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.
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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.
Supreme Court names Forkner as new CAO
The Indiana Supreme Court has named a new chief administrative officer, succeeding the former CAO who abruptly resigned earlier this year.
New lawyers reminded of civility, service and family at admission ceremony
Emphasizing civility and community service, Indiana state and federal judges along with other members of the legal profession welcomed nearly 300 new attorneys to the practice of law Tuesday as part of the Indiana Supreme Court Admission Ceremony.
Appellate court affirms summary judgment for rental property owner in insurance dispute
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the grant of summary judgment to a rental property owner involved in an insurance dispute following a house fire of one of her rental properties after finding a garage that was damaged in the fire should have been covered under the property’s insurance policy.
COA affirms denial of ineffective counsel PCR claim
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Tuesday the denial of a man’s successive petition for post-conviction relief, finding the man’s trial attorney’s strategy was not constitutionally ineffective.
Disciplinary Actions
Read who has been found in contempt, reinstated, reprimanded and suspended in the most recent reporting period.
Multi-jurisdictional estate planning requires research, collaboration
Every year like clockwork, when the leaves change and the temperature drops, thousands of Indiana residents flee the bitter Hoosier winter in favor of a warmer southern climate. Most often, these snowbirds find themselves wintering in Florida, and many decide to permanently relocate to the Sunshine State. While this decision to relocate is beneficial to […]
Suspended attorney facing theft charges in Delaware, Franklin, Lawrence counties
A suspended Indiana lawyer accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from disabled and special needs clients was arrested and held without bond in the Johnson County Jail earlier this month after authorities in at least two counties issued warrants for his arrest.
2 convicted in killings of 3 during drug-related robbery
Two young men have been convicted in connection with the 2017 drug-related robbery and fatal shootings of three men in an Indianapolis apartment. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday that Troy Ward was convicted of c three counts of murder and three counts of felony murder, while Martell Williams was convicted of charges including three counts of felony murder, among other convictions for both.
Podcast on U.S. Supreme Court launches just as upheaval begins
Originally wanting to create a podcast about the Supreme Court of the United States, Indiana University Maurer School of Law professor Ian Samuel inadvertently proved, again, that timing is everything.
Indiana child welfare agency to spend $22M on raises
The Indiana Department of Child Services is spending $22 million on raises for staff as part of an effort to improve the agency that’s seen rising caseloads and internal battles. The raises will take effect Wednesday for more than 3,600 employees, or about 87 percent of the agency’s staff.
Firms cite 1851 law in Missouri boat accident, seek mediation
Two companies facing multiple lawsuits over a summer tourist boat accident in Missouri that killed 17 people have invoked an 1851 law that allows vessel owners to try to avoid or limit legal damages as they also seek settlement negotiations with victims’ family members. But Tia Coleman, an Indianapolis woman who survived the accident, and lawyers for others whose family members died denounced the filing as callous and insulting.
Hate crimes stalemate: Statehouse study committee offers no consensus
Several hours of testimony before a legislative study committee charged with examining a potential hate crimes law for Indiana heavily underscored one central point: there are many opinions and no common ground.
Judges, lawyers bemoan political nature of Kavanaugh hearings
Ask any constitutional scholar whether the process of confirming Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court played out as was constitutionally intended, and the answer will likely be “no.” Federal judges and practicing lawyers agree: regardless of your politics, the animosity that exploded in the Senate over the last month was not what the Framers had in mind.
Diversity, mental health CLEs divide ISBA House of Delegates
The 2018 Indiana State Bar Association annual meeting began last week with an intense debate in the House of Delegates over a proposal designed to make a statement about the bar’s position on hot-button topics: should attorneys be required to attend CLE programs about diversity and mental health issues?
Indiana Court Decisions — Sept. 27-Oct. 9, 2018
Read Indiana appellate decisions from the most recent reporting period.