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Court sponsors Northwest Ordinance lecture

The Indiana Supreme Court is sponsoring a lecture celebrating the 221st anniversary of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the legal issues related to Indiana’s southern borders established by the ordinance. The lecture will begin at 3 p.m. on July 14.Seating in the Supreme Court’s courtroom for “221 Years of Unsettled Borders: Indiana and the Northwest Ordinance” is no longer available for the free lecture, but a monitor and overflow seating will be available in the atrium area, as well as…

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Judges disagree over ‘access’ in statute

Indiana Court of Appeals judges were split in their ruling today on a man who was convicted of performance harmful to minors, with the majority affirming the conviction.In Frederick A. Zitlaw v. State of Indiana, No. 29A05-0701-CR-35, Zitlaw appealed the trial court’s denial of his motion to dismiss the performance harmful to minors charge, a Class D felony. A Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy saw Zitlaw expose himself in a public park. The probable cause affidavit alleged children were present in the park….

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SCOTUS makes history, shoots down gun ban

Answering a 217-year-old constitutional question, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a historic ruling this morning that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to have a gun in his or her home.The ideologically split 5-4 decision in District of Columbia, et al. v. Heller, No. 07-290, struck down a city handgun ban in Washington, D.C., and defined the scope of the gun rights amendment to the U.S. Constitution for the 21st century.Specific to this case, the court affirmed a Circuit Court ruling…

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Attorneys urged to learn court technology

Ever worried about what happens if you don’t know, understand, or use courtroom technology correctly in preparing for trial?A new video from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana offers a glimpse into the possibilities, from the dramatic portrayal of a federal judge dozing off during trial to a nervous attorney sweating profusely in court when jurors and courtroom staff can’t hear him.After updating its Web site and revising a video on the Video Evidence Presentation System late…

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Judge: Prisoner suit can proceed

  A federal judge has decided a state prison inmate can proceed with his lawsuit against a Department of Correction official and food service provider, claiming that both denied him enough food to stay healthy and went against a medically prescribed diet restricting onions.U.S. District Judge William Lee in South Bend ordered March 11 that Joshua Ketchem be allowed to proceed with his suit filed in January 2007. The case is Joshua Ketchum v. J. David Donahue, et al., No. 3:07-CV-316 WL.A prisoner…

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Supreme Court grants 2 transfers

The Indiana Supreme Court granted two transfers Thursday for cases originating in Evansville – one involves a shopping center and access to a public thoroughfare, and the other deals with the failure to make payments for the modification of a Web site. In State of Indiana v. Kimco of Evansville Inc., et al., No. 82A01-0607-CV-301, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a $2.3 million jury award that stemmed from a road project in 2000 impacting a shopping plaza along State Road…

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Indiana RICO Act applies to ‘foot soldiers’

An Indiana Supreme Court decision Feb. 27 regarding the state’s racketeering laws creates a larger net of potential defendants that can be charged under it. The Indiana Supreme Court ruled that under Indiana’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, a person can be implicated under the state act even if he or she doesn’t participate in directing the racketeering activity. In Linda Keesling, Harold Lephart, et al. v. Frederick Beegle III, John Bucholtz, et al., No. 18S04-0704-CV-150, the high court accepted…

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Newest COA judge’s robing ceremony Friday

The newest Indiana Court of Appeals judge will formally join the court Friday. Judge Elaine Brown’s robing ceremony will be in the courtroom of the Indiana Supreme Court. Judge Brown’s first day on the court was May 5. Chief Judge John Baker will preside over the ceremony, and Gov. Mitch Daniels will join Judge Brown’s family, colleagues, and special guests to administer the oath of office. Judge Brown was named to the Indiana Court of Appeals by Gov. Daniels earlier this…

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Court: S.C. decision not retroactive

In a case of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today that retroactivity doesn’t apply to a year-old Indiana Supreme Court decision that held charging information must be amended within 30 days before the omnibus date.As a result of the ruling, a Hendricks County man convicted of child molesting doesn’t get relief.At issue in Terry Leatherwood’s appeal in Terry Leatherwood v. State of Indiana, No. 32A05-0710-PC-573, is whether the post-conviction court erred in refusing to apply the holding of Fajardo…

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Granted transfers include hearsay case

The Indiana Supreme Court has granted two transfers, including a case involving whether a warrant based on hearsay was supported by probable cause or fell under the good faith exception.

