ACLU report finds alarming rights abuses by law enforcement, judges
Getting into debt is easy, but people who fall behind in payments can find themselves fending off aggressive debt collectors, acquiescing courts and even incarceration.
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Jail chemical addiction programs show promise, but few are offered
Boone County is one of fewer than half a dozen counties in the state with a jail chemical addiction program. The program is voluntary and completely funded by court fees.
Divided COA reverses unemployment tax ruling
An Indiana business will not have to pay unemployment insurance taxes on wages paid to an independent contractor after a divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals found the contractor was not statutorily considered the business’ “employee.”
Appellate court remands for amended Abstract of Judgment
An Indiana trial court must enter an amended Abstract of Judgment for an offender recommended for the Indiana Department of Correction’s Purposeful Incarceration program after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the initial order did not explicitly allow for a sentence modification.
COA: PCR records can be expunged
The Indiana Court of Appeals has overturned the denial of a man’s request for expungement of his post-conviction relief proceedings after determining the Allen Superior Court erred in finding PCR records are not covered by Indiana’s expungement statutes.
Indiana man acquitted of shooting 2 near Illinois nightclub
Jurors have acquitted an Indianapolis man who was charged with killing one man and wounding another outside a nightclub in the eastern Illinois city of Danville nearly four years ago.
Divided 7th Circuit upholds dismissal of transgender man’s name-change suit
A Mexican native with asylum in the United States cannot continue with his suit against various Indiana officials challenging the citizenship requirement in Indiana’s name-change statute after a divided panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found he lacked standing to bring his case.
Appellate court rejects constitutional challenge to synthetic drug lookalike statutes
The Indiana Court of Appeals has struck down a constitutional challenge to the state’s synthetic drug lookalike statutes, finding the statutes cannot be considered void as applied to a Tippecanoe County drug case.
COA upholds 2016 murder conviction
A man convicted in the 2016 murder of his ex-girlfriend’s husband has lost his appeal before the Indiana Court of Appeals, which found the trial court did not err in excluding proffered evidence the man sought to admit supporting his self-defense claim.
E-filing begins in Fishers City Court
The Fishers City Court has become the most recent to implement electronic filing as the Indiana Supreme Court nears the end of its push to roll out e-filing across the state.
Pryor joins Southern District as magistrate judge
A new magistrate judge has begun her duties in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, filling a vacancy created by the August death of Magistrate Judge Denise K. LaRue.
Man on the lam for 3 decades recaptured after crash glitch
An inmate who walked away from a southern Indiana prison more than 30 years ago is back in custody after being injured in a central Indiana car crash.
Olympic star Raisman files suit against USOC, USA Gymnastics
Aly Raisman spent months urging the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics to get serious about taking a long hard look into how Larry Nassar’s abusive conduct was allowed to run unchecked for so long.
Attorney online access extended to mental health, adoption records
Attorneys registered with Indiana’s Odyssey case management system will now be able to access mental health and adoption documents for which they are the attorney of record after the Indiana Supreme Court approved a new task force recommendation.
20 charged in Fort Wayne tuition reimbursement scam
Five more people are facing charges in connection with a tuition reimbursement scam allegedly conducted by former employees of a defense contractor with operations in Indiana.
Applications open for coming Marion Superior judge vacancies
As the Marion County Judicial Selection Committee prepares to conduct its first judicial retention interviews later this month, the committee also has begun accepting applications to fill three upcoming vacancies created by the retirement later this year of judges who will not seeking retention.
Jury awards $1.9 million in case rising from Menard-Hilbert fight
The latest development in a longstanding legal battle between two business titans has resulted in a $1.9 million verdict against the leaders of the national hardware store chain Menard, Inc.
Court finds man with multiple addresses still lived at home
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment in favor of the estate of a man who died in South Bend, lived and worked in Chicago, but considered his principal residence to be his parents’ home.
COA reinstates default judgment against Decatur Co. landlords
The Decatur Superior Court must reinstate a default judgment against a local apartment complex and its property manager after the Indiana Court of Appeals found there was no excusable neglect that would justify setting aside the default.
Insufficient evidence leads to firearm conviction reversal
A man’s conviction of possession of a firearm as a serious violent felon was reversed Wednesday by a divided Indiana Court of Appeals, which found his signature on an underlying robbery plea agreement had not been authenticated.