Police animal amendment moves to full House
The proposed amendment making it a Class D felony for someone who kills a police animal while driving drunk has found a home in legislation.
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Democrat stalwart said to be U.S. attorney nominee
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Southern District of Indiana has been without a presidentially appointed U.S. attorney for more than two years – an extraordinarily long stretch for a position that usually can be filled in half that time.
President to renominate IU professor
An Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Bloomington professor is expected to be renominated by President Barack Obama to head the Office of Legal Counsel after the Senate sent her nomination back to the White House in December.
Workshop examines foster care
Child Advocates and the Marion Superior Court’s Juvenile Division are hosting a workshop this week in Indianapolis to examine why more African-American children are in the county’s foster care than other races.
Former justice discusses merit selection
During a visit to South Bend today, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor pushed a message that merit selection is the best way to ensure an independent judiciary, though her words come at a time when state lawmakers are close to scrapping that very system in the county she visited.
Court rules on agency record appeals
In two separate opinions, the Indiana Court of Appeals tackled the issue of timely and complete filing of an agency record.
High court rules in favor of AG in casino case
The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the state's attorney general in a suit for constructive trust and unjust enrichment against a for-profit corporation receiving contributions from a casino, finding the trial court erred in dismissing the claims.
COA rules on excessive force under ITCA
The use of excessive force is not conduct immunized under section 3(8) of the Indiana Tort Claims Act, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.
Deputy prosecutor fired after arrest
A deputy Madison County Prosecutor has been fired following her arrest for allegedly driving drunk. Deputy Prosecutor Janine L. Sutton was arrested for operating while intoxicated, a Class A misdemeanor.
Counties test expanded protective order registry
Eight Indiana counties will be the first to use the state's expanded electronic protective order registry. The expansion is a result of a partnership between the Indiana Supreme Court, law enforcement, clerks, and domestic violence groups.
St. Joe judges election bill hearing Wednesday
The Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Room 130 at the Statehouse to discuss several bills on first reading, including House Bill 1491, which would require nonpartisan elections of St. Joseph Superior judges.
Lake County fee bill moves forward
The House Judiciary Committee met this morning to consider five bills that included assessing a $10 fee for Lake County court filings, which would be used to fund a consolidated judicial center.
UPDATE: Committee tweaking St. Joe judges bill
A legislative conference committee is debating what changes might be possible for a bill aimed at scrapping merit selection for St. Joseph Superior judges.
District Court erred in drug sentence
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a man's sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine because the District Court failed to figure out the quantity of the drug reasonably attributable to the defendant.
7th Circuit warns attorneys about compliance
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals chastised the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indiana’s Northern District to “get its act together” to comply strictly with a statute that imposes a mandatory life sentence for a defendant convicted of a drug offense with two prior drug convictions.
Court erred in ordering DCS to pay costs
The Indiana Department of Child Services isn't responsible for the costs of a minor's secure detention because it never entered into a written agreement with the juvenile court to cover the costs, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.
Clinic director moves to AG’s office
After founding Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic and serving as its executive director since January 1994, Abigail Kuzma is leaving the organization to work in the Consumer Protection Division of the Indiana Attorney General's Office.
Judges: Town ordinance invalid
The Indiana Court of Appeals declared today a Plainfield town ordinance authorizing the imposition of storm-water fees on properties outside of the town's corporate boundaries to be invalid because under Indiana Code, the town only has the authority to collect the fee within its corporate limits.
State gets $21 million for justice-related jobs
Indiana will receive more than $21 million in Recovery Act funds to maintain or increase public safety in the state, while creating or retaining jobs within the law enforcement community.
Judges uphold mail fraud conviction
Although it noted the question was a "close one," the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined there was sufficient evidence to support a man's conviction of mail fraud in his scheme to defraud the government out of money for work he didn't complete.