Courts - The Indiana Lawyer

Thomas spoke, Roberts ruled in unusual Supreme Court term

July 13, 2020

Justice Clarence Thomas spoke and Chief Justice John Roberts ruled. The US Supreme Court’s most unusual term featured victories for immigrants, abortion rights, LGBTQ workers and religious freedoms. The usually quiet Thomas’ baritone was heard by the whole world when the coronavirus outbreak upended the court’s traditional way of doing business. When the biggest decisions were handed down, the chief justice was almost always in the majority and dictated the reach of the court’s most controversial cases, whether they were won by the left or the right.

Divided justices order new trial in wrongful death suit involving unwilling juror

July 10, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

Indiana Supreme Court justices on Thursday split in ordering a new trial in a wrongful death case involving an unwilling juror and a denied for-cause challenge.

Fort Wayne lawyer who neglected multiple clients agrees to 180-day suspension

July 10, 2020 | Dave Stafford

An Allen County lawyer who admitted to bilking multiple clients and neglecting their cases will be suspended from the practice of law for 180 days without automatic reinstatement, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Crown Point, Chesterton attorneys get stayed suspensions for attorney misconduct

July 10, 2020

Two Northern Indiana attorneys have received stayed suspensions stemming from their individual attorney misconduct, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered on Thursday. Both attorneys acknowledged that they mismanaged trust accounts and commingled client funds.

7th Circuit snuffs out injunction on Indiana smokable hemp law

July 9, 2020 | Olivia Covington

An injunction prohibiting the state government from prosecuting certain uses of smokable hemp has been lifted after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found the prohibition was overbroad. But when the smoke clears, the appellate panel said a revised injunction may still be appropriate.

COA affirms murder conviction for man who killed 4-year-old

July 9, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a former Danville man’s murder conviction following the death of his girlfriend’s minor child from multiple blunt force traumatic injuries.

COA affirms 20-year sentence for woman who stole from employer

July 9, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A decades-long sentence has been affirmed for a woman who stole personal items from her former employer after being told she wouldn’t receive back wages after the business went under.

Appeals court reverses drug-possession convictions in OWI case

July 9, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A Boone County man’s drug-possession convictions were reversed Thursday after an appellate panel found the warrantless search of his car following a crash violated his Fourth Amendment rights.

Justices rule 5-4 Oklahoma region remains tribal reservation

July 9, 2020 | Associated Press

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Thursday that a large chunk of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation, a decision that state and federal officials have warned could throw Oklahoma into chaos.

Supreme Court expected to rule on Trump tax records Thursday

July 8, 2020 | Associated Press

The Supreme Court is expected to rule Thursday on whether Congress and the Manhattan district attorney can see President Donald Trump’s taxes and other financial records that the president has fought hard to keep private.

Chief Justice Roberts recently hospitalized after fall

July 8, 2020 | Associated Press

Chief Justice John Roberts spent a night in a hospital last month after he fell and injured his forehead, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said Tuesday night.

Supreme Court sides with Catholic schools in employment suit

July 8, 2020 | Associated Press

The Supreme Court of the United States is siding with two Catholic schools in a ruling that underscores that certain employees of religious schools, hospitals and social service centers can’t sue for employment discrimination. The high court’s ruling on Wednesday was 7-2.

SCOTUS sides with Trump in religious birth control opt-out case

July 8, 2020 | Associated Press

The United States Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration in its effort to allow employers who cite religious or moral objections to opt out of providing no-cost birth control to women as required by the Affordable Care Act.

Divided COA panel finds for woman wrongly told hepatitis test was negative

July 8, 2020 | Dave Stafford

A woman who learned years after she had been told that a hepatitis test was negative that in fact the test had come back positive had her case reinstated June 26 by the majority of an Indiana Court of Appeals panel. Two of three judges found a clinic fraudulently concealed the woman’s positive test result.

7th Circuit: Caseworker didn’t retaliate against prisoner

July 7, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

An Indiana prisoner whose discipline conviction was overturned for lack of evidence did not persuade the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals that his case manager later retaliated against him for activity protected by the First Amendment.

7th Circuit affirms drug conspiracy conviction

July 7, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A man convicted in a drug conspiracy could not convince the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals that he pleaded guilty to a lesser amount than what the government indicted him for.

COA affirms godmother’s conviction for assisting teen after murder

July 7, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed a northern Indiana woman’s felony conviction for assisting her godson after he murdered his teenage girlfriend, finding she did so with the intent to hinder his punishment.

Justices reduce meth dealing sentence in split opinion

July 7, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

A divided Indiana Supreme Court has sided with an appellate judge’s dissent in a drug dealing case, lowering a woman’s decades-long sentence pursuant to Appellate Rule 7(B).

Supreme Court upholds cellphone robocall ban

July 7, 2020 | Associated Press

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a 1991 law that bars robocalls to cellphones. Six justices agreed that by allowing debt collection calls to cellphones, Congress “impermissibly favored debt-collection speech over political and other speech, in violation of the First Amendment.”

Southern Indiana District included in request for more judges

July 6, 2020 | IL Staff

The Judicial Conference of the United States is again pleading with Congress to add 65 new judgeships in 24 district courts across the country, including two permanent new judges in the Southern Indiana District Court.

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