Indiana’s lawsuit against opioid maker Purdue Pharma proceeds
Indiana’s lawsuit against drug maker Purdue Pharma for the company’s alleged role in contributing to the state’s opioid crisis is moving forward after surviving a motion to dismiss.
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Drug dealer’s appeal fails to show prosecutorial misconduct
A prosecutor’s suggestion to jurors during closing arguments that the volume of fentanyl in a habitual drug dealer’s possession had the potential to kill thousands of people did not constitute fundamental error. The Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday rejected that and other arguments of a man convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Tax Court has jurisdiction in riverboat casino case, judge affirms
Arguments about who has jurisdiction in an Indiana riverboat casino case ended Thursday with a ruling that the Indiana Tax Court has retained jurisdiction over the case.
COA affirms ruling against ex-wife in husband’s IRA case
A woman seeking to obtain the full balance of her late husband’s individual retirement account couldn’t convince an appellate court that she shouldn’t have been denied summary judgment against his estate.
Judgment for sign company in digital billboard fight reversed
A judgment in favor a sign company that converted a large billboard in Lawrence to a digital display was reversed on appeal Friday. The Indiana Court of Appeals remanded a lawsuit brought by the city of Indianapolis, setting the stage for a possible trial over whether the digital billboard may remain.
Indiana AG asks high court to take up Munster Schools retirement pay dispute
Indiana’s attorney general is turning to the state’s high court in his battle to force two retired school superintendents to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars. Attorney General Curtis Hill recently filed a petition asking the Indiana Supreme Court to accept transfer of his civil lawsuit against former School Town of Munster superintendents William Pfister and Richard Sopko.
COA continues terms of justice center lease in Floyd County
Although the city of New Albany argued holdover tenants should not be given “another bite at the apple,” the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed its original ruling that continued occupancy of the criminal justice center maintains the terms and conditions of the lease even after the agreement as expired.
COA: Court disregarded procedures in PCR case
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed a man’s denied petition for relief from what he alleged as conspiracy to wrongfully convict and confine him, among other things, after finding a post-conviction court erred in the procedure it used to dispose of his petition.
Lake County announces 3 finalists to succeed Pera
Two magistrate judges and a town court judge have been selected as finalists to fill a judicial vacancy in Lake Superior Court, Civil Division 6.
Indianapolis’ Oaktree Apartments demolition order affirmed
A demolition order for a northeast-side Indianapolis apartment complex vacant for more than five years was affirmed Thursday by the Indiana Court of Appeals, which stopped short of ordering the dilapidated property’s owners in England to pay the city’s legal fees in long-running nuisance litigation.
Receiver for million-dollar Corvette affirmed but bond required
Long-running litigation over the fate of a legendary Corvette racecar appears slightly closer to the finish line, as an appeals court Thursday gave the green flag to a receivership appointed to sell the car. However, the appellate panel instructed the trial court to require the receiver be bonded as required by law.
Felony drug conviction affirmed, but public defender fee reversed
A man’s felony drug convictions were affirmed Thursday, but a trial court’s order requiring him to pay a $250 public defender fee and reimburse a northern Indiana county for his medical expenses were struck down by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
7th Circuit rules against inmate’s FOIA requests in triple-murder
A Southern District Court judge’s order that the federal government disclose personal information stemming from a triple murder it had previously refused to turn over has been reversed. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found that public interest does not support the information’s disclosure, simultaneously affirming that certain documents were protected by an exception of the Freedom of Information Act.
NIPSCO loses appeal in damaged gas line small-claims suit
An excavation company found at fault for the destruction of a new home’s gas line will still have to pay up to the Northern Indiana Public Service Company despite the latter’s assertion that the company could not be held liable for a landscaper’s failure to mark the gas lines.
Leader of BAE tuition reimbursement scam sentenced
A Fort Wayne man has been sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay $566,000 in restitution for a tuition reimbursement scam involving dozens of former employees of a British defense contractor.
7th Circuit reverses, remands two kidnapping enhancements
Three men who kidnapped and tortured a South Bend man have received different rulings from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed a 37-year prison sentence for one defendant and vacated 10-year firearm enhancements for the other two.
Random drug screen requirement reversed for mom in CHINS case
A mother found driving intoxicated with her three minor children in the car lost her appeal of a determination that they are children in need of services, but won a reversal of a requirement that she submit to random drug screens as part of her parental participation order.
Justices deny transfer to murderer, parents’ appeals
Indiana Supreme Court justices unanimously denied transfer to more than 20 cases last week, including appeals from a man who is serving 70 years behind bars for murdering his girlfriend and from parents who claim medical care providers failed to properly treat their infant daughter.
Virginia transgender bathroom case: Judge favors ex-student
A federal judge in Virginia ruled Friday that a school board’s transgender bathroom ban discriminated against a former student, Gavin Grimm, the latest in a string of decisions nationwide that favor transgender students who faced similar policies.
Justices affirm parental rights for homeless mother of six
A mother who fought to be reunited with her six minor children secured the Indiana Supreme Court’s favor after justices unanimously affirmed a finding that the termination of her parental rights due to her homelessness was not in the children’s best interests.