Articles

Judge hears arguments on bar exam application suit

How far the Indiana Board of Law Examiners can go in asking potential lawyers about their mental-health history was the subject of a federal court hearing Wednesday, where attorneys explored the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act and what might be reasonable in determining someone’s potential fitness to practice law.

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Lawmakers discuss Barnes police entry ruling

An Indiana summer study committee met for the second time Wednesday to discuss a state Supreme Court ruling from earlier this year involving the right to resist police entry into one’s home.

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7th Circuit to hold memorial for Judge Evans

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin will hold a joint memorial ceremony for Senior Judge Terence Evans at 4 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Ceremonial Courtroom of the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse.

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Man entitled to warning that conduct may waive right to counsel

The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed the finding that a man charged with murder is no longer indigent and that his difficult behavior caused him to waive or forfeit his right to appointed counsel. The appellate court concluded that the judge considered the defendant’s conduct, not his ability to pay, when finding him no longer indigent.

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7th Circuit holds lawyer rule on impact of guilty plea for immigrants not retroactive

A three-judge panel for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has determined a landmark decision from the Supreme Court of the United States last year isn't retroactive. That rule required criminal defense attorneys to advise clients about the immigration impact of signing a guilty plea, and this means past cases wouldn’t benefit from that holding even if those individuals had been deprived of that Sixth Amendment right.

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Man not prejudiced by counsel’s deficient performance

The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the decision to deny a man’s request for post-conviction relief, finding that although his attorney’s performance was deficient for not investigating whether a previous conviction attributed to the defendant was really his, the man couldn’t show he was prejudiced.

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Court divided over consent to 5-person jury

A panel of Indiana Court of Appeals judges split on the issue of whether a defendant agreed to allow a five-member jury to decide her case after one juror fell ill, with the dissenting judge believing the defendant – not her counsel – must consent to the five-person jury.

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Victim’s statements to nurse allowed, but judges reverse convictions

The Indiana Court of Appeals concluded that a victim’s statements detailing her physical attack and identifying her attacker were admissible in court and were nontestimonial, so the defendant’s confrontation rights weren’t violated. However, the judges reversed the man’s convictions because the trial court shouldn’t have admitted prior misconduct evidence involving the defendant and the victim.

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Tax Court rules in brewery’s favor

Ruling on an issue that previously has come before the Indiana Tax Court, Senior Judge Thomas Fisher has upheld that sales to Indiana customers who hired common carriers to pick up alcohol at an Ohio facility shouldn’t have been included in the sales factor of Miller Brewing Co.’s adjusted gross income tax and supplemental net income tax.

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Judges uphold theft charge against man

On interlocutory appeal, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of a man’s motion to dismiss his theft charge in Jay County because he caused the delay in the case by absconding. The case brought up the issue of whether knowledge by jail officials on the whereabouts of the defendant can mean that the judge and prosecutor were sufficiently notified.

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Clerk of Court for Northern District retiring

The longtime clerk for the Northern District of Indiana is retiring at the end of the year, and those interested in filling that vacancy have nearly a month to apply for the federal court position.

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Steuben County joins Odyssey

Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr. will join judges and the clerk of Steuben County on August 22 to demonstrate Odyssey, a new case management system.

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