Southern District revises pending local rule amendments
A clerical revision was made to amended local rules for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana that will take effect July 1.
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Jury awards $15M after Indiana cancer patient’s misread CT scan
A federal jury Friday awarded $15 million in damages on behalf of a woman who claimed a Carmel imaging center failed to identify a tumor that went untreated and undetected for nearly 18 months, severely reducing her chances of surviving cancer.
Kentucky man sentenced to 30 days for assault on congressman
A Kentucky man who had “had enough” of his congressman neighbor edging too close to his yard has been sentenced to 30 days in prison after he ran onto Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s property and tackled him. Rene A. Boucher, 60, after he assaulted Paul on Nov. 3, 2017.
Mueller worries Russia could use court case to spy on probe
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is worried that Russian intelligence services will use a criminal case in Washington, D.C., to gather information about its investigation and U.S. intelligence-gathering methods. In court papers filed Tuesday, prosecutors asked a federal judge in D.C. to impose limits on the information that can be shared by attorneys in the first criminal case directly related to Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
EPA must reply to suit over power plant pollution from Indiana, other states
A federal judge has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to respond to Maryland's request for a declaration that power plants in five upwind states are contributing to Maryland’s air quality problems.
Prison doctor must face inmate suit as judge seeks counsel
A prison doctor must face a lawsuit from an inmate who claims the physician didn’t follow a surgeon’s orders for pain medication and physical therapy after the inmate’s back surgery. The judge in the case also said he would solicit counsel to represent the inmate going forward.
Trump lawyer Cohen hunts for new lawyers in FBI probe
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, is searching for a new legal team to represent him in an FBI investigation of his business dealings.
Federal judge approves AT&T-Time Warner merger
A federal judge in Washington approved the $85 billion mega-merger of AT&T and Time Warner on Tuesday, potentially ushering in a wave of media consolidation while shaping how much consumers pay for streaming TV and movies.
Court orders former Cracker Barrel manager to arbitration
A former Indiana Cracker Barrel manager who sued the restaurant chain for disability discrimination and retaliation must arbitrate her claims against the restaurant after a federal judge compelled the employee to comply with an arbitration agreement she claims she never signed.
Court sees ‘high likelihood’ that Indiana’s voting law violates federal act
Three public advocacy groups have temporarily stopped the enforcement of Indiana’s 2017 voter registration law, which could potentially purge eligible voters from the rolls without providing them written notice. Judge Tanya Walton Pratt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting the state from implementing the 2017 version of Senate Enrolled Act 442.
Adviser who defrauded former Colt of $4.7M gets seven years in prison
A former financial adviser who admitted to defrauding former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Cory Redding out of $4.7 million was sentenced Friday to seven years in federal prison. Kenneth Ray Cleveland received the punishment after pleading guilty to federal fraud and money laundering charges.
ACLU arguing for injunction against abortion law taking effect July 1
An in-court battle over yet another Indiana abortion law will take place Friday when the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana will urge a district court judge to enter an injunction against portions of a law set to take effect in less than a month.
Ex-Navy SEAL author’s legal malpractice claim proceeds
A former Navy SEAL who claims he was forced to forfeit to the government more than $6 million in proceeds from his best-selling book about the capture of Osama bin Laden may proceed with a legal malpractice lawsuit against a Fort Wayne lawyer. The author of “No Easy Day” alleges bad legal advice about not needing to first clear the book with the Department of Defense caused the loss.
College skirts health care law’s birth control rule
A northern Indiana college has won its long-running lawsuit seeking a religious exemption from paying for employees’ birth control under former President Barack Obama’s health care law.
Federal judge nominees face questions over juror race issue
At Wednesday’s U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing for the five nominees to the federal district bench, including the nominees for the Northern and Southern Indiana district courts, the table of potential judges was more crowded than the dais where the senators usually sit.
Horse Racing Commission must pay horsemen $56K in legal fees
A judge has ordered the state agency that regulates horse racing to pay the legal fees of an owner who successfully challenged an administrative rule restricting racehorses’ ability to compete outside Indiana. Judge William T. Lawrence of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on Monday ordered the Indiana Horse Racing Commission to pay $56,365 in attorney fees and costs to plaintiffs who won a ruling last year overturning a commission regulation.
Transgender teen’s restroom suit against Evansville schools proceeds
A transgender teen’s lawsuit alleging the Evansville school district violated his rights by forcing him to use the women’s restrooms despite his male identity will continue after a district court judge rejected the school’s argument that only the teen’s parents could act as his next friend in the litigation.
Brady, Hanlon to testify before judiciary committee
Two Indiana attorneys seeking appointment to the U.S. district courts for the Northern and Southern District of Indiana will be appearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday as candidates to fill current and future vacancies on the federal bench.
SCOTUS-created group lists anti-harassment measures
A federal working group has made two dozen recommendations for ways the judiciary can prevent and respond to workplace harassment, issuing a report that marks the end of the first phase of a U.S. Supreme Court-led initiative that began in response to the national #MeToo movement.
Supreme Court rejects questions in IU frat sex assault case
By a majority vote, the Indiana Supreme Court has declined certified questions of Indiana state law presented by a federal court concerning an Indiana University campus sexual assault case.