in southern Indiana to remove a Nativity scene from the courthouse lawn in Brownstown.
AG Hill says his office is investigating USA Gymnastics
The Indiana attorney general says his office is investigating USA Gymnastics, which has filed for bankruptcy due to the Larry Nassar sexual-abuse scandal.