Police: New DNA law leads to arrest in January trailer theft case
A new law that requires police to collect DNA from people facing felony charges has led to arrest in an eastern Indiana theft case, police said.
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Kavanaugh assigned as circuit justice for 7th Circuit
The Supreme Court of the United States has shuffled the circuit court assignments, assigning the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to Brett Kavanaugh, the newest associate justice.
COA heading northwest, southwest for oral arguments
The Indiana Court of Appeals will head northwest to start off a full week of oral arguments in Newton and Tippecanoe counties, ending its trip down south in Daviess and Gibson counties.
Manafort to be sentenced in February; appears in wheelchair
A judge has set a February sentencing date for Paul Manafort, who appeared in court Friday for a post-trial hearing in a wheelchair and green jail jumpsuit. The hearing in federal court in Alexandria was largely procedural but provided the first glimpse of the former Trump campaign chairman since he began cooperating with prosecutors in special counsel Robert Mueller’s office.
Russian woman charged in first 2018 election meddling case
The U.S. accused a Russian woman on Friday of helping oversee the finances of a sweeping, secretive effort to sway American public opinion through social media in the first federal case alleging foreign interference in the 2018 midterm elections. The criminal complaint against Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova alleges Russians are using some of the same techniques to influence U.S. politics as they relied on ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Gary man accused of harboring double-shooting suspect
A Gary man is accused of harboring a suspect in a gang-related shooting that wounded a man and his 9-year-old son outside a store. Prosecutors allege Tyrone L. Jackson, Jr., allowed Alex C. Hughes to hide in his Gary house for more than a week, despite knowing Hughes was wanted for his role in the Sept. 30 shooting.
COA: Lawyer’s $3.4M fee wrongly applied in child support
A trial court miscalculated the impact of a Merrillville lawyer’s $3.4 million legal fee in a personal injury case on his child support obligation, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
Med-mal judgment for insurers against hospital reversed
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the grant of summary judgment for two insurance companies when it found they were estopped from denying the applicability of the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act to their claims.
COA sends houseboat dispute to arbitration
A dispute between the purchasers and supplier of a Daviess County houseboat must go to arbitration after an Indiana appellate panel determined a trial court ruling did not overrule an arbitration clause signed by both parties.
Judgment for lender upheld in race discrimination suit
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for a lender after it found an African-American couple failed to prove they were denied a loan based on racial discrimination under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
Judge: Insurer has no duty to defend false sex assault claim
A federal judge has ruled an insurer does not owe a duty to defend a female student who made a false accusation of sexual assault against a Butler University student who subsequently sued the university and his accuser
Southern District e-filing changes proposed
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is seeking public feedback on proposed changes that would align e-filing rules to be more consistent with Federal Rules of Civil Practice.
Passenger’s drug, gun convictions from traffic stop affirmed
A passenger convicted of drug and gun felonies after he briefly stepped out of a car when police pulled it over lost his appeal Thursday. The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Gregory Wayne Parks’ convictions of Level 4 felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, Level 5 felony dealing in marijuana and two counts of Level 6 felony possession of a controlled substance.
Appeals court rejects judge’s civil commitment as court business record
The Marion County probate judge’s method of opening new cases to approve all of the mental health civil commitment recommendations of magistrate judges and commissioners during a given period of time was rejected Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Splenda maker settles trademark lawsuit against IHOP, Applebee’s franchisor
The Carmel-based maker of Splenda sweetener has settled a legal dispute with the franchisor of International House of Pancakes and Applebee’s, which it sued last year for trademark infringement.
Man gets 120 years for killing 2 women in Indianapolis
A Gary man has been sentenced to 120 years in prison after being convicted of shooting and killing two women whose bodies were discovered in a burning car in Indianapolis.
Hill defends abortion law’s validity, argues idea is new
Indiana’s recent request for the nation’s highest court to review an abortion law struck down by federal courts has some legal watchers wondering whether the case could be a gateway for dismantling of abortion rights.
DCS criticized for lax notice, but mom’s termination affirmed
The Indiana Court of Appeals reprimanded the Indiana Department of Child Services on Wednesday for failing to comply with notice requirements, while also affirming a mother’s termination of parental-child relationship for her failure to communicate with DCS.
Habitual offender enhancement vacated for failure to inform
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a man’s habitual-offender finding and sentence when it found his previous jury-trial waiver was not made with sufficient awareness of the relevant circumstances, and therefore did not apply to the later-filed habitual-offender enhancement.
COA: Jury trials unavailable for expungements
A Jasper County man who argued the trial court erred in denying his request to expunge a school suspension from his record and in not holding a jury trial has lost both arguments on appeal, with an appellate panel specifically holding that expungement issues are not entitled to a jury trial.