COA: Enhanced sentence not fundamental error
A man who sought a second resentencing after his 2003 murder convictions unsuccessfully argued that he was denied fundamental due process rights 15 years after being sentenced for four counts of murder.
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Former nursing home executive handed 57-month prison sentence
Daniel Benson, the former chief operating officer of American Senior Communities, was sentenced Friday to nearly five years in federal prison for his role in a massive kickback scheme at Indiana’s largest chain of nursing homes. Indiana Southern District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Benson to a 57-month sentence as part of a plea agreement.
DCS can’t litigate piecemeal CHINS cases, COA warns
If the Department of Child Services has enough concern to file a child in need of services petition, it should have enough evidence to win the case the first time around, the Court of Appeals warned Friday.
Who are Trump’s top Supreme Court contenders?
President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nomination is expected on Monday, with three federal judges leading the pack. Here's a look at who they are (plus three more who haven’t been completely counted out just yet):
Carmel swim coach faces federal charges for child porn, sexual exploitation of a minor
A suburban Indianapolis swim coach is facing federal charges alleging he shot video of himself having sex with one of his athletes. Prosecutors said Thursday that 29-year-old John C. Goelz has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.
Special needs trust lawyer faces another theft charge
A suspended Indianapolis attorney who specialized in establishing special needs trusts before he was accused of stealing from those clients is facing felony theft charges in another Indiana county. Kenneth S. Service, 45, was charged last month with Class D felony theft in Delaware County, where he is accused of stealing $23,622 from a former client, authorities said Thursday.
COA: Husband must pay child support with interest
A husband who paid less than $200 of the child support he owed will now have to cover more than the arrearage amount after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled the wife is also entitled to interest.
Source: Barrett among Trump’s top 3 SCOTUS contenders
President Donald Trump is closing in on his next Supreme Court nominee, with three federal judges including Indiana’s Amy Coney Barrett leading the competition to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.
COA cautions against claiming controversy amount limits
The Indiana Court of Appeals cautioned against plaintiffs proclaiming amounts in controversy will not exceed $75,000 unless they can be held to their word when it ruled in a semitruck crash case Tuesday.
Clark County Drug Court ‘ran roughshod,’ but litigants lose appeal
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday found litigants in Clark County’s troubled drug court endured significant deprivations of their constitutional rights — including sometimes being jailed for months without due process — but offered no relief in the appeal of their dismissed civil lawsuit.
Conour agrees to dismiss third appeal of wire fraud conviction
Convicted fraudster and former Indianapolis attorney William Conour has agreed to dismiss a third appeal of his 10-year federal prison sentence stemming from a 2012 wire fraud conviction for stealing more than $6 million from his personal-injury and wrongful-death clients.
Fort Wayne woman takes plea deal in threat against judge
A Fort Wayne woman accused of threatening to kill a judge has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in a deal with prosecutors. Ida Mae Wilson appeared in a Delaware County court on Monday and apologized for saying she would shoot Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. in a phone call to her son, who was in jail.
Elkhart woman ordered to stop unauthorized practice of law
An Elkhart woman has been ordered by the Indiana Supreme Court to cease the unauthorized practice of law in matters of immigration, business and family law.
Trump interviews 4 for Supreme Court, 2-3 more to go
President Donald Trump interviewed four prospective Supreme Court justices Monday and planned to speak with a few more, as he powered forward with a speedy selection process to fill the fresh vacancy.
Woman takes plea deal in threat against judge
A Fort Wayne woman accused of threatening to kill a judge in Delaware County has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in a deal with prosecutors.
Justices toss 2 resisting convictions from triple-fatality
A wrong-way driver who caused the deaths of three adults and one unborn child while fleeing police had two of his three convictions for resisting law enforcement overturned after the Indiana Supreme Court determined state law allows only one conviction for each act of resisting.
Justices: One resisting conviction for fatal crash with injuries
The Indiana Supreme Court ruled that Indiana Code permits only one conviction of resisting law enforcement from a single incident, regardless of how many people are harmed in an accident.
New Indiana laws ban eyeball tattoos, protect renting rights
Indiana lawmakers entered this year’s session with limited ambitions when compared to years past. They still passed dozens of new laws. And while many of the most attention-grabbing ideas — like legal Sunday retail alcohol sales — were already enacted, more took effect Sunday.
ACLU, PPINK expect Indiana to keep passing abortion laws
Speaking at a press conference about Thursday’s federal court order stopping another abortion law passed by the Indiana Legislature, ACLU of Indiana legal director Ken Falk noted this is not the first time the Statehouse has passed a bill attempting to limit abortions.
Nursing home exec Burkhart handed stiff sentence for kickback scheme
James Burkhart's hopes for a light sentence were dashed Friday afternoon when a federal judge handed down a 9-1/2-year sentence for his role in leading a massive kickback scheme as CEO of Indiana’s largest chain of nursing homes.