7th: No evidence supports race discrimination claim by IU professor
Lack of evidence doomed a black professor's argument that he was denied tenure at Indiana University because of his race, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found Tuesday.
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COA rejects father’s child support challenge
A Marion County father has lost his appeal of a trial court’s child support order, failing to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that he should have been credited for make-up parenting time he was exercising after his ex-wife began prohibiting him from seeing their child.
Justices agree to hear jury instruction, non-compete cases
The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer to two cases last week, including to a decision that gave a defendant the opportunity for a retrial after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined a jury instruction on “fleeing” law enforcement was fundamentally erroneous.
What to watch for as senators consider Kavanaugh nomination
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is set for a week of marathon hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republicans are focusing on Kavanaugh’s 12-year career as an appellate court judge, while Democrats are expected to grill the 53-year-old conservative on hot-button issues that could swing the court’s majority rightward.
Indiana attorney: More senior citizens filing for bankruptcy
A northeastern Indiana attorney says a growing number of senior citizens are filing for bankruptcy protection after falling into debt, often for medical expenses. Similarly, a study by the Consumer Bankruptcy Project found the rate at which seniors file for bankruptcy has tripled from 1991 to 2016.
Indiana Court Decisions — Aug. 16-28, 2018
Read Indiana appellate court decisions from the last reporting period.
Lake County JNC seeking applicants to succeed Tavitas
Applications are now being accepted to fill a vacancy on the Lake County Superior Court created when Judge Elizabeth F. Tavitas joined the Indiana Court of Appeals last month.
Private plaintiff taking public access case to SCOTUS?
After a years-long fight, the Indiana Supreme Court in February issued a ruling that affirmed what’s come naturally to generations of Hoosiers: Indiana’s beach on Lake Michigan belongs to the public.
But parties who sued to privatize the beach, whose names are the only plaintiffs listed on filings to the U.S. Supreme Court, don’t own the property. They haven’t for years.
Sweeney first judge in 8 years confirmed to Southern District
James Sweeney was confirmed by a voice vote in a rare show of Senate bipartisanship. The next day, a Barnes & Thornburg colleague saw him at work and wondered why he was not taking at least a little time off. Sweeney said he wanted to pull his weight.
Smartphone privacy ruling tests how technology affects rights
A consequential Indiana Court of Appeals ruling on an issue of first impression last month marked one of the first times state courts have been asked to reconcile civil rights with advancing technology. The question: considering the personal nature of the contents of a person’s smartphone, can an individual be forced to unlock a smartphone without violating the Fifth Amendment?
Longest-serving federal U.S. judge in history dies
The longest-serving U.S. district judge in the nation's history has died. Judge William Nealon of Scranton, Pennsylvania, died Thursday. He was 95 and had been appointed to the federal bench in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy.
Injunction upheld in auto assembly parts supply dispute
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a decision denying the dissolution of a preliminary injunction involving two manufacturing companies, finding that if dissvoled, one company would be at risk of suffering irreparable harm.
Deadline near to apply for Monroe County, Terre Haute judgeships
Attorneys interested in filling vacancies on the Monroe Circuit Court and Terre Haute City Court have just days remaining to make their interest known. Wednesday, Sept. 5 is the deadline to submit applications for Gov. Eric Holcomb’s appointments to both positions.
COA reverses CHINS adjudications
Two Marion County children will no longer be considered children in need of services after the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed their CHINS adjudication, finding insufficient evidence to support the finding that their North Carolina-based father could not care for them.
John Dean of Nixon fame to testify at Kavanaugh hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee has added former Solicitor General Theodore Olson and former White House counsel John Dean to the list of witnesses who will testify next week in the confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court.
Teen gets 64 years for fatal shooting of Indiana woman
An Elkhart teenager has been sentenced to 64 years in prison for fatally shooting a woman after an argument with her daughter. The teen was convicted as an adult for firing the deadly bullet when he was 14.
7th Circuit reverses employment claim jurisdiction dismissal
After a woman failed to receive a report as to why her job offer was rescinded, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s dismissal of her adverse-action claim for lack of jurisdiction.
Indiana mom pleads guilty to neglect in death of daughter, 5
A western Indiana woman has pleaded guilty to neglect and other charges in the 2016 death of her disabled 5-year-old daughter. Tiffany Daugherty, 29, now faces up to 21 years in prison.
Indiana man pleads not guilty in sons’ river drownings
The father of two Indiana boys who drowned in a river has pleaded not guilty to two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. Eric Patillo, 34, Thayer, appeared Wednesday in Lake Superior Court.
Sweeney set to join busy Southern Indiana District Court
With the confirmation of James Sweeney II to the federal bench, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will be getting a much-needed judge to fill a longstanding vacancy and help handle one of the heaviest dockets in the country.