The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment in favor of prison employees in an inmate's Eighth Amendment violations suit, finding the inmate's lack of cooperation in providing details of threats against him prohibited the officials from protecting him from an attack by another inmate.
The Lake County Bar Association will send a delegation to Friday's Commission on Courts meeting to endorse the adoption of legislation that would support merit-based selection of judges to the County Courts Division.
When considering law school, students may have the idea that getting a law degree will equal a large salary or a lifestyle similar to television shows that portray lawyers in spacious apartments, wearing designer clothes, and hosting large events. The reality is that may be true for some. For those who would rather work in politics, as in-house counsel, or start their own business, the salary may be smaller, but depending on one’s interests and career goals, it could be more…
The Indiana State Bar Association has approved three new membership categories, describing the recent additions as a way to have the entire legal community represented within its membership ranks.On June 30, the Board of Governors added the categories of law librarians, legal administrators, and court administrators as affiliate members. They join the paralegal class in that ranking, meaning the four professional groups can serve on committees or join sections, but they cannot vote on issues or hold office.”This is a natural…
The Indiana Tax Court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s property tax assessment system because the petitioning taxpayers didn’t exhaust their administrative options.Indiana Tax Judge Thomas G. Fisher ruled Nov. 9 in Mel Goldstein, et al. v. Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, et al., No. 49T10-0709-TA-45, which was brought by 14 taxpayers and 10 citizen groups from across the state.Indianapolis attorney John Price filed the suit in September on behalf taxpayers statewide pushing for tax reform,…
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today that state officials violated the law by not adhering to the public bidding process when privatizing a Fort Wayne development center two years ago.In Anita Stuller, et al. v. Mitchell Daniels Jr., et al., 02A05-0601-CV-22, the court unanimously reversed and remanded the case to Allen Superior Judge Nancy Boyer with instructions to hold a hearing to determine if a preliminary injunction should be granted.The 27-page opinion points out that Judge Boyer misinterpreted a state…
The process for after-hours legal filing changes today as a result of new security being implemented at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.North doors of the building will be locked at 5:30 p.m., and the Capitol Police desk at that entrance will not be staffed. The Clerk of the Courts and Department of Administration installed a drop box for filings to be placed, according to according to Supreme Court Administrator and Clerk of the Appellate Courts Kevin Smith.Security measures for the entire…
New security measures starting in two weeks at the Indiana Statehouse means the legal community will have to change their routines for after-hours filing.Beginning June 4, north doors of the building will be locked at 5:30 p.m. and the Capitol Police desk at that entrance will not be staffed as it currently is. The Clerk of the Courts and Department of Administration is installing a drop box for filings to be placed, according to according to Supreme Court Administrator and Clerk…
Relations between courts and Congress have been strained lately, and a contingent of both are meeting in Indianapolis today to explore the reasons, examine how judicial independence fits in, and try to lay groundwork for improving relations.The Indiana State Bar Association is sponsoring the “Relations Between Congress and the Federal Courts” conference at the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis, which began at 8:30 a.m. and features U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. as a key speaker.More than…
The Indiana Supreme Court said today that insurance carriers are not required to pay for power companies’ costs incurred in a federal lawsuit, nor the installation of new equipment to reduce pollution as ordered in a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States. In Cinergy Corp and Duke Energy v. Associated Electric & Gas Insurance Services, et al., 32S05-0604-CV-151, the state’s highest court issued a 17-page unanimous opinion affirming a decision by Hendricks Superior Judge David H. Coleman. The…
Indianapolis law firm Bingham McHale has created its own independently operated and managed affiliate focused on economic development relating to site-selection analysis, incentive procurement and fulfillment, and community development and planning. The firm announced today the formation of Bingham Economic Development Advisors LLC (BEDA), recruiting five professionals from Carmel consulting firm Ginovus LLC. Leaving Ginovus late last week were Jay Walters, Jenny Massey, Suzanne Davis, Linda Williamson, and Sara McGoun, according to the law firm.The new Bingham McHale practice will be…
Attorneys are presenting their cases in the U.S. District Court’s Southern District in Indianapolis today on whether the Army and Department of Defense are violating federal environmental laws in shipping the potentially deadly VX nerve gas from Indiana to Texas.Chief Judge Larry McKinney began the evidentiary hearing at 1:30 p.m. and has allocated up to three days for the proceeding. Four environmental and activist groups and five citizens, including two Hoosiers, filed a suit in May against the government to permanently…
The Indiana Legal Services chapter that provides free legal services for low-income residents in civil cases in Monroe and 13 other counties will celebrate its 30th anniversary Aug. 29 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Tutto bene Wine Cafe, 213 S. Rogers St., Bloomington.ILS typically handles cases that involve issues of domestic violence, housing, consumer law, access to health care, and government benefits. It recently partnered with the Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington to establish an Elder Law Clinic….
Elkhart County is immune from losses resulting from temporary weather-related road conditions in 2001, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled today.The 4-1 decision came in Marvin Hochstetler v. Elkhart Co. Highway Dept., et al., 20S05-0703-CV-97, a case it heard arguments in May 10. The case involved a motorcycle driver, Hochstetler, who struck a fallen tree on a county road after a storm and sued the county departments and officials for negligence. The Elkhart Superior Court entered summary judgment in favor of the…
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals granted an attorney’s motion to withdraw his client’s notice of appeal because the attorney couldn’t find a non-frivolous basis for an appeal. The court also commended the attorney for how he handled the appeal.In U.S.A. v. Alan R. King, Jr., No. 07-2143, King pleaded guilty to stealing government property, loan fraud, false representation of Social Security numbers, and federal student financial aid fraud. The District Court sentenced him to 105 months imprisonment, five years of supervised…
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana wants the full 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a case involving legislative prayer.
The Indiana Attorney General's Office made an appearance in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago this morning, arguing that the state's automated dialing statute is constitutional. Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter filed lawsuits in state court last year against FreeEats.com Inc., a Virginia-based company making automated calls on behalf of Economic Freedom Fund […]
The Judicial Nominating Commission conducted its first round of interviews today for the Indiana Court of Appeals vacancy that will be created by Judge John T. Sharpnack’s retirement in May 2008.Fifteen people from Indiana’s legal community applied for the appellate court seat.Nine applicants sat before the commission this morning, including three trial judges, a senator, and the heads of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and Indiana Gaming Commission. Interviews started at 9 a.m. and ran until mid-afternoon, all conducted in a…
An Indianapolis law firm partner who has led three state agencies is the new administrator for Marion County courts. On Monday, the four-judge executive committee chose Glenn R. Lawrence to fill the spot, which has been vacant since the former administrator Ron Miller resigned in late March. Since then, Senior Judge Richard Good has been filling in as interim administrator. The county’s four leading judges offered Lawrence the $93,500-salary job Monday afternoon, according to presiding Superior Judge Gerald Zore. Judges had…
The Indiana Supreme Court will consider two cases Thursday morning. One looks at the line between estate plans and wills, while the other involves a motorist’s lawsuit against a county for not removing a tree in the road after a storm.Justices will first hear arguments at 9 a.m. in the case In re Guardianship of E.N., Adult, which comes out of the Washington Circuit Court. The trial court approved an estate plan submitted by a protected person’s adult children in their…