Trial court denied due process in revoking probation
A man whose probation was revoked without an evidentiary hearing after he walked away from an inpatient alcohol treatment program imposed by the court will receive a new hearing.
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Consecutive sentences in drug buy case ruled inappropriate
A man sentenced to 40 years in prison after he sold crack cocaine to undercover agents in two separate controlled buys received an inappropriate punishment, the Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
Felon’s convictions, multiple sentence enhancements affirmed
A sentence of 12 years with a year suspended was not inappropriate for a man who stole an idling car from a Lafayette convenience store and later resisted police, punched a police dog and threatened officers.
Trouble with the Curves: Ex-husband still owes for franchise’s default
A couple’s failure to inform a landlord of their divorce doesn’t excuse the ex-husband from a default judgment on rent payments for a health club that his former wife continued to run.
Giving felons a chance to wipe their records clean
The Indiana General Assembly moving forward with expungement bill.
Bankruptcy ruling locks out insiders
A recent bankruptcy appeal tossing an Indianapolis shopping center’s reorganization plan further establishes that the control of equity in Chapter 11 cases will be subject to competitive bidding and that insiders might be out of luck.
Lawyers worry about impact of court decision on premises liability
The fatal shooting of a guest in a Speedway motel by a former employee and the resulting civil litigation leaves the Indiana Supreme Court to decide whether arguments of common law or a 1980s statute governs the premises owner’s degree of liability. Trial and defense lawyers are paying keen attention.
Attorney: Marion County small claims ‘forum shopping’ problems persist
A Chicago attorney who has filed at least six federal class-action lawsuits alleging collections companies engaged in “forum shopping” in Marion County Small Claims Courts said the practice appears to be continuing despite township court reforms announced last year.
Will small claims court stay or will it go?
Marion County’s busiest docket is at the center of a judge-trustee tug-of-war over location.
Former senior judge faces disciplinary proceedings
A former senior judge in northern Indiana faces disciplinary action for charges that she had a sexual relationship with a client to whom she was appointed as a public defender.
Transferred intent instruction not error in domestic violence trial
An Elkhart County man’s conviction for domestic battery stands after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday that a jury instruction on the doctrine of transferred intent was not an abuse of discretion.
‘Sovereign citizen’ gets 40-year sentence
A self-identified sovereign citizen was sentenced last week to 40 years in prison for felony convictions of kidnapping and intimidation of a witness.
After children are grown, custodial parent still a victim of nonsupport
The Indiana Supreme Court ruled that a mother was a victim of a father who failed to pay support for his three children even years after the kids were grown.
Former Lake County clerk Philpot sentenced
A former Lake County clerk convicted of felony theft and mail fraud in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana will serve an 18-month sentence and pay a fine of $10,000.
Circuit Court rules utility contract falls in state jurisdiction
A dispute between a power generator and an electricity wholesaler should be heard in the state court, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled after finding the central issues did not arise under federal law.
Interstate defendant denied due process in hasty sentencing trip
A Kentucky inmate brought to an Indiana court for sentencing on four burglary counts to which he pleaded guilty was deprived due process when his new attorney was given only minutes to prepare, the Court of Appeals ruled.
Officer’s inclusion of victim’s statements did not violate Confrontation Clause
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that a police officer’s testimony that incorporated statements from the victim did not violate the defendant’s right to be confronted with the witnesses against him.
Change to public intoxication statute not retroactive
A woman convicted of public intoxication may not receive relief from a change in the statute that took effect a day before her bench trial.
Justices toss delinquency ruling for resisting school resource officer
A high school student’s action of trying to pull away from a school resource officer who tried to handcuff him is insufficient to support his adjudication as a delinquent, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Friday.