COA in Carmel to hear appeal of sanctions
The Indiana Court of Appeals visits Carmel High School Thursday to hear arguments in a case stemming from a propane gas explosion.
Indiana Court of Appeals
Articles
COA upholds eviction action
A trial court properly treated a couple's action against the man who agreed to purchase a house from them
as an eviction, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded. The court also analyzed for the first time the nature and effect of
a pre-closing possession agreement like the one in the instant case.
Appellate court upholds murder conviction
Although the trial court erred in finding a police officer was a skilled witness uniquely qualified to assess a murder victim's truthfulness, it was a harmless error because his testimony was an admissible lay observation, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded today.
Law clear only guarantor’s signature needed
The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled on a guaranty issue today that is "so well-settled" in state law that the judges had difficulty finding recent cases restating it.
COA rules on first impression railroad issue
In an issue of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded a Federal Employer Liability Act claim premised on
unsafe ballast isn't precluded by Federal Railroad Safety Act regulations of ballast in a man's suit for injuries
he sustained while employed with a transportation company.
Appellate court upholds guardian appointment
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the appointment of a third-party guardian for an incompetent adult because a disinterested person may hopefully prevent unnecessary disputes caused by mistrust between the woman's children and husband.
COA split on whether company can repurchase stock
A panel of Indiana Court of Appeals judges disagreed as to whether a company's attempt to exercise its option to repurchase stock had occurred in a timely manner under a shareholders' agreement.
Man didn’t timely file petition to reopen estates
A trial court correctly denied the request to reopen the estates of a man's deceased parents to correct an error because he failed to timely file his petition, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed.
Judges disagree on chemical possession charge
A panel of Indiana Court of Appeal judges disagreed as to whether a defendant who stole anhydrous ammonia with the intent of selling it to a third party in the future to make methamphetamine, but who never actually sold the chemical, could be charged with possession with intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
COA upholds termination of parental rights
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the termination of a mother and father's parental rights based on sufficient evidence. The appellate court also found the mother couldn't appeal on the basis that the Department of Child Services failed to prove her drug use when she repeatedly refused to submit to drug testing.
Court reverses handgun conviction
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed today a defendant's conviction of carrying a handgun without a license because
the circumstantial evidence doesn't support that the man had the requisite intent to constructively possess the gun.
COA: lawyer-client privilege protects information
A defendant's belief that his right to seek exculpatory evidence trumps the attorney-client privilege is incorrect, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.
Judges reverse protection order
A protection order under Indiana Code Section 34-26-5 against a woman should not have been issued because there was no evidence of domestic violence, stalking or a sex offense as required by statute, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.
Couple not a ‘successful party’ in settlement
Despite a lack of Indiana caselaw addressing the use of the term "successful party" for an award of attorney
fees after a settlement, the Indiana Court of Appeals deemed the term interchangeable with the term "prevailing party."
Mistake invalidates termination of dad’s rights
A father's consent to voluntarily terminate his parental rights so his sister could adopt his daughter was invalidated by misrepresentations made by a family case manager for the Department of Child Services. As such, the father's petition to set aside the judgment should have been granted, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled today.
Judges disagree on retroactive support issue
In a matter of first impression, a panel of Indiana Court of Appeals judges couldn't agree on whether an initial support order can be retroactive to a date preceding the filing of a petition for resolution. The judges disagreed as to whether a court has the authority to reach into an intact marriage and order a party to pay child support to the other.
Public defender’s office goes green
The Office of the Public Defender of Indiana is now an American Bar Association Law Office Climate Challenge Partner.
Appeals court split on parol evidence issue
Judges on the Indiana Court of Appeals were split on whether a boss's oral promise to a future employee regarding a severance package would be barred from consideration by the parol evidence rule.
COA discusses jury-selection procedures
Despite being sensitive to a defendant's concerns about having no African-Americans included in his jury pool, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed his felony convictions of altering an original identification number and auto theft.
Judges split on duty owed to injured teen
A majority on the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for a golf course, golf scramble organizers, and golfer in a teenager's suit after she was hit with a golf ball. Today's decision also expanded language from a previous ruling involving the duty to prevent injury to sports participants to now include sporting event volunteers.