Acting U.S. Attorney Bell named Indiana Northern District Court clerk
Gary T. Bell will be tasked with legal and administrative duties such as managing the court’s budget, information technology, jury services and processing staff.
Department of Justice
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Ashley HomeStore settles employment-rights case with Indiana guardsman
Ashley HomeStore has agreed to pay an Indiana Army National guardsman $6,000 after he alleged he was fired from the store’s Greenwood location after returning from active duty.
Judge temporarily stays ruling against CDC eviction moratorium
A federal judge has temporarily stayed an order that found the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority when it imposed a federal eviction moratorium to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Supreme Court skeptical of low-level crack offender’s case
Crack cocaine trafficking kingpins convicted more than a decade ago can ask courts to reduce their prison terms under a 2018 federal law. The Supreme Court on Tuesday sounded skeptical that people convicted of older low-level crack crimes can do the same.
Judge orders Justice Department to release Trump obstruction memo
A federal judge has ordered the release of a legal memorandum the Trump-era Justice Department prepared for then-Attorney General William Barr before he announced his conclusion that President Donald Trump had not obstructed justice during the Russia investigation.
Whistleblower blasts Biden pick for key DOJ job over deal in sex case
President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Justice Department’s criminal division is facing new scrutiny over a plea deal he brokered with a Louisiana district attorney who was accused of coercing sexual favors from as many as two dozen women.
After George Floyd ex-cop’s conviction, AG Garland opens Minneapolis police probe
Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to announce that the Justice Department is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis a day after a former officer was convicted in the killing of George Floyd.
Guitarist from Indiana first suspect to plead guilty in Capitol riot
A 53-year-old heavy metal guitarist from Columbus on Friday became the first defendant to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Muncie police face new excessive force, false reporting charges
Three Muncie police officers are facing new allegations of using excessive force then attempting to cover up their actions after a new federal indictment. A fourth officer not previously indicted is now also being charged with a federal crime.
Bont: White collar update — Walmart pharmacy defense plays offense
Walmart took issue with the government’s assertion that national pharmacy chains are required to analyze and share prescribing data across its stores and with line pharmacists. After waiting four years for the government to initiate legal proceedings, Walmart took the offensive and filed a declaratory judgment action in the Eastern District of Texas. In essence, Walmart alleged to the court that the government was creating and enforcing laws that did not exist.
NCAA’s Emmert agrees to meet protesting players after March Madness
With the United States Supreme Court set to hear a college sports antitrust case next week, Indianapolis-based NCAA President Mark Emmert has informed a group of basketball players who started a social media campaign to protest inequities that he will meet with them after March Madness.
Court could reimpose Boston marathon bomber’s death sentence
The United States Supreme Court said Monday it will consider reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, presenting President Joe Biden with an early test of his opposition to capital punishment.
On federal death row, inmates talk about Biden, executions
On federal death row in Terre Haute, prisoners fling notes on a string under each other’s cell doors and converse through interconnected air ducts. A top issue these days: whether President Joe Biden will halt executions, several told The Associated Press.
With athlete name, image, likeness reform in limbo, NCAA heads toward busy June
The Indianapolis-based NCAA’s efforts to allow athletes to earn money from personal endorsement and sponsorship deals are stuck in limbo, and June is shaping up to be a potentially busy and important month for college sports.
Senate confirms Merrick Garland to be U.S. attorney general
The Senate confirmed Merrick Garland on Wednesday to be the next U.S. attorney general with a strong bipartisan vote, placing the widely respected, veteran judge in the post as President Joe Biden has vowed to restore the Justice Department’s reputation for independence.
High court inclined to expand warrantless entry into homes
The Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday seemed inclined to expand when officers can enter a suspect’s home without a warrant.
Tinder, Williams support Garland’s nomination for AG
A coalition of former federal judges, including two from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, is urging the U.S. Senate to confirm Judge Merrick Garland as the U.S. Attorney General, describing him as having a “strong moral compass and abiding integrity.”
AG nominee Garland to focus on civil rights, political independence
Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general, is appearing for his confirmation hearing Monday vowing to prioritize civil rights, combat extremist attacks and ensure the Justice Department remains politically independent.
Indianapolis man pleads guilty to hate crime at neighbor
An Indianapolis man has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and weapons charges after threatening a Black neighbor.
Justice Department seeks resignations of Trump-era U.S. attorneys
The Justice Department will ask U.S. attorneys who were appointed by former President Donald Trump to resign from their posts, as the Biden administration moves to transition to its own nominees, a senior Justice Department official said Monday.