Report finds drug courts number 3,000 nationwide
The number of drug courts operating in the United States is 3,057, a 24 percent increase in the last five years, according to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
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Ruling goes against Indiana’s ‘strong public policy’ of enforcing contracts
A federal judge ruled Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging the town of Fortville’s procedure for disputing unpaid water bills that class members’ constitutional rights to procedural due process trump the state’s public policy of enforcing contracts.
Obama shortens terms for 214 prisoners
President Barack Obama on Wednesday cut short the sentences of 214 federal inmates, including 67 life sentences, in what the White House called the largest batch of commutations on a single day in more than a century.
Pokemon goes to court in backyard monster trespassing case
A New Jersey resident with a pocket monster in his backyard filed what may be the first lawsuit against Niantic Inc. and Nintendo Co. for unleashing Pokemon Go across the U.S., claiming that players are coming to his home uninvited in their race to “catch ’em all.”
Judge blocks release of Trump’s video testimony
A federal judge who has been a target of Donald Trump's repeated scorn on Tuesday denied a media request to release videos of the Republican presidential candidate testifying in a lawsuit about the now-defunct Trump University — images that Trump's attorneys had argued would have been used to tarnish the campaign.
Defense attorney: Police botched investigation
A man accused of killing an Indiana University student is the victim of a botched police investigation, his attorney told jurors on Tuesday, but prosecutors noted that the victim's blood and hair were found in his vehicle.
Interactive files federal patent suit against competitor
Indianapolis-based Interactive Intelligence Inc. has filed a federal patent lawsuit against Avaya Inc., a competitor with which Interactive Intelligence also had a long-standing patent license agreement.
Indianapolis sues emergency dispatch provider for $8.3M
The city of Indianapolis is suing a North Carolina-based public safety software provider for breach of contract, saying it failed to adequately complete a job to install a new computer-aided dispatch system for police, fire and emergency use.
Judges divided over sentence review under Appellate Rule 7(B)
The majority on a panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals declared Tuesday that Indiana Appellate Rule 7(B) requires only that the court “consider” the nature of the offense and the offender’s character, not that the defendant necessarily prove both of those prongs. This led to a separate opinion calling the decision “significant.”
Statute, plea agreement do not preclude converting felony to misdemeanor
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s decision to reduce a man’s Class D felony conviction following a guilty plea to theft in 2000 to a Class A misdemeanor 15 years later.
State won’t appeal order blocking abortion law
A federal judge’s order blocking a divisive and restrictive abortion law signed this year by Gov. Mike Pence will not be appealed, Indiana Lawyer has learned. The decision not to appeal at this time effectively punts a decision on a possible future appeal to new state office-holders to be elected in November.
Attorneys for Dylann Roof file death penalty challenge
Attorneys for the man charged with killing nine people at a Charleston church are challenging federal prosecutors' intention to seek the death penalty against him.
Defense attorney: Police took 1st suspect in student’s death
The attorney for a Bloomington man charged with killing an Indiana University student says her client is the innocent victim of an incomplete police investigation.
Fort Wayne man gets 85 years in fatal attack with microwave
A Fort Wayne man convicted of beating a mentally ill man to death with a microwave has been sentenced to 85 years in prison.
Justices decline newborn blood sample case
The Indiana Supreme Court will not hear the appeal of an Indiana couple who wanted their child’s blood, taken when she was born, destroyed instead of being stored by the state.
Uber in dare to judge says it’s ready to ditch driver settlement
Uber Technologies Inc.’s message to the judge who must approve its $100 million settlement with drivers is clear: take it or leave it.
E-filing mandatory in Franklin, Rush, Union counties Sept. 30
E-filing is now available in courts in Franklin, Rush and Union counties and will be mandatory in these courts beginning Sept. 30.
Task force recommends expungement filings go online
A panel advising the Indiana Supreme Court on which trial court records should go online has recommended that petitions seeking to expunge criminal records eventually be posted on the state court’s website for public case information.
7th Circuit denies rehearing in Conour creditor suit
The long road for some victims to recover any of the settlement money former attorney William Conour stole from them may be closer to an end. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals denied requests to reconsider the court’s decision putting Conour’s victims before a creditor who sued over a defaulted line of credit.
Ex-Indianapolis high school coach sentenced on sex count
A former Indianapolis private high school boys' basketball coach has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for trying to entice a 15-year-old student to have sex with him.