Justices overturn man’s registration requirement
A Grant Superior judge erred in sentencing a man to register as a sex offender because that requirement wasn't in place at the time he committed his crime, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled.
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Lawmakers criticize traffic court fines
A legislative committee this week unanimously approved a bill that would cap the fines a court could assess for traffic violations.
Appellate court upholds murder conviction
Although the trial court erred in finding a police officer was a skilled witness uniquely qualified to assess a murder victim's truthfulness, it was a harmless error because his testimony was an admissible lay observation, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded today.
State funding of judges being explored
Lawmakers rejected a southern Indiana county's request this week for a new judge to run a family court, even though it proposes paying for it locally rather than with state money.
Law clear only guarantor’s signature needed
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled on a guaranty issue today that is "so well-settled" in state law that the judges had difficulty finding recent cases restating it.
Maintenance affects state courts online services
Scheduled maintenance will make several online services provided on the Indiana Court’s Web site unavailable beginning today
at 7 p.m.
COA rules on first impression railroad issue
In an issue of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded a Federal Employer Liability Act claim premised on
unsafe ballast isn't precluded by Federal Railroad Safety Act regulations of ballast in a man's suit for injuries
he sustained while employed with a transportation company.
COA lengthens defendant’s sentence
The Indiana Court of Appeals revised a defendant's sentence for rape and other convictions, but it may not have been what the man had in mind when he appealed. In a rare move, the Court of Appeals increased his sentence by 25 years.
Appellate court upholds guardian appointment
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the appointment of a third-party guardian for an incompetent adult because a disinterested person may hopefully prevent unnecessary disputes caused by mistrust between the woman's children and husband.
Justice ponders importance of party-line vote
As the Indiana Supreme Court justices considered the constitutionality of the state's voter ID law this week, one jurist wondered how much the legislative process might factor into the court's analysis of whether a statute is constitutional.
7th Circuit reverses ruling on police excessive force
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has decided that a prisoner should have the chance to proceed on a federal claim of police using unreasonable force during and after his arrest for which he’s been convicted at the state level.
COA split on whether company can repurchase stock
A panel of Indiana Court of Appeals judges disagreed as to whether a company's attempt to exercise its option to repurchase stock had occurred in a timely manner under a shareholders' agreement.
Lawmakers miss self-imposed deadline
The Indiana General Assembly tried to end the session more than a week before the constitutional March 14 deadline, but impasses on school funding and unemployment insurance caused the legislators to miss their March 4 self-imposed deadline.
COA: no error in admitting no contest plea
A plea of no contest can be admitted under Indiana Evidence Rule 803(8) as a public record proving the fact of a conviction, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed today. The appellate court found no error in admitting a defendant's nolo contendere plea to a Florida murder as proof he was convicted of an offense qualifying him as a serious violent felon.
Man didn’t timely file petition to reopen estates
A trial court correctly denied the request to reopen the estates of a man's deceased parents to correct an error because he failed to timely file his petition, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed.
Newspapers join fight to unseal Durham records
The Indianapolis Business Journal and The Wall Street Journal have joined the legal fight to unseal search-warrant documents related to the federal investigation of businessman Tim Durham and Akron, Ohio-based Fair Finance Co. The IBJ is a sister publication of Indiana Lawyer.
Judges disagree on chemical possession charge
A panel of Indiana Court of Appeal judges disagreed as to whether a defendant who stole anhydrous ammonia with the intent of selling it to a third party in the future to make methamphetamine, but who never actually sold the chemical, could be charged with possession with intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
Justices take case of dismissed drug charges
The Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether a trial court was correct when it sua sponte decided to exclude evidence from a warrantless search of a defendant's car and dismiss the drug charges against the man based on that search.
COA upholds termination of parental rights
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the termination of a mother and father's parental rights based on sufficient evidence. The appellate court also found the mother couldn't appeal on the basis that the Department of Child Services failed to prove her drug use when she repeatedly refused to submit to drug testing.
Court reverses handgun conviction
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed today a defendant's conviction of carrying a handgun without a license because
the circumstantial evidence doesn't support that the man had the requisite intent to constructively possess the gun.