Court to hear gay marriage arguments Aug. 13
A federal appeals court in Chicago will hear arguments in challenges of gay marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana on Aug. 13.
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Advocates: Suit over unpaid subsidies emblematic of DCS’ shortcomings
Adoptive families who’ve sued the state and likened the Department of Child Services to deadbeat parents for failing to pay promised subsidies to people who adopt foster children aren’t alone in feeling slighted, child and adoption advocates say.
Ruling may expedite demise of Marion County township venues
Marion County’s unique township small claims courts may be on the verge of extinction, hastened by a game-changing ruling this month by the full 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ice cold beer? Not here
The challenge to Indiana cold beer regulation continues in state court and 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Lawyer registration fee increase to cover program shortfalls, aid pro bono districts
Attorney registration fees set to increase nearly 25 percent will cover shortfalls in the judiciary programs they fund and give a temporary emergency boost to the state’s pro bono districts.
Personal, practical reasons guide adult adoptions
Children become consenting adults when they turn 18, but that’s also the age at which a few will seek to legally become someone’s son or daughter. Adult adoptions are fairly rare, but they’re sought for a host of reasons from the sentimental to the sensible, family law attorneys say.
New Indiana criminal code being implemented in courtrooms
Prosecutors, public defenders and judges around the state have been attending special seminars, updating computer programs and reading through the new criminal code in preparation for the switch. Many say they will need about six months before they feel comfortable with the new code, and they expect they will be juggling cases charged under the old code for at least another 12 to 18 months.
Task force: Keep pro bono hours anonymous
A task force at the recommendation of the Indiana Supreme Court recently looked at five areas concerning pro bono work and the reporting of hours, including whether attorneys' reported pro bono hours should be disclosed publicly.
Justices add 4 cases
A long-running dispute between the owners and former owners of a home with electrical and structural issues will return to the Indiana Supreme Court, one of four cases justices added last week
7th Circuit: Indiana’s marriage solemnization statute violates Constitution
Finding that Indiana’s statute specifying who many solemnize marriage “discriminates arbitrarily among religious and ethical beliefs,” the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the state must allow certified secular humanist celebrants to perform wedding ceremonies.
No ‘clean hands’ in dispute over muscle car work, COA finds
A dispute over work done on a 1973 Dodge Challenger led the Indiana Court of Appeals Monday to find the car’s owner may challenge a mechanic’s lien that a shop used to auction the car.
Task force makes recommendations for pro bono reporting
As the Indiana Supreme Court continues to consider mandating all Indiana attorneys report the number of pro bono hours they work, a task force has proposed that the donated hours be disclosed publicly only in an aggregate form rather than identifying the number of pro bono hours performed by an individual or a firm.
ACLU asks fed attorney to recognize Indiana gay marriages
Attorneys on Friday asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to step in on behalf of hundreds of same-sex couples who were wed before a federal appeals court stayed an order striking down Indiana's gay marriage ban.
Dozing juror should have stayed in deliberations
A juror who gave the lone vote to acquit and eventually refused to deliberate did not meet the criteria for removal, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
New chief justice to be selected Aug. 6
The next chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court will be chosen by the Judicial Nominating Commission Aug. 6, the court announced Friday.
Dissent: ‘No evidence’ tying convicted man to crime scene
While a majority of the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed an Indianapolis man’s trespassing conviction, another judge warned in dissent that the ruling went against the tenet of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
County treasurer’s attorneys want charges dropped
Attorneys for a central Indiana county treasurer want charges that he mishandled public money dismissed, arguing that other officials who've done the same thing haven't been prosecuted.
COA tosses injunction issued after alleged workplace threat
An injunction against an employee who allegedly told a company therapist that he was going to blow his supervisor’s head off is void because it arose from a labor dispute, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
COA affirms termination of parental rights for imprisoned mom
A trial court was within its authority to terminate the parental rights of a mother serving a minimum 10-year federal prison sentence for conspiracy to deal heroin, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.
7th Circuit reinstates CSX worker’s sex discrimination claims
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday reinstated sex discrimination and retaliation claims from a woman who alleges she was denied opportunities to advance as a railroad yardmaster with CSX Transportation Inc.