Panel seeking comments on Dinsmore reappointment
An Indiana Southern District Court panel is seeking comment on whether a sitting magistrate judge should be reappointed to his position for another eight-year term.
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7th Circuit: Suit against Evansville, Kentucky police may proceed
A federal complaint alleging coercion, constitutional violations and falsification at the hands of Evansville and Kentucky police officers investigating a murder will continue after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined qualified immunity was not appropriate for certain claims against the officers.
Judiciary Committee schedules vote on Sweeney for Southern District
The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary is scheduled to vote Thursday on the nomination of James Sweeney II to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
7th Circuit remands case for resentencing, pro se hearing
The Indiana Southern District Court must resentence an Indianapolis man convicted of possessing ammunition as a felon after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined the district court did not adequately inquire into whether the man wanted to proceed pro se.
Keeping East Chicago lead cleanup a priority
Two Statehouse Democrats from northwest Indiana know the cleanup of the contamination site in East Chicago will not only take years but also a steady state commitment. Their legislation — and affected residents’ federal court cases — aim to keep the issue in the spotlight.
Indiana man gets prison term for selling guns in Illinois
An Indiana man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for bringing guns and ammunition across state lines and illegally selling them to people in Chicago and the south suburbs.
Federal courts open during government shutdown
With Congress failing to pass a budget measure by the deadline of midnight Saturday, and the federal government beginning the workweek amid a shutdown, federal judiciary officials sought to assure the public they are still open – for now.
NCAA scores victory in trademark infringement case
A Las Vegas-based fantasy sports sweepstakes company can no longer use the phrases “Final 3” and “April Madness” in its events related to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship after a district court judge granted the NCAA’s request for a permanent injunction in a trademark infringement case.
Trademark dispute between Splenda, Applebees and IHOP to continue
A trademark dispute between the owners of the Splenda sweetener brand and the Applebee’s and IHOP franchises will continue after a district court judge denied the restaurants’ motion to dismiss on Thursday.
Elkhart denies wrongful conviction amid Cooper lawsuit
A northern Indiana city is maintaining the guilt of a Chicago man convicted in a 1996 shooting after the man filed a lawsuit following his pardon.
IMPD excessive force claim proceeds to trial
The City of Indianapolis has lost its summary judgment argument on an excessive force claim after a district court judge determined genuine issues of material fact exist as to whether the city’s policies led two police officers to use excessive force against a veteran.
Workplace rights lawyers racing against shifting legal landscape
While employers across America paid a record amount in settlements for workplace violations last year, don’t expect it to be the beginning of a trend. Think of it more as the storm before the calm, as labor lawyers rush to lock in payouts ahead of a shifting legal landscape.
Federal courts create workplace conduct committee
On the heels of a call from the U.S. Supreme Court to review the judiciary’s sexual harassment response policies, the U.S. Courts Administrative Office has established a working group to review the safeguards in place for protecting court employees from inappropriate workplace conduct.
Sweeney shows respect, humor at nomination hearing
James Sweeney II, nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, practically breezed through his nomination hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Wednesday.
In big-cat fight, judge scratches defamation counterclaim against PETA
A lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against what it terms “an unaccredited roadside zoo” near Charlestown is proceeding after a judge dismissed the owners’ counterclaim that the nonprofit had defamed them in its complaint.
Judge blocks Trump decision to end DACA immigration program
A federal judge on Tuesday night temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation. U.S. District Judge William Alsup granted a request by California and other plaintiffs to prevent President Donald Trump from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program while their lawsuits play out in court.
Southern Indiana District Court nominee scheduled for hearing
James R. Sweeney II, the nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is scheduled to appear before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary tomorrow.
Nearly a dozen Indiana communities sue opioid industry in new flurry of suits
Nearly a dozen Indiana cities and counties have filed lawsuits in recent days against opioid makers and distributors, claiming the companies have flooded their communities with the addictive painkillers and engaged in deceptive marketing campaigns that helped lead to a growing crisis.
More Indiana communities sue drug companies over opioids
Several more Indiana communities have joined the growing list of governments suing pharmaceutical companies and distributors over their roles in the opioid abuse crisis.
Southern Indiana gets new prosecutor focused on violence
The U.S. Justice Department says the federal Southern District of Indiana will receive an additional assistant U.S. attorney to focus exclusively on violent crime.