Transfer granted to traffic-stop cases
The Indiana Supreme Court has granted transfer to three cases dealing with traffic stops.
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Articles
Court: ‘mistakes’ in judge’s sentence
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the sentence of man convicted of defrauding Medicaid because the District Court judge’s sentencing transcript was “laced with apparent mistakes and misunderstandings.” In United States of America v. William J. Higdon, No. 07-3951, William Higdon appealed his 60-month sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard Young of the Southern District, Evansville Division. Higdon pleaded guilty to defrauding the Indiana Medicaid program, and the judge and parties agreed the sentencing guideline was 18 to 24 months….
Case vacated over jurisdictional questions
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals remanded a case to an Indiana District Court to determine whether the plaintiffs in a suit have citizenship in Indiana or Arizona.
U.S. allowed to join Indy case arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court will allow the federal government to have a voice in arguments of an Indiana case later this month, testing the competency standards for pro se litigants in criminal cases.On March 14, justices of the nation’s highest court granted a motion from the U.S. Solicitor General to participate in arguments as amicus curiae in Indiana v. Ahmad Edwards, 07-208, set for 10 a.m. March 26.At issue is what the Sixth Amendment dictates when determining whether someone found competent…
Court finds fax to be a contract
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment in favor of a landlord in his breach of lease claims against the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, finding a faxed agreement amending the original terms of the lease constituted a contract.
Worker’s comp claim bars med mal complaint
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the denial of a hospital's motion to dismiss a medical malpractice complaint because
the claimant, who was employed by the hospital and on duty at the time of the injury, could only file a complaint against
the employer under the Worker's Compensation Act.
Court mulls ‘vicarious exhaustion’ in jail suit
A court ruling issued Monday by a federal judge in Indianapolis touches on a legal nuance that’s yet to be addressed by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago and is also a relatively new argument for Indiana.In the jail-condition prisoner suit of Trevor Richardson v. Monroe County Sheriff, et al., No. 1:08-cv-0174 U.S., Judge Richard Young of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, denied a motion from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to dismiss the suit and…
Enhancement not allowed for attempted crimes
The Indiana Court of Appeals overturned a sentence enhancement for a man convicted of attempted rape. The enhancement was for being a repeat sexual offender, but attempted rape is not a crime listed under the repeat sex offender statute that allows for the enhancement. In William E. Wright v. State of Indiana, No. 48A02-0708-PC-678, the Court of Appeals agreed with Wright that his appellate counsel provided ineffective assistance in regards to challenging the sentence enhancement and that Wright’s petition for post-conviction relief should…
Justices asked to take Terre Haute mayor case
The Indiana Supreme Court is being asked to consider the role a federal law plays in deciding who is Terre Haute's current mayor and whether a special election is needed.
Federalist society to preview SCOTUS term
The Federalist Society's Indianapolis Lawyers Division Chapter will present a preview of the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court 2008-09 term featuring Kannon Shanmugam, who served as assistant to the solicitor general in the U.S. Department of Justice and is currently a partner in the Washington, D.C., firm Williams & Connolly.
Court: punitive penalty not allowed
A juvenile court erred when it found a juvenile in civil contempt of court and imposed an additional term of confinement as a result, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled. In K.L.N. v. State of Indiana, No. 71A03-0708-JV-411, K.L.N., a juvenile, had appealed the juvenile court’s decision to impose an additional term of confinement against him for being found in contempt of court. K.L.N. was confined to a secure facility for 120 days and often did not follow the rules. As…
Gov. names judge to new Miami Superior Court
Miami Superior Judge Daniel C. Banina has been appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels as judge of the newly created Miami Superior Court II. Judge Banina will become judge of the new court Jan. 1.
Federal court names new chief probation officer
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has appointed – effective immediately – a new chief probation officer, who also is the first African-American to serve in that capacity in the district.
Appeals court: Civil RICO claims not preempted
The Indiana Uniform Trade Secrets Act does not preempt a civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations claim, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.In an issue of first impression, the court was asked to decide in AGS Capital Corp., Inc., et al. v. Product Action International, LLC, No. 49A02-0702-CV-176, whether civil provisions for treble damages based on certain criminal acts are covered by the Indiana Uniform Trade Secrets Act (IUTSA). AGS Capital Corp., which owned Fast Tek Group and Superior Metal Technologies,…
COA rules on stipulation requirement
Prosecutors must be allowed to present their cases as they see fit and not be forced into agreements, the Indiana Court of Appeals confirmed today.In State of Indiana v. Harold Lewis, No. 72A05-0610-CR-564, the three-judge panel unanimously reversed and remanded the case to Scott Superior Judge Nicholas South. The trial judge had determined in 2006 to grant the defendant’s motion prohibiting prosecutors from mentioning the death of the man who Lewis had shot. He was being tried on a felony charge of…
7th Circuit: Man failed to show sexual harassment
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a District Court’s ruling in favor a man on his retaliation claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, finding the man didn’t believe his supervisor’s advances and threats were illegal.
Ball State shooting trial starts Tuesday
An excessive force and wrongful death trial starts in federal court Tuesday involving a Ball State police officer’s shooting of a college student about four years ago.Jury selection begins Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis in McKinney v. Duplain. The 21-year-old Michael McKinney was shot four times by campus officer Robert Duplain, who was responding to a report of a stranger pounding on the door of a house early on Nov. 8, 2003. Tests later showed that McKinney had a…
Sommer Barnard merging with Ohio firm
The 64 partners of Sommer Barnard unanimously voted today to approve the firm’s merger with Cincinnati-based Taft Stettinius & Hollister. The vote means Taft Stettinius & Hollister will absorb Sommer Barnard on May 1, meaning Indianapolis will lose one of its largest law firms. Sommer Barnard was founded in 1969 and has 103 lawyers, making it the seventh-largest in the city, according to Indianapolis Business Journal statistics. Taft Stettinius, whose roots date to 1885, has 200 lawyers in Cincinnati and additional…
Evidence failed to support ending parental rights
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a trial court's ruling to involuntarily terminate a mother's parental rights to her young twins, finding the court issued deficient termination orders and lacked clear and convincing evidence to terminate the parental rights.
COA: Date-rape drug made victim ‘unaware’
The Indiana Court of Appeals today tackled the meaning of “unaware” in the state’s statute addressing rape in regards to the victim being under the influence of a known date-rape drug. In Herman Filice v. State of Indiana, No. 49A02-0707-CR-591, Chief Judge John Baker authored the unanimous opinion that required the court for the first time to address the various legal issues surrounding the defendant’s sexual contact with a woman who had Rohypnol in her system during the contact. Filice met the…