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Court tosses man’s stalking conviction

Simply parking on a public street and watching someone’s home doesn’t alone fall within the definition of “impermissible” conduct and can’t be considered stalking, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.In a case of first impression, the appellate panel ruled 2-1 on Donald D. Vanhorn v. State of Indiana, 84-A01-0711-CR-505, overturning the Terre Haute man’s conviction for felony stalking. At issue in the case was the interplay between “harassment” and “impermissible contact” and whether enough evidence existed to support a stalking conviction.Donald…

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Juvenile’s DOC placement affirmed

Addressing the issue for the first time, the Indiana Court of Appeals supported a juvenile court’s decision to place an illegal immigrant juvenile delinquent with the Department of Corrections instead of deporting him back to his home country. In J.S. v. State of Indiana, No. 15A01-0706-JV-276, J.S., a 15-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, appealed his placement in the DOC. The boy, who had already once illegally entered the U.S. and was arrested in Kentucky for driving without a license and deported, was…

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Sole justice disagrees with sentencing transfer

The Indiana Supreme Court has cut an Indianapolis child molester’s prison sentence in half from 120 to 60 years, reanalyzing the penalty he received for being convicted of multiple counts of victimizing his stepdaughter.But one of the state’s top jurists objected to the court accepting this sentencing case, emphasizing that reviewing and revising this penalty goes against the high court’s role as one of “last resort” and could lead to trial judges being less cautious and measured in sentencing.A 4-1 ruling…

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Breaking News: Judge, commissioner face charges

Breaking News: April 4, 2008 A Marion County judge and his part-time commissioner face nearly a dozen judicial misconduct charges each for delays and dereliction of duty that resulted in an Indianapolis man staying in prison for almost two years after DNA testing cleared him of a 1984 rape.The Indiana Judicial Qualifications Commission late Wednesday afternoon filed charges against Marion Superior Judge Grant W. Hawkins and Commissioner Nancy L. Broyles, relating to their involvement in a post-conviction case for Harold D….

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Event to discuss court history

A new annual event has been created by the Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana to focus on past and present legal issues, part of the group's shift from project-focused events to membership focused efforts.

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SCOTUS decides Indiana pro se case

The Supreme Court of the United States has found that a criminal defendant who’s been declared competent to stand trial does not necessarily have the right to represent himself.About 10 minutes into its public sitting that started at 10 a.m., the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 7-2 ruling in Indiana v. Edwards, No. 07-208. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the opinion, with Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissenting. Opinions are typically posted on the high court’s Web site within an hour of…

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Issue of fact exists in firefighter demotion

The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a trial court grant of summary judgment because there is a genuine issue of fact as to why a firefighter was demoted. In Jeffrey Kochis v. City of Hammond, Indiana, et al., No. 45A03-0709-CV-445, Kochis appealed the grant of summary judgment in favor of Hammond in his complaint that he had been demoted even though no charges had been filed against him and that he didn’t receive due process. Kochis had been a firefighter with the…

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$1.25 million med mal verdict affirmed

The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a $1.25 million jury verdict and in doing so ruled on three issues of first impression
that will likely impact future medical malpractice suits.

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Judge orders new Cinergy trial

A federal judge in Indianapolis has ordered a new trial for Cinergy Corp because the energy company now owned by Duke Energy committed misconduct earlier this year and tainted the liability phase of the litigation. U.S. District Judge Larry McKinney issued a 29-page decision in U.S., et al. v. Cinergy Corp, et al., 1:99-cv-1693, on Thursday, unsealing it and making the ruling public Dec. 22. “In summary, the Court concludes that Cinergy’s misrepresentations about payment of one of its fact…

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