Chief: Lafayette police recruit fired for ties to neo-Nazis
A police recruit in northwestern Indiana was fired less than 24 hours after the department was notified that the officer was involved in a neo-Nazi online chat forum.
First Amendment
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AG Hill: Holcomb violated constitution with COVID church closures
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s restriction on in-person religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic was a violation of the First Amendment, Attorney General Curtis Hill said in a new advisory opinion. His opinion comes despite recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have upheld state restrictions on churches imposed in response to the pandemic.
High court nominee Barrett served as ‘handmaid’ in religious group
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett served as a “handmaid,” the term then used for high-ranking female leaders in the People of Praise religious community, an old directory for the group’s members shows.
Democrats ask if more material omitted from Barrett response
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are calling on the Justice Department to provide any missing materials from a questionnaire completed by Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Confirmation hearings for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge and Notre Dame law professor remain scheduled to begin next week.
2 justices slam court’s 2015 decision in gay marriage case
The United States Supreme Court, already poised to take a significant turn to the right, opened its new term Monday with a jolt from two conservative justices who raised new criticism of the court’s embrace of same-sex marriage.
Protester who lost eye due to tear gas sues Fort Wayne, police for excessive force
A Fort Wayne man who lost his eye during a Black Lives Matter protest after the death of George Floyd is now suing the city and local police department for excessive force and violation of his First Amendment rights.
Barrett opposed ‘abortion on demand,’ raising doubts on Roe
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett signed a 2006 newspaper ad sponsored by an anti-abortion group in which she said she opposed “abortion on demand” and defended “the right to life from fertilization to the end of natural life.”
Special judge steps down in fired Cathedral teacher case
Asserting the Archdiocese of Indianapolis made claims that are “irrelevant, inaccurate, misleading or make incorrect inferences,” the Marion Superior Court denied the church’s attempt to remove the special judge appointed to preside over the case involving the firing of a gay teacher at Cathedral High School. The judge did step aside, however, citing personal reasons.
IU chief to ask trustees to strike name of eugenics backer Jordan
The president of Indiana University announced Thursday he will recommend the school’s trustees remove from the Bloomington campus the name of one of his predecessors who was a proponent of eugenics.
Dismay over Breonna Taylor spills into America’s streets
Anger, frustration and sadness over the decision not to charge police officers for Breonna Taylor’s death poured into America’s streets as protesters lashed out at a criminal justice system they say is stacked against Black people. Violence seized the demonstrations in her hometown of Louisville as gunfire rang out and wounded two police officers. Protests in Indianapolis remained peaceful.
Suit seeks $3M in damages over alleged wrongful DCS actions
Indianapolis parents who claim the Indiana Department of Child Services wrongly removed their children from the home over allegedly false accusations of sexual abuse have filed a federal lawsuit against the agency seeking $3 million in damages.
Judge: Memory-impaired man’s suit claiming Carmel City Hall assault may proceed in part
A man who has difficulty forming new memories and therefore records his interactions on video may proceed with a lawsuit on narrowed claims alleging he was injured after a confrontation with a city attorney in Carmel City Hall as the man recorded his interactions with staff.
‘Say her name’: Louisville to pay $12M to Breonna Taylor’s family
Months after the police killing of Breonna Taylor thrust her name to the forefront of a national reckoning on race and excessive use of force, the city of Louisville agreed to pay the Black woman’s family $12 million and reform police practices as part of a settlement announced Tuesday.
Tightrope act: Judges balance social issues, impartiality
Scenes from protests have dominated television screens for months. People of all ages, sizes, races, genders and backgrounds have participated in events calling for an end to racial inequality. But how do judges fit into the mix?
State: Zoo owner illegally removes animals, incites violence in racist post
The feud between the state of Indiana and the owner of a rogue Charlestown zoo is heating up, with the state now seeking default judgment and the court ordering the owner to reveal the locations of animals illegally removed from the Charlestown property. The state says the zoo owner responded with social media posts inciting violence and using racist slurs.
Bipartisan Indianapolis prosecutors endorse Biden-Harris
A bipartisan group of current and former Marion County prosecutors are publicly backing the Biden-Harris 2020 presidential ticket, saying they “strongly disagree” with the notion of law and order touted by President Donald Trump.
Appeals court upholds judgment for 4 cities in RFRA lawsuit
A lawsuit challenging Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act will not proceed, for now, after the Indiana Court of Appeals declined to reverse summary judgment for four cities with nondiscrimination ordinances. The appellate panel found that the conservative organizations challenging the RFRA “fix” lacked standing to challenge the ordinances on free speech and religious exercise grounds.
AP Exclusive: Pence to attend event hosted by QAnon backers
Vice President and former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and top officials from President Donald Trump’s campaign are slated to attend a Montana fundraiser next week hosted by a couple who have expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, according to an event invitation obtained by The Associated Press and a review of social media postings.
DOJ, AG Hill side with archdiocese in same-sex marriage fight
Claiming the judiciary cannot interfere with church matters, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Indiana Attorney General have entered the fight between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis and a teacher who was dismissed from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis for being in a same-sex marriage.
Federal task force kills Portland shooting suspect at arrest
A man suspected of fatally shooting a supporter of a right-wing group in Portland, Oregon, last week after a caravan of Donald Trump backers rode through downtown was killed Thursday as investigators moved in to arrest him, the U.S. Marshals Service said Friday